This is one of those sci-fi movies of the 50s that obviously did not take itself too seriously. Sure, the typical invasion from outer space was the theme of the film, but the bug-eyed aliens are so gosh-darn cute and the costumes so cool you can't help but smile instead of becoming afraid. And, the script also takes a less than serious look at the invasion. Sure, it is a dopey martian invasion movie but it makes no attempt to be otherwise and that is why I liked the movie so much--for what it was, it was sure fun. So, if you do watch the film, view it more as comedy and don't be too hard on this old film! If you do, you'll find it's a delightful little time passer.
54 Reviews
Mild 50's Foolishness
gftbiloxi30 May 2005
Unlike most 1950s teenage date flicks, INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN is still mildly entertaining today--and this, when combined with modern reaction to the film's typically "Golly Gee" mentality, makes the movie amusing. The story is basic: two all-American teenagers on lover's lane accidentally run over a little green man from outer space and are then threatened by his friends--but will any of the grown-ups believe them? Of course not, they're just crazy kids!
The movie bills itself as a deliberate mixture of comedy and horror; although very mild, the comedy is genuine--but unless you have a fear of children dressed up in big-headed space alien costumes you're unlikely to be even slightly startled, much less horrified. Even the teenagers under attack seldom seem greatly concerned, and our leading lady is more worried about having to hike in heels ("My feet are killing me!") than about little green men from outer space.
All in all, INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN lacks the true camp appeal of, say, an Ed Woods movie--but even so it has its points: special effects so tame that even the actors can't get worked up about them, mildly absurd performances (watch for Frank Gorshin), and an odd-ball script. The film is out of print, but if you are really determined you can probably find an old copy for sale... or catch it yourself on the late-late show.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
The movie bills itself as a deliberate mixture of comedy and horror; although very mild, the comedy is genuine--but unless you have a fear of children dressed up in big-headed space alien costumes you're unlikely to be even slightly startled, much less horrified. Even the teenagers under attack seldom seem greatly concerned, and our leading lady is more worried about having to hike in heels ("My feet are killing me!") than about little green men from outer space.
All in all, INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN lacks the true camp appeal of, say, an Ed Woods movie--but even so it has its points: special effects so tame that even the actors can't get worked up about them, mildly absurd performances (watch for Frank Gorshin), and an odd-ball script. The film is out of print, but if you are really determined you can probably find an old copy for sale... or catch it yourself on the late-late show.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Lots of Fun
Space_Mafune7 April 2003
A silly yet likeable alien invasion film where only the town's teens are aware of the alien threat and the adults are complete incompetents. Neat to finally see some of Paul Blaisdell's finest creations in all their hideous glory. The story is laughable but the Saucer Men looked awesome..Favorite scene: a saucer man meets a bull!
Great Example of 50"s Teenage SciFi
CinemaBill7 September 2004
Frank Gorshen (TV's Riddler) and Lynn Oborne (from TV's Space Patrol) are the "adult" leads in the film. As traveling salesmen they find the saucermen and plan to make money by showing them around the country.
There is the "teenage" couple who also find the saucermen but are not believed by authorities. These are the two parallel story lines. This is one of the first movies to use the "teenagers save the world" theme that became popular during this period.
The saucermen makeup is well done by the makeup genius of that period, Paul Blaisdell. His balloon-headed, bug-eyed, mini-martians are still one of my favorites and their photos and other likeness still appear from time to time. Unfortunately, at the time of this review this movie is not available on Video or DVD. But we can hope!
There is the "teenage" couple who also find the saucermen but are not believed by authorities. These are the two parallel story lines. This is one of the first movies to use the "teenagers save the world" theme that became popular during this period.
The saucermen makeup is well done by the makeup genius of that period, Paul Blaisdell. His balloon-headed, bug-eyed, mini-martians are still one of my favorites and their photos and other likeness still appear from time to time. Unfortunately, at the time of this review this movie is not available on Video or DVD. But we can hope!
Aliens THAT Have a Point to Make!
