Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman is a fun old-fashioned B-movie, maybe the quintessential B-movie. Starring Allison Hayes and the vivacious Yvette Vickers, this movie a true sci-fi soap opera. It's also, as it turns out, a movie about spaceships and alien intervention.
The story begins when a rich woman (Hayes) (she owns a very large diamond) suspects her derelict husband (William Hudson) of philandering. Her suspicions are true, and further the woman has a pretty severe drinking problem. So one night while looking for her wandering spouse she sees a glowing globe from which emerges a space giant who terrifies her when he reaches for her throat. (He wants the diamond which can apparently power his ship.)
No one believes her since she is such a lush. But she and her hubby go looking again and find the giant, the hubby then abandons his wife to the giant's mercies. He runs back to his floosie girlfriend (Vickers) and the two decide to skip town. Meanwhile the woman shows up back at home unconscious and in the process of becoming a giant. Doctors attempt to treat her and the sheriff investigates and finds the space ship. But all this comes to naught when the woman goes on a rampage looking for her philandering husband and seeks revenge on her female rival.
The movie is surprisingly well acted, and a strong cast can save even the most ludicrous premise. Any yarn, no matter how outlandish can be made credible if the people delivering the story sell it. And these folks do, in spades. That's what makes this one rise above the limited special effects and the low budget. It's a story that resonates, it's weird but it resonates.
I happened to watch the movie this time with a pretty decent commentary by Tom Weaver and Yvette Vickers. The latter offered up some great stories and was exceedingly pleasant throughout. Actors are usually awful on these things, but Vickers was great.
Highly recommended.
NOTE: This is a Dojo Revised Classic Post.
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I've never seen this film but I have seen its' exact opposite - The Incredible Shrinking Man.
ReplyDeleteThe Incredible Shrinking Man is a first rate offering. It verges on A-Film material, better than this clear B movie as good as it is.
DeleteThat is such an iconic film and poster . I vividly remember that obviously fake giant hand that was used at every opportunity . The Daryl Hannah remake, which I think was made for TV in the US was released in UK cinemas ( I paid to watch it lol). Still the original was a pretty good movie and as you say it had some good acting.
ReplyDeleteFor a movie with such an absurd concept, it takes itself remarkably seriously. I don't think I've seen the Hannah movie, though the poster is famiiar.
DeleteI've never understood, given the careful buildup of the script, why some viewers act like this is another Ed Wood schlockfest. High art it is not, but it's a very well rendered "creature feature" with an unusually sordid angle.
ReplyDeleteEd Wood hired mostly talented amateurs (with a few pros mixed in) and this movie has a thoroughly competent cast. The special effects let it down and folks likely respond to that. But it's better than that.
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