United Kingdom Movies

X the Unknown

A giant blob of radioactive mud menaces a British military base. Very creepy, and very gory for the time. This movie feels like a Quatermass film, though it isn't.

Crawling Eye, The

Hikers on the Swiss mountain of Trollenberg are attacked by a mysterious cloud, which later reveals itself to be a giant, extraterrestrial eyeball with creepy tentacles. Originally aired as a television serial called The Trollenberg Terror, this bit of campy fun earned the dubious honor of being the first film to be savaged by the boys at Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Reviews: The Bad Movie Report

Giant Behemoth, The

Pity London. New York got The Beast from 20,000 Fatmoms, but London got stuck with this stop-motion animated dud. A radioactive dinosaur attacks some ships, then takes a couple of strolls around England's capital. Just his walking by can burns soldiers to a crisp, so long as somebody remembers to to do a negative effect to the film. The stop-motion effects were done by Willis O'Brien, but clearly there was no budget.

Gorgo

If you had asked the average moviegoer on the street in 1961 from whence the next giant monster movie would come, their answer would have most likely been "Japan." They would have been wrong; American filmmakers would take to the Isles of Britain to bring us Gorgo. This tale of a giant dino turned circus attraction is not the most finely crafted movie ever made, but if monster fans insisted upon the ultimate in special effects, most of the Godzilla movies would never have been made.

The villains are a bit harder to point out in Gorgo than in the Japanese kaiju films; one can hardly blame the leaders of a salvage crew for trying to capture Gorgo when the critter threatens the entire population of an Irish coastal village. Perhaps they do go a bit overboard in selling the monster to a London circus rather than turning it over to Irish authorities for scientific study. Would you listen to Sean, the young lad who comes to pity Gorgo, when he tells you that it's a "teddible bad thing ye're doin'"? Whoever the culprit may be, punishment is meted out on all of the people of London when Gorgo's mama comes a-calling. If you thought Tokyo took a beating from Godzilla, you'll be all the more shocked when Ms. Gorgo starts wrecking landmarks that you actually recognize. London hasn't seen this much rubble since the Blitz, and it's refreshing to know that British extras look just as silly running from an imaginary monster as do their Japanese counterparts.

Review: Stomp Tokyo

Konga

A British scientist studies in Africa and perfects a way of added in "human traits" to plants. Back in Britain he takes this research to its ultimate conclusion: a mentally controlled giant chimpanzee he can use to kill his rivals. When the chimp grows to be 60 feet tall it escapes and takes a walk through the streets of London.

Sure, the plot is nonsense. But don't worry, the effects suck too.

Mysterious Island

Ray Harryhausen provided a number of giant monster to this adaptation of the Jules Verne's sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. A balloon carrying Civl War soldiers is caught in a huge storm and stranded on a remote island. The soldiers, along with a shipwrecked cutie, must survive a giant octopus, a giant bird, giant bees and a volcanic eruption. It's all in good fun.

Queen Kong

An allegedly feminist parody of King Kong. It was sued into obscurity when first made, but it's making a long-delayed premiere on DVD in 2003. Review to follow once we get our hands on the darn thing.

Time Bandits

A young boy takes a tour of the universe with six dwarfs who used to work for the Creator. Terry Gilliam's movie is strange and often disturbing, yet always compelling to watch. David Warner plays Ultimate Evil, which should surprise no one. Monster action is provided by a giant with very unusual head wear.