BaronBl00d26 January 2003
Okay, I could go over a lot of old terrain by telling you about the hokey script, the generally poor acting, and the sophmoric humour laced throughout this picture, and then I could tell you how bad the film was because of said qualities. I could( and did) but will not. Invasion of the Saucer Man is a silly picture that is too silly for its own good. Nonetheless it has some things going for it. The saucer men are incredible creatures. They have huge bulbous eyes on these giant vein-covered egg-shaped heads. Their hands, also covered with veins and the like, can make needles appear readily. Apparently they kill by flooding their victims with alcohol - but only those that have had a drink before die? If that is the case why does Gorshin's character die so early and the bull doesn't at all? Oh well! I digress. The costumes are plainly and simply exquisite and have had a major effect on our cultural visual definition of what "Little, green men" look like. Tim Burton uses them as a model for his silly film Mars Attacks. The film also touches on the way governments hide things from the public. This was a small aspect of the film, yet it was very interesting as a Colonel bulldozes evidence of aliens in the middle of the night to hide information from the public - the same public being terrorized all the while by the aliens he is trying to hide. At one point the colonel address his Lt. and says how wonderful it is being one of only two men that know what is going on. The street savvy Lt. then suggests that there are other such task forces cleaning up other things and possibly even after men such as the colonel. An interesting discussion. Discussions of this nature and great costumes; however, cannot save this picture from its teen against the establishment persona. Lover's Lane is full every night, teens drink heavily, and anyone over their thirties just doesn't understand anything. If I had been a teen when this film came out I would have felt I was being played down too with all its hokey, choking elements. So - my review is a middle of the road one. It's an interesting film for some reasons. One good performance comes from movie veteran Raymond Hatton as a crusty old farmer. He does a fine job with the material he is given.
Entertaining and sympathetic short-budget Science Fiction movie of the Fifties with the regular elements.
ma-cortes12 November 2020
Low-budget 50s Sci-Fi with thrills , chills , humor and cheap special effects . It deals whith some extraterrestrial flying saucers turn up on the outer space , arrive in Earth and then Little Green Men pop in on Middle America . While driving their car , two suburban teens (Gloria Castillo, Terrell) are detained by a little green man at lovers lane . After that , the town drunk (Frank Gorshin) gets zapped , teenagers show their pluck and the Military get called in. All of them have to vanquish the extraterrestrial beings before they take the World. See Teenagers vs The Saucer-Men! See Disembodied Hand that Crawls... ¡ See Night the World nearly ended ..¡ See Earth attacking Flying Saucers !
A passable youthful Sc-Fi that does not quite descend to level of Ed Wood-style ineptitude, but it isn't too far above it either. Concerning an extraterrestrial invasion while a lovely couple runs over a Green Man and when they return with police only the corpse of a boozy remains, then they escape , asking for help , as the dead man's roonmate believes them but the trío must convince authorities before the alien creatures multiply themseves . All the usual genre elements are here , though director has not the imagination or the money to make than the barest minimum with them . The main actors are mostly unknown, however the support cast appear some familiar faces as Ed Nelson , Raymond Hatton, Angelo Rossitto and Frank Gorshin as the drunk Man , Riddle in Batman series .
The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Edward L Cahn , in spite of its show budget. Cahn was a craftsman who directed lots of films of all kinds of genres , usually for American International Production : Samuel Z Arkoff, James H Nicholson , and Edward has penchant for Science Fiction and youngsters films such as : Beauty and the Beast , Invisible Invaders , It The Terror From Beyond, Frontier Uprising, Dragstrip Girl, Flesh and the spur, Motorcyce Gang , Shake rattle and rock, Voodoo Woman, Zombies of Moratau, Girls in prison, Confidential , among others. Rating : 5.5/ 10 . Passable and acceptable. The picture will appeal to fans of Science Fiction of the 50s.
A passable youthful Sc-Fi that does not quite descend to level of Ed Wood-style ineptitude, but it isn't too far above it either. Concerning an extraterrestrial invasion while a lovely couple runs over a Green Man and when they return with police only the corpse of a boozy remains, then they escape , asking for help , as the dead man's roonmate believes them but the trío must convince authorities before the alien creatures multiply themseves . All the usual genre elements are here , though director has not the imagination or the money to make than the barest minimum with them . The main actors are mostly unknown, however the support cast appear some familiar faces as Ed Nelson , Raymond Hatton, Angelo Rossitto and Frank Gorshin as the drunk Man , Riddle in Batman series .
The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Edward L Cahn , in spite of its show budget. Cahn was a craftsman who directed lots of films of all kinds of genres , usually for American International Production : Samuel Z Arkoff, James H Nicholson , and Edward has penchant for Science Fiction and youngsters films such as : Beauty and the Beast , Invisible Invaders , It The Terror From Beyond, Frontier Uprising, Dragstrip Girl, Flesh and the spur, Motorcyce Gang , Shake rattle and rock, Voodoo Woman, Zombies of Moratau, Girls in prison, Confidential , among others. Rating : 5.5/ 10 . Passable and acceptable. The picture will appeal to fans of Science Fiction of the 50s.
But I'm not laughing...
