X The Unknown
Starring:
Dean
Jagger, Edward Chapman, Leo McKern, Anthony Newley.
Running
time: 81 minutes.
Year:
1956
Directed
By: Leslie
Norman.
Written
By: Jimmy
Sangster.
I keep telling myself that I am not going to watch
old time 'B' movies, but here I am yet again watching another one that I am
once again rolling my eyes at throughout the entire film. I know these type of
'B' movies are all about the fun and the tongue in cheek but for me they just
simply don't work.
This one is about radioactivity. Whilst on a routine
exercise, a squad of Scottish Army troops stumble across high radio activity
that ends up killing a soldier and causing a bottomless crack in the surface.
After the crack is quarantined strange deaths continue to happen and nuclear
energy seems to be going missing. After weighing up the facts, a scientist
discovers that this is an evolution that is scouring the earth for energy, and
the more it gets the more it grows. The only problem is that it is a form of
mud, that is right mud, that can break into particles and creep into science
labs and steal their energy. As the 'mud' grows it begins to go after bigger
sources and the scientists and police must find a way to stop it before it gets
out of control.
The premise is very typical and the idea is
achievable but they are talking about mud. If they made this film today and
substituted the 'mud' for an alien being searching for nuclear energy it may
work, but the fact it's 'mud' that is squirming over hills and across the moors
just makes it really stupid. 'B' movies aren't supposed to take themselves
seriously and to be fair this one doesn't, but if I can't take it too seriously
than I'm not interested.
With this film we experience very typical 'B' movie
characteristics. We get the poor special effects which are obvious that they
are miniatures with some kind of thick liquid pouring over them, the poor
acting which doesn't draw you into any character or the story, and the
unbelievably stupid story which I don't buy. A film can be surreal as long as
it brings me into that world. This film really didn't. The entire opening half
is dull and slow with nothing really happening. The second half is more
entertaining despite the real poor effects and acting. Oh and the ending. The
film finally got me interested and then we have a big explosion, ten soldiers
hit the deck and a cop says to the scientist, 'your theory worked, you should
be proud', and then it ends. Credits roll. What about the poor guys who are
laying on the floor after this explosion? I was in complete shock that the film
just ended. Considering there was no tension, no atmosphere and no horror
throughout the film I can't say I'm surprised though. Is it no surprise as well
that the film is probably the shortest film I have ever watched? I have to say
thank God for that however because I wouldn't have taken much more.
The second half is a little more entertaining. The
'mud' makes its way through the town and over inflates a soldier and melts four
people in a car. The stakes are raised, this thing is growing and rapidly. The
problem in this half though is still the effects and instead of being fearful
for the characters I was laughing at them. The funniest part is when a small
child walks towards the mud and stops, completely unaware she is supposed to be
acting or being filmed, so a priest runs over to save her but it isn't intense!
He just jogs over, picks her up and stands and stares at the mud, which is
clearly a miniature super imposed on the background. Where is the tension?
This is becoming a reoccurrence with the 'B' movie
genre and maybe I should stop watching them but I will continue till I find at
least one I like. This one I'm afraid was not it.
1
/ 5
Tolli
Tolli
Next film to review: THE HANGOVER PART II
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