The Crawling Eye (DVD, 2001, Widescreen European Edition)

Many who see this film might compare it's special effects against today's standards, and that would be a mistake. Having viewed The Crawling Eye (The Trollenberg Terror) as a youngster and at a time when production values were the norm, I can tell you that this is a fun movie, and a guilty pleasure. The word 'CLASSIC' is overused so I won't attach it here, but this film very closely echoes the sci-fi genre of the 50's. The monsters are hokey, but original and the story, very early on, ties them to two elements that the American public of that time were nervous about: radiation and outer space. The writing is average, but the pacing and acting do a fine job of building the suspense and drama. The sets are unimaginative, but provide a basic setting for the actors to do a credible job. And the writing keeps the individual actors in character, something I've noticed fall by the wayside in some current films. Overall, I'd recommend The Crawling Eye as a fun night of entertainment for two reasons: it's inexpensive (I paid less than $5.00 for my copy), and a story about invaders from outer space is always cool! The film also serves as a time capsule for that period of monster movies from Hollywood. If you like The Mole People or The Horror of Party Beach, take a look at The Crawling Eye.