JohnSeal4 January 2000
Did anyone think this was funny in 1957? The Saucer Men have nice heads and sharp claws, but the cast of this dreadful comedy is strictly L7, Daddy-O. Pitsville, USA. AIP could only make decent comedies when Roger Corman was at the helm, and this film has good ol' Edward L. Cahn calling the shots, so you know it's going to be formulaic AND boring.
Invasion of the bulbous heads
chris_gaskin12327 February 2006
Invasion of the Saucer Men is just typical of the movies AIP came out with during the 1950's, aliens vs teenagers.
In this one, a young couple accidentally run over an alien but its hand comes alive and terrorises people. The local farmer doesn't like the teenagers using his land for snogging in their cars. More aliens then appear and kill one of the teens with an overdose of alcohol as revenge for their mate being killed. A flying saucer then blows up with the military in attendance and the aliens are done away with at the end by light, their weakness. With a drunken bull.
The best thing about the movie are those alien creatures, with their hideous looking bulbous heads.
The cast is lead by Steven Terrell and is joined by some familiar faces from sci-fi B movies: Gloria Castillo (Teenage Monster), Raymond Hatton (The Day the World Ended), Russ Bender (It Conquered the World) and Ed Nelson (Attack Of the Crab Monsters). With Frank Gorshen (The Ridler from Batman).
Invasion of the Saucer Men is essential viewing for all sci-fi fans, even just for those creatures. Great fun.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
In this one, a young couple accidentally run over an alien but its hand comes alive and terrorises people. The local farmer doesn't like the teenagers using his land for snogging in their cars. More aliens then appear and kill one of the teens with an overdose of alcohol as revenge for their mate being killed. A flying saucer then blows up with the military in attendance and the aliens are done away with at the end by light, their weakness. With a drunken bull.
The best thing about the movie are those alien creatures, with their hideous looking bulbous heads.
The cast is lead by Steven Terrell and is joined by some familiar faces from sci-fi B movies: Gloria Castillo (Teenage Monster), Raymond Hatton (The Day the World Ended), Russ Bender (It Conquered the World) and Ed Nelson (Attack Of the Crab Monsters). With Frank Gorshen (The Ridler from Batman).
Invasion of the Saucer Men is essential viewing for all sci-fi fans, even just for those creatures. Great fun.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
Boring, stupid, unfunny
preppy-33 July 2000
Some little green men (I'm not kidding) from outer space invade a small town. Good thing the "teenagers" (all of them obviously in their 20s) are out to get them!
I saw this on TV when I was about 13 or 14 and loved it. I distinctly remember the crawling hand scaring me. Now, over 20 years later, I hated it! It has some atmospheric scenes, but... The plot is laughable even by 1950s standards..."little green men"! Ha ha. The acting is horrible...look at the cast...all unknowns (deservedly) who remained unknowns! The "special" effects are mind boggling--they are so BAD!!!!! The aliens look funny, not scary and, I swear to God, I saw the wires pulling the "crawling" hand! This isn't even bad/good--it's too boring for that. Young kids (VERY young kids) might like it, but it's too boring for adults. A waste of time.
I saw this on TV when I was about 13 or 14 and loved it. I distinctly remember the crawling hand scaring me. Now, over 20 years later, I hated it! It has some atmospheric scenes, but... The plot is laughable even by 1950s standards..."little green men"! Ha ha. The acting is horrible...look at the cast...all unknowns (deservedly) who remained unknowns! The "special" effects are mind boggling--they are so BAD!!!!! The aliens look funny, not scary and, I swear to God, I saw the wires pulling the "crawling" hand! This isn't even bad/good--it's too boring for that. Young kids (VERY young kids) might like it, but it's too boring for adults. A waste of time.
The Swedish translation makes the film even better...
aztek201222 May 2002
I saw this film a couple of years ago and still think it is one of the best low-budget Sci-Fi movies ever. The best part was actually when there was a mistake in the swedish subtitles.
As we all know (who have seen this film) the guy and the girl had a flat tyre on their car and searched fro some help at a house. When they leave the house without finding the help they wanted the girl asked her boyfriend what they should do. The boyfriend replies something about fixing the flat. Now, the swedish translater misunderstood the whole and instead of talking about the flat tyre the translation went "... and fix the apartment".
There were a lot of confused people in the theater after this.
As we all know (who have seen this film) the guy and the girl had a flat tyre on their car and searched fro some help at a house. When they leave the house without finding the help they wanted the girl asked her boyfriend what they should do. The boyfriend replies something about fixing the flat. Now, the swedish translater misunderstood the whole and instead of talking about the flat tyre the translation went "... and fix the apartment".
There were a lot of confused people in the theater after this.
