Slightly better than Average 50's Creature Feature Schlock
a movie buff, a baaad movie connoisseur, very picky about horror films, a Movie Guru, a cult film connoisseur, a movie connoisseur
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OCT
22
2008
Giant from the Unknown 1958 —
GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN was the first and perhaps most serious of the 4 low budget 50s movies the Hawaiian born cinematographer Richard Cunha made (Missile to the Moon, She Demons and the one and only Frankenstein's Daughter are the others)."These movies were done for about $65,000 each and in 6 days," Cunha said.
GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN is not your typical alien, giant bug, teenagers in trouble kind of 50s movie. It was NOT filmed in Griffith Park but instead the far less familiar Big Bear area and it features the last make up design of the legendary former Universal Monster Maker Jack Pierce.
But don't get too excited. The movie takes a long time to get going and does not offer many (any?) scares or chills. It is pretty effective and entertaining during the last part of the movie though the actual big finale of the movie is a let-down.
The small mountain town Pine Ridge is suffering from a rash of vandalism and animal mutilations and then the body of an old rancher Mr. Banks is found with every bone in his body broken. Some in town are very superstitious while the Sheriff thinks Professor Wayne Brooks, some kind of odd-ball researcher/geologist is involved because they have had a few run ins.
The famed historian Frederick Cleveland arrives in town with his beautiful daughter Janet to investigate the legend of a ruthless band of Spanish conquistadors who terrorized the land more than 500 years ago. The leader was a giant of a man named Vargas and called The Diablo Giant.
Naturally Fred and Wayne team up to look for evidence or remains of the Spainards. They find bones, but no remains of Vargas and they find an old Axe that was recently embedded in a log.
Oh no!!! Vargas now a giant half-human mute maniac has risen from the grave (perfectly preserved because of a unique coincidence of conditions that . . .well, it is hogwash of course) thanks in part to a lightening bolt. He is killing anything and everything in his path and when Wayne tries to warn the Sheriff what they are up against, the Sheriff arrests him for murder.. then Janet is captured by Vargas !!! Oh wait killing everything but the pretty woman. Ah..a ruffian !!!
There is a great scene where Vargas rises out of his grave and we see his dust covered bearded face. He roams the countryside dressed in his armored Conquistador outfit like some Spanish Samurai evil spirit.
But he is still just a big guy played by Big Buddy Baer brother of boxing champ Max Baer and an uncle to Max Baer Jr. (the actor turned director most famous for portraying Jethro on the Beverly Hillbillies television show).
Ed Kemmer and the familiar Morris Ankrum play Wayne and Frederick who almost make you believe the scientific mumbo-jumbo they talk about. It is fun to listen and watch them.
The last few minutes of the film are a let down. There was a slightly better ending filmed, but supposedly there was a problem with the camera and the scene had to be re-shot very quickly.
There lots of clichéd silliness throughout the film as well. Vargas is a horn-dog and he stalks after a local good looking lass, who sees him and screams but instead of running away from him, she runs toward him. When Vargars spies on Frederick, Janet sees him screams and drops the gun. The perfect opportunity for Vargas to attack, but instead he runs away, perhaps he could tell she wanted a committment.... He also runs away after knocking down Dr. Wayne which does not make any sense.
Almost all of the Vargas murders and animal mutilations are off-screen or merely talked about. There are no shots of Vargas swinging his axe into someone, no shots of him tearing anyone apart, no shots of him breaking anyone's back with his huge hands.
If you are looking for logic this movie will drive you crazy. I told you earlier how neat the scene looked with Vargas rising out of the earth. Well, if we actually witnessed the FIRST resurrection of the big guy, then who killed the livestock and Mr. Banks in the early part of the movie?
If you are looking for an entertaining low budget 50s feature this one drags a little too much in the first half, but is quite entertaining by the time its over.
DVD
Image has done a good job of transferring what appears to be a 35 m.m print . full frame to the dvd. Some signs of age and grain are present but all looks good. Most of the time the black levels are good, but a few times they could have been tweaked and improved.
The audio is mono, it is clear with a minimum of background noise. You won't find yourself having to adjust the audio levels on this.
Tell me more about Richard Cunha
Richard Cunha was born in Honolulu in 1922 and served in World War 2 as an Army Air Force cameraman.
He formed a production company to do short films and commercials and worked on several early television programs. He was director of photography on Branded and Death Valley Days.
In the late 50's he directed 4 low budget horror films and then did a couple more in the early 1960s (Girl in Room 13).
He died of heart failure in September of 2005 in his Oceanside California home. He is survived by his wife of 62 years Kathryn Cunha; sons Rick, Michael and Anthony; a daughter, Kathryn; a sister, Mae Cunha Ross; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. His son Steven died in 1972.
Giant from the Unknown 1958 is recommended by ChrisJarmick
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