It! The Terror from Beyond Space (Edward L. Cahn, 1958, USA)

It! The Terror from Beyond Space is perhaps not in the same pantheon as other sci-fi / horror films from the 1950s, but its influence is wide and large. Notably, the film has often been cited as an influence on Ridley Scott’s 1979 seminal film Alien. This influence is explored further in Memory: The Origins of Alien. The parallels are unmistakeable - a crew onboard a spaceship being hunted down one by one by a mysterious and horrible alien creature. Clocking in at just over an hour, the film was originally released as a double-feature along with Curse of the Faceless Man. Unsurprisingly, John Carpenter is also a fan, and it is very easy to see the influence of this film on his oeuvre. Stephen King probably also owes a debt to this film.

Set in the far distant future (1973), the film centers on an expedition to Mars to arrest Col. Edward Carruthers (Marshall Thompson), who has been accused of murdering the entire crew on board his expedition. En route back to Earth, the crew discovers that Carruthers is innocent - his crew was murdered by an alien. The crew begins going to war with the evil alien creature, who seems to be a hybrid of the Creature from the Black Lagoon and a vampire. He also bears something of a resemblance to Darth Vader in silhouette.

While It! The Terror from Beyond Space is perhaps not as strong as some other films of its ilk, it is undeniably entertaining. Even though some aspects of the film stretch logic and belief, at its brief runtime, it is a fun ride and doesn’t overstay its welcome. Some of the early attempts at jump scares are also genuinely startling. A must-watch for fans of 50s sci-fi and horror, but unlikely to convert anyone who is not already a fan of these genres.

6/10