They've landed. Nothing to really be frightened of.
michaelRokeefe3 July 2000
This sure looks like a hurry up and get this thing over with movie. A perfect movie for when your mind is not totally on the movie; such as the drive in theater fare of the late 50s. This flick might even be funnier than it is scary.
A young couple in the heat of their passions discover a bug eyed creature from who knows where. These alien beings have detachable hands that crawl and have an eyeball and fingers that inject alcohol. Got your interest?
Fun to watch for a laugh. Yes that is Frank Gorshin. Also in the cast are Steven Terrell, Gloria Castillo and Lyn Osborn.
A young couple in the heat of their passions discover a bug eyed creature from who knows where. These alien beings have detachable hands that crawl and have an eyeball and fingers that inject alcohol. Got your interest?
Fun to watch for a laugh. Yes that is Frank Gorshin. Also in the cast are Steven Terrell, Gloria Castillo and Lyn Osborn.
Neat effects (still) in formula 50's sci-fi.
Chris J.21 November 1998
The same plot with only the type of monster changed was used in the following years run-away hit, The Blob, which was Steve McQueen's first major role.
Here we have Paul Blaisdell's alien creature creations which are quite inventive. (Blaisdell did The She Creature, effects for Not of This Earth and much much more).
It's the old worn formula of the kids who tell the authorities about the creatures from outerspace who've landed and no one will believe them.
The creatures are able to detach their hands, which have eyeballs, and sharp hypo like fingernails which can punture tires or inject people with one heck of a high alcohol content.
It's great fun for 50's monster lovers.
Here we have Paul Blaisdell's alien creature creations which are quite inventive. (Blaisdell did The She Creature, effects for Not of This Earth and much much more).
It's the old worn formula of the kids who tell the authorities about the creatures from outerspace who've landed and no one will believe them.
The creatures are able to detach their hands, which have eyeballs, and sharp hypo like fingernails which can punture tires or inject people with one heck of a high alcohol content.
It's great fun for 50's monster lovers.
classic a.i.p drive in classic
vampi196030 June 2006
This is a classic cheesy b-movie about midget monsters from mars?? with giant brain heads and huge bloodshot eyes.(created by monster maker Paul blaisdell)the 1950s was a time of flying saucer scares, so American international pictures cashed in on it and struck a gold- mine.teenagers vs martian monsters,and no one believes them,the air force however stakes out the flying saucer.great character actor the late frank gorshin plays a drunken drifter that runs into the big headed aliens,the most memorable scene is when a steer gores one of the aliens and pokes its huge eye out,oh they also have eyeballs on their claws.if you never seen this one,watch it.its corny but very enjoyable. since i love this genre of movies I'm giving this 7 out of 10.its not great but its a fun movie to watch.hopefully soon it will be released to DVD,like; how to make a monster and blood of dracula(2 other classic b-movies from American international pictures)
They've Arrived!
AaronCapenBanner18 October 2013
Edward L. Cahn directed this cult classic about a pair of teenagers on a date who accidentally run over a newly arrived alien. Strangely, its hand falls off and comes to life on its own. Meanwhile, drunken friend Joe(played amusingly by Frank Gorshin) takes one home, but is injected by an alien with a fatal overdose of alcohol, and the authorities don't believe the teenagers' story of alien invaders. Can they be convinced in time to stave off this menace? The aliens are a memorable creation, with their big bulbous heads and needle-like fingers. Though the humor here isn't too bad, this is still a silly and ridiculous film, good only for camp value. Not yet on DVD, but was seen on YouTube.
Entertaining for a 50's type SCIFI
Big Cat 1215 March 2002
After reading some of the other comments, I must be one of the few who actually liked this movie. Invasion of the Saucer Men can be either enjoyed as a serious movie or a comedy. I like the old style special effects where they have to make a model flying saucer instead of computer generated graphics. Also, this movie may have been the first to depict Air Force coverup of UFOs.
Reasonably watchable underpowered Sci-Fi Comedy/Horror "thing"
lemon_magic11 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I saw Larry Buchanan's remake ("Attack Of The The Eye Creatures"(sic)) before I saw "Saucer Men", and "Saucer Men" is so much better by comparison that maybe my judgment has been thrown off...but as dopey teenage science fiction films go, it's not all that bad.
Even without any previous knowledge about "Saucer Creatures", it's obvious that someone started out to make a straight science fiction thriller and decided early on that, no, a serious approach wasn't going to cut it. The result is, well, not really very funny OR thrilling.
