Released in 1958 and shot in B&W, "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" stars Gloria Talbott as a newlywed in Southern Cal who starts to suspect her husband is an alien from outer space (Tom Tryon).
Despite the silly title, the tone is serious and the special effects regarding the aliens and the way they possess people (or whatever) are quite good for the era. Right from the get-go the viewer knows who's being taken over and we then observe the protagonist slowly figure it out, which leads to a well-done confrontation between the wife and non-husband. The second half reveals why the aliens do what they do and it's kinda melancholic. All this points to why it's considered a minor cult classic. Movies like this are worthwhile simply as historical artifacts to view American society in the late 50s, but compared to Sci-Fi giants from the 50s like "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) and the monumental "Forbidden Planet" (1956) "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" is second rate.
The film runs 78 minutes and was shot in Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park and Los Angeles, California.
GRADE: C+
Despite the silly title, the tone is serious and the special effects regarding the aliens and the way they possess people (or whatever) are quite good for the era. Right from the get-go the viewer knows who's being taken over and we then observe the protagonist slowly figure it out, which leads to a well-done confrontation between the wife and non-husband. The second half reveals why the aliens do what they do and it's kinda melancholic. All this points to why it's considered a minor cult classic. Movies like this are worthwhile simply as historical artifacts to view American society in the late 50s, but compared to Sci-Fi giants from the 50s like "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) and the monumental "Forbidden Planet" (1956) "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" is second rate.
The film runs 78 minutes and was shot in Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park and Los Angeles, California.
GRADE: C+