X THE UNKNOWN

Dean Jagger and Leo McKern

X THE UNKNOWN (1956). Director: Leslie Norman. Colorized. 

In Scotland an unknown and dangerous lifeform emerges from a fissure and hones in on various sources of radioactivity. Unfortunately, any people who cross paths with this creature wind up dying horribly. Dr. Adam Royston (Dean Jagger of So Sad About Gloria) teams up with Inspector McGill (Leo Mckern of Murder with Mirrors) of the Atomic Energy Commission to try to find a way to destroy the creature before it can absorb energy from an atomic plant and grow even larger! Assisting their efforts are Royston's boss John Elliott (Edward Chapman) and Elliott's son, Peter (William Lucas). As the death toll mounts, the blob-like monstrosity makes its way towards a populated town ... 

Peter (William Lucas) and Royston (Dean Jagger) confer

X the Unknown was supposed to be Hammer Studio's follow up to Quatermass Xperiment (aka The Creeping Unknown, which would have been just as good a title for this picture), but Nigel Kneale, who created the character of Bernard Quatermass*, objected to his use in a film written not by him but by Jimmy Sangster. Therefore Quatermass became "Adam Royston." In any event, X remains a creepy and occasionally horrifying thriller with solid performances and some gross sequences, especially when a horny doctor is exposed to the creature in a hospital and sort of melts ... The climax at the fissure where Royston and company hope to completely obliterate the creature is very suspenseful. Anthony Newley, who later became famous as a singing actor, plays the ill-fated soldier, "Spider" Webb. James Bernard's evocative score and Gerald Gibb's photography are both major pluses. The colorizing adds even more intensity to the movie. Highly influential in its way, especially on The Blob and Caltiki, the Immortal Monster. 

*NOTE: I explore the real Quatermass movies in the latest issue of bare bones. 

Verdict: Effective and memorable horror-thriller with sci fi overtones. ***. 

THE GORGON

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing

THE GORGON (1964). Director: Terence Fisher. 

Near the turn of the century, a village is bedeviled by a series of bizarre murders where the victims are turned to stone. Dr. Namaroff (Peter Cushing) seems to know more about what is going on than he is willing to tell Professor Jules Heitz (Michael Goodliffe), whose son, Bruno (Jeremy Longhurst) was one of the victims. When the professor himself succumbs to the strange ailment, his other son Paul (Richard Pasco), comes to investigate. There he begins a romance with Namaroff's lovely associate, Carla (Barbara Shelley), which greatly complicates matters. But does she have anything to do with this weird legend about the spirit of one of the three gorgons of mythology inhabiting a human female ... ? 

Barbara Shelly and Richard Pasco

On one level, The Gorgon is somewhat ridiculous -- one has to assume there are good reasons why those in charge recognized these were actual petrified corpses and not just statues put in place of the victims --  but despite the viewer's foreknowledge the movie manages to be absorbing and suspenseful for the most part, almost with the bittersweet quality of a fairy tale. One thing that helps tremendously are the performances by the entire cast. As usual, Christopher Lee -- playing an associate of Paul's -- and Cushing perform very well together, and Pascoe, Shelley, Goodliffe and the others also play with absolute conviction. The film also has an eerie atmosphere and good art direction, and moves at a fairly good pace thanks to director Terence Fisher. The gorgon's brief appearances are always creepy although one might quibble about aspects of her make up. James Bernard's score is also a decided plus. 

Verdict: Medusa herself might have enjoyed this look at one of her sisters. ***.