Still, the movie gets by on the strength of some quirky performances and a couple of interesting ideas. The actors playing the two drifters actually have a decent sense of comic timing and delivery even when the screenplay telegraphs their punch lines; the two air force officers in charge of the cover up are at least not painful to watch (I was sure one of them was Corman standby Dick Miller - turned out I was wrong); and even the hopelessly clichéd teenage couple are pleasant to watch as they go through their roles and their paces. Their "why won't anyone believe us?" schtick carries the film as far as it needs to go to avoid utter banality.
The saucer men themselves are so ridiculous as to actually be somewhat compelling. The bulbous heads and tiny bodies and shovel sized hands make for a fairly good representation of "little green men". Although what they intended to accomplish on a planet with regular periods of sunlight that were utterly fatal to them is a question for the ages. Seriously, they didn't bring so much as a pair of sunglasses or SPF 15 sunblock.
Worth seeing once if you are a fan of low budget 50s science fiction.
Even without any previous knowledge about "Saucer Creatures", it's obvious that someone started out to make a straight science fiction thriller and decided early on that, no, a serious approach wasn't going to cut it. The result is, well, not really very funny OR thrilling.
Still, the movie gets by on the strength of some quirky performances and a couple of interesting ideas. The actors playing the two drifters actually have a decent sense of comic timing and delivery even when the screenplay telegraphs their punch lines; the two air force officers in charge of the cover up are at least not painful to watch (I was sure one of them was Corman standby Dick Miller - turned out I was wrong); and even the hopelessly clichéd teenage couple are pleasant to watch as they go through their roles and their paces. Their "why won't anyone believe us?" schtick carries the film as far as it needs to go to avoid utter banality.
The saucer men themselves are so ridiculous as to actually be somewhat compelling. The bulbous heads and tiny bodies and shovel sized hands make for a fairly good representation of "little green men". Although what they intended to accomplish on a planet with regular periods of sunlight that were utterly fatal to them is a question for the ages. Seriously, they didn't bring so much as a pair of sunglasses or SPF 15 sunblock.
Worth seeing once if you are a fan of low budget 50s science fiction.
average 1950s sci-fi comedy
r-c-s27 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is very average: SFX are childish to non-existent; plot is paper thin; acting amateurish. Teenagers on a "love lane" parking expedition ( the belle brat of the city's lawyer and a lower class boy her father knows nothing about ) by mistake hit & kill an invading alien with their big clumsy 1950s car. Alerting the police, they are tested for alcohol (=they are drunk), accused of manslaughter and jailed...or is it a set up? Couple of bums wandering from city to city seeking "opportunities" splits after drinking in a solitary pub in this small provincial town: one goes home to bed; another takes a ride and after he spots a spaceship, wants to set up a freak show to get rich quick. Too bad aliens attack & kill him injecting him a large dose of alcohol, and he is whom the two youngsters are accused of having murdered. The bum who went home sleeping stars in some "comedy moment" scene, and there is also some hillbilly redneck trying to chase youngsters away from his property ( a character reminiscent of minor Laurel&Hardy supporting actors ) who provides comedy relief. Minor plot twists, such as the two teenagers escaping from the police station. This movie is a bizarre concoction of comedy, parody and 1950s-styled sci-fi. In the end the teenagers are cleared of suspicion, while a goofy -yet pompous- military expedition inadvertently causes the spaceship to blow up. In the end invading aliens (= middle school kids wearing poorly sewed costumes ) are surrounded by teenagers in their funky 1950s cars, and burn up once exposed to direct light. Very modest movie not worth watching twice.
The best thing about this film is its poster.
BA_Harrison17 December 2017
A semi-comedic sci-fi, Invasion of the Saucer Men must have had some influence over the extraterrestrials from Mars Attacks. Here, the mischievous, diminutive Martians, complete with bulbous heads and bulging eyes, land their spacecraft on the outskirts of a small American town called Hicksburg, where they cause all manner of trouble for the locals, and for the army who are trying to cover up any evidence of the aliens' existence to avoid panic.
The heroes of the film are teen lovers Johnny Carter (Steve Terrell) and Joan Hayden (Gloria Castillo), who accidentally drive over one of the little green men after a quick smooch at Lovers' Point before eloping. While Johnny and Joan go to call the authorities (who naturally don't believe a word of their outlandish story), opportunist Joe Gruen (Frank Gorshin) discovers the dead alien and thinks it is his ticket to fame and fortune.
With incredibly poor production values, very few genuine laughs, and zero scares, the film is pretty much a failure on most levels. The design of the saucer men themselves is fairly iconic, but too little is seen of them to make up for the film's other shortcomings (and when we see the creatures in long shots, they're quite clearly little kids in bad costumes). The film's most ingenious moments revolve around the dead alien's hand, which has detached itself from the body and, with one of the creature's eyes connected, crawls around the place continuing to cause havoc (the aliens kill using needle-like protrusions from their fingertips that administer an overdose of alcohol!).
The heroes of the film are teen lovers Johnny Carter (Steve Terrell) and Joan Hayden (Gloria Castillo), who accidentally drive over one of the little green men after a quick smooch at Lovers' Point before eloping. While Johnny and Joan go to call the authorities (who naturally don't believe a word of their outlandish story), opportunist Joe Gruen (Frank Gorshin) discovers the dead alien and thinks it is his ticket to fame and fortune.
With incredibly poor production values, very few genuine laughs, and zero scares, the film is pretty much a failure on most levels. The design of the saucer men themselves is fairly iconic, but too little is seen of them to make up for the film's other shortcomings (and when we see the creatures in long shots, they're quite clearly little kids in bad costumes). The film's most ingenious moments revolve around the dead alien's hand, which has detached itself from the body and, with one of the creature's eyes connected, crawls around the place continuing to cause havoc (the aliens kill using needle-like protrusions from their fingertips that administer an overdose of alcohol!).
Craptacular!
damianphelps3 October 2020
This is a great bad movie.
It has all the elements, over the top acting, flying saucers (strings attached) and a bull that seems to steal the show.
Overall it is a fun movie if you cut it some slack.
The lighting of the film can make it feel a bit murky and not in a way that adds to the movie.
The sound track is fairly typical for this era.
In spite of the flying saucer string issue, some of the special effects are actually pretty good.
Runs just over an hour which is perfect for what its trying to achieve.
It will entertain you one way or the other :)
Overall it is a fun movie if you cut it some slack.
The lighting of the film can make it feel a bit murky and not in a way that adds to the movie.
The sound track is fairly typical for this era.
In spite of the flying saucer string issue, some of the special effects are actually pretty good.
Runs just over an hour which is perfect for what its trying to achieve.
It will entertain you one way or the other :)
Reasonable 50's sci-fi comedy from AIP.
poolandrews19 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Invasion of the Saucer Men is set in the small American town of Hicksburg & starts late one night as a flying saucer lands in some woods nearby, several dwarf like green skinned aliens emerge & start scurrying about the woods. Teenage lovers Joe Gruen (Frank Gorshin) & Joan Hayden (Gloria Castillo) are driving through the woods when the accidentally run down one of the aliens, they head back to town to inform the authorities but the local police disbelieve their story & after the other aliens kill & substitute the body of a local man for their dead comrade the police blame Joe & Joan for his death. Now on a murder charge Joe & Joan decide to go on the run, round up their teenage mates & set out to save the Earth by fighting the alien menace themselves...
This 50's sci-fi cheapie from AIP had the working title of Hell Creatures, it had the (almost) legendary Samuel Z. Arkoff as executive producer & was directed by Edward L. Cahn, based on a story called 'The Cosmic Flame' by Paul W. Fairman this is a watchable enough sci-fi film that unlike a lot of it's contemporary counterparts Invasion of the Saucer Men has a hefty dose of comedy & fairly effective (for the time) looking alien creatures. At less than 70 minutes like most other 50's sci-fi films of the period it's short & moves along at a decent enough pace but there's not too much to it when all said & done, the basic sci-fi formula is here with aliens landing in some small town, some character or other discovers them & no-one else believes them & the inevitable military intervention. The comedic elements are played up with some humorous stuff about a bull & two comedy drifters & bumbling officials. The character's are annoying teens which doesn't help but there are one or two fairly effective scenes including one where Joan is menaced by one of the aliens living severed hands in a car.
The aliens themselves are only seen briefly but they look quite good, they are small with large bulbous heads with large eyeballs & thick veins, their hands also seem to detach & they have their own eyeballs as they scuttle along & wield needle like nails that seem to inject lethal amounts of alcohol into people. There doesn't seem to be any reason or purpose behind the aliens landing on Earth, they just land, walk around a bit & then get killed by the teens. The tone is uneven & it's sometimes unclear whether the makers were going for scares or laughs in any one particular scene. AIP released Invasion of the Saucer Men on a double-bill with I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957) while it was released here in the UK under the title Invasion of the Hell Creatures.
Filmed in California on an obviously low budget the production values are alright with reasonable effects for the time. The acting is nothing special & features the usual wooden & stiff performances that plague films of this type & period. Some may say it adds to the charm & fun. I don't.
Invasion of the Saucer Men is another one of those black and white sci-fi cheapies from the 50's that some look back on with a certain fun nostalgia but it's not that great & it's as simple & straight forward as that as far as I am concerned. Invasion of the Saucer Men was remade for American telly by Larry Buchanan as The Eye Creatures (1965) which I haven't seen but is apparently dire.
This 50's sci-fi cheapie from AIP had the working title of Hell Creatures, it had the (almost) legendary Samuel Z. Arkoff as executive producer & was directed by Edward L. Cahn, based on a story called 'The Cosmic Flame' by Paul W. Fairman this is a watchable enough sci-fi film that unlike a lot of it's contemporary counterparts Invasion of the Saucer Men has a hefty dose of comedy & fairly effective (for the time) looking alien creatures. At less than 70 minutes like most other 50's sci-fi films of the period it's short & moves along at a decent enough pace but there's not too much to it when all said & done, the basic sci-fi formula is here with aliens landing in some small town, some character or other discovers them & no-one else believes them & the inevitable military intervention. The comedic elements are played up with some humorous stuff about a bull & two comedy drifters & bumbling officials. The character's are annoying teens which doesn't help but there are one or two fairly effective scenes including one where Joan is menaced by one of the aliens living severed hands in a car.
The aliens themselves are only seen briefly but they look quite good, they are small with large bulbous heads with large eyeballs & thick veins, their hands also seem to detach & they have their own eyeballs as they scuttle along & wield needle like nails that seem to inject lethal amounts of alcohol into people. There doesn't seem to be any reason or purpose behind the aliens landing on Earth, they just land, walk around a bit & then get killed by the teens. The tone is uneven & it's sometimes unclear whether the makers were going for scares or laughs in any one particular scene. AIP released Invasion of the Saucer Men on a double-bill with I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957) while it was released here in the UK under the title Invasion of the Hell Creatures.
Filmed in California on an obviously low budget the production values are alright with reasonable effects for the time. The acting is nothing special & features the usual wooden & stiff performances that plague films of this type & period. Some may say it adds to the charm & fun. I don't.
Invasion of the Saucer Men is another one of those black and white sci-fi cheapies from the 50's that some look back on with a certain fun nostalgia but it's not that great & it's as simple & straight forward as that as far as I am concerned. Invasion of the Saucer Men was remade for American telly by Larry Buchanan as The Eye Creatures (1965) which I haven't seen but is apparently dire.
Frugal but imaginative sci-fi comedy
jamesrupert201431 August 2020
Little green men with huge heads interrupt teenage canoodling at 'Lovers Point' and, as the adults are skeptical and the army incompetent, it's up to the 'kids' to deal with the threat. The comedic nature of the film is signaled as soon as the opening credits roll, with cast and crew names superimposed on cartoons featuring improbable 'space creatures' and visual puns (e.g. aliens in cups as well as in saucers), and the score sounds like the soundtrack to a 50s sit-com. The film is more juvenile/silly than clever/funny although there are some sly jokes (when one hopeful lad is accosted by a bull while making out, he comments to his girlfriend that the encounter "stunted his growth") and the scenes with the army are clearly meant to satirise the 'military mindset'. The cast is fine for the material and seeing a young Frank 'The Riddler' Gorshin is a treat for boomer Bat-fans. For a B-budget film, the effects are quite well done. The bulbous-brained aliens (courtesy of monster-maker extraordinaire Paul Blaisdell) are great and the scenes of the disembodied hand, replete with an eyeball and retractable needles for fingernails, are clever. The titular 'saucer' (also a Blaisdell creation) is novel looking (if Chevrolet built a flying saucer in 1957, it would probably look like the aliens' conveyance). There is a surprisingly gory (excuse the pun) moment when a Saucer-man's bulging eye is messily impaled by a bull's horn. The theme of intrepid teenagers saving the town while disbelieving or distrustful adults look on is laid on pretty thick (especially in the 'epilogue') but the film did beat the similarly themed (and much better known) 'The Blob' to the screens by at least a year (in both films the lead 'teens' were at least in their mid-twenties). Like most of its ilk, the film's poster writes checks that the celluloid can't cash (so don't expect a fleet of saucers blasting cities with ray-guns), but 'Invasion of the Saucer-Men' remains an entertaining, if goofy, relic of the golden age of low-budget science fiction films.
Seemed a Lot Better in Its Day
Hitchcoc20 July 2015
Some cabbages (or leaf lettuce) from outer space come to earth and hang around in the woods. A bunch of teenagers are the only ones who actually see these things. It's the usual runaround as the teenagers are victimized by their age and lack of credibility. Frank Gorshin, famous for the role of the Riddler in the Batman TV show, becomes a victim after he tries to capitalize on his knowledge. The army knows a flying saucer has landed but is trying to keep it quiet. Actually, this is pretty decent for its time because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Of course, all the forces eventually come together and that's what makes the conclusion fun. There is a great line. The young girl's car is called Elvis because "it can shake and shimmy but it sure can go."
A sci-fi film with a mixture of comedy and horror that does not take itself too seriously
christopouloschris-5838829 July 2019
Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957) tapped in to the UFO hysteria phenomenon and Cold War paranoia at the time which led many to fear threats from un-American alien forces of destruction.
Despite the film seeming to be pitched at a young audience, it becomes apparent that in its own way it sets about delivering a punch to society's nose when it comes to how young people are often viewed and treated. Also up for examination is the kind of negative modelling that adults can sometimes provide to young people.
The Saucer Men characters in the film were a product of makeup and effects genius, Paul Blaisdell. Their huge bulbous eyes and giant vein-covered bald heads helped to define our cultural understanding of what constitutes alien life, namely our notions of what "little, green men" look like.
Watch and enjoy.
Despite the film seeming to be pitched at a young audience, it becomes apparent that in its own way it sets about delivering a punch to society's nose when it comes to how young people are often viewed and treated. Also up for examination is the kind of negative modelling that adults can sometimes provide to young people.
The Saucer Men characters in the film were a product of makeup and effects genius, Paul Blaisdell. Their huge bulbous eyes and giant vein-covered bald heads helped to define our cultural understanding of what constitutes alien life, namely our notions of what "little, green men" look like.
Watch and enjoy.
Silly but fun to watch Sci-fi movie
Johnboy12214 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this movie as a kid, and it was scarier to me then. That makes sense, actually. Most sci-fi films are that way.
For it's time, the saucer and little green men (not green on screen, since it's black and white) are fairly unique, and mirror what many so-called observers in real life depict seeing (big head and little body).
The movie holds up as well as it does due to the humor added. It's just not a film one can take too seriously. It's not bad enough for Mystery Science Theater inclusion, nor is it anywhere near a classic.
I was always a big fan of Frank Gorshin, and he's fine in his role as a two-bit drifter out to get rich off the little creatures. He's a drinker, so an ingenious creature injects him with a bellyful of booze. I thought that was appropriate.....a drunk who planned on getting rich and ended up dying of alcohol poisoning. Too cool, but he died too soon to suit me!
It's a simple little movie really. If you're an adult you can laugh at all the fun scenes, and if you're a kid, you can muster a little fear here and there. It still holds up well, after all these years.
Johnboy
For it's time, the saucer and little green men (not green on screen, since it's black and white) are fairly unique, and mirror what many so-called observers in real life depict seeing (big head and little body).
The movie holds up as well as it does due to the humor added. It's just not a film one can take too seriously. It's not bad enough for Mystery Science Theater inclusion, nor is it anywhere near a classic.
I was always a big fan of Frank Gorshin, and he's fine in his role as a two-bit drifter out to get rich off the little creatures. He's a drinker, so an ingenious creature injects him with a bellyful of booze. I thought that was appropriate.....a drunk who planned on getting rich and ended up dying of alcohol poisoning. Too cool, but he died too soon to suit me!
It's a simple little movie really. If you're an adult you can laugh at all the fun scenes, and if you're a kid, you can muster a little fear here and there. It still holds up well, after all these years.
Johnboy
Teens 1, little Green men 0
WinterOf6325 April 2021
My family actually went to see this film at a theater in the 50s. I was so young that the aliens were actually pretty danged scary to me. Watching it now, it seems like a corny little "flying saucer" spoof. The best thing about the movie is the classic design of the aliens.
The plot is ridiculous. The aliens "invade" at night with one ship and a half dozen "men". They were smart enough to figure out interplanetary travel, but even automobile lights cause them to evaporate. I guess they didn't notice when they flew in that half the earth was dark and half in bright sunlight.
Of the cast, only Frank Gorshin (Joe Gruen) would go on to bigger and better things in Hollywood. Many of the cast died young. Lyn Osborn (Artie), died at 32. Gloria Castillo (Gloria) died in her mid forties.
Watch this film only if you're very patient and have low expectations or, like me, it's a trip down nostalgia lane.
The plot is ridiculous. The aliens "invade" at night with one ship and a half dozen "men". They were smart enough to figure out interplanetary travel, but even automobile lights cause them to evaporate. I guess they didn't notice when they flew in that half the earth was dark and half in bright sunlight.
Of the cast, only Frank Gorshin (Joe Gruen) would go on to bigger and better things in Hollywood. Many of the cast died young. Lyn Osborn (Artie), died at 32. Gloria Castillo (Gloria) died in her mid forties.
Watch this film only if you're very patient and have low expectations or, like me, it's a trip down nostalgia lane.
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