Product Details

• Actors: Jeff Morrow, Mara Corday, Morris Ankrum
• Directors: Fred F. Sears
• Format: Black & White
• Rated: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Goodtimes Home Video
• Run Time: 76 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001DA0UG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,737 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Fear and panic are the keywords of this film. At every opportunity the narration attempts to make the audience feel this, but the sight of a giant bird doesn1t instil panic. The big bird eats airmen. We are told by a scientist something about anti-matter and how it must exist. Then we have to jump the credibility gap to believe that this bird came from an anti-matter universe, and so it has a force-field around it (?!). The physics makes no sense, neither does the logic. The bird attacks all the major cities and so there is world-wide panic. Why? one asks. Well one shouldn't ask. There is world-wide fear. Then martial law is declared around the world. Food and movement is controlled by the military, there is a curfew, and a range of other draconian measures. If people ignore these, they get eaten by the bird. We then see what science is about, as Mitch attempts to develop a strange gun. He fails many times, in true science tradition, we are told. Panic spreads to all corners of the Earth. No-one explains satisfactorily why there would be such panic. Not only panic but 'panic and nightmare terror'. All because of a giant budgie.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CREATURE FEATURE TO SHOW WHEN GRANDMA VISITS, September 28, 2005

By 

Heather L. Parisi "Robert and Heather Parisi" (St. Augustine, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Giant Claw (VHS Tape)

This is a "C" film ... "C" for campy. This was the era of "The Crawling Eye", "Killer Shrews", "Giant Gila Monster", "Reptilicus", and "Slime People".

Basically we have a giant wooden hand puppet that makes "Reptilicus" look like a lifetime achievement award for Special Effects. Somehow this vulture from outer space has an "anti-matter shield" that Star Trekkers would envy, though how we can't say. It can't be seen on radar and it has so terrorized the world [somehow] that no one dare even move, especially at night anywhere on the globe, or else. It would be a bad movie if it were done well, but it wasn't, which for some of us, including me, makes it a "CLASSIC CREATURE FEATURE". You won't need "Mystery Science Theatre 3000" to see the hysterical humor in this fun flick. Of course, the participants had no idea that they were making a piece of movie history, they thought it was just another low-budget movie.

So why should we turn our nose up at this stunning matinee and drive-in-movie fare? Of course its ridiculous. Did you expect otherwise? Of course, the scientists have half-baked theories and special weapons that wouldn't fly in a comic book. One does not choose this film instead of "Gone With The Wind". This film belongs to a very small group of cheesy-campy creature feature charmers! This one is so good at what it does you'll want to show your grandparents how you are spending your time the next time they visit. They'll respond by saying something like, "Wow, the stuff they're putting on TV has really gotten worse!"

In the cast are such notable 1950s horror/sci-fi regulars as Mara Corday ("Tarantula" & "The Black Scorpion"), Jeff Morrow (This Island Earth & Kronos), and Morris Ankrum (Invaders From Mars & Earth vs. the Flying Saucers), so you'll be seeing many a familiar face from the genre.

USEFUL INFO ABOUT THIS VIDEO:

This is a "Goodtimes Home Video" which unfortunately means you get a fair transfer recorded in the LP mode. This is typical for this type of film so until it comes out on DVD like the "Giant Gila Monster" and most of the others, this will have to do.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As bad as 'Robot Monster', August 8, 2005

By 

Johny Bottom "Insane and lonely guitarist" (Jacksonville, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Giant Claw (VHS Tape)

Whoo boy, I thought the diving helmet and gorilla costume from 'Robot Monster' was bad. Check out this winged terror! Remember the vulture from the Bugs Bunny cartoons? Rememebr the real stupid one who always go 'Aw nope nope nope nope'. Well now imagine him as a terrifying creature from outer space that eats people, destroys airplanes, and topples New York City. Uh, yeah.

Supposedly this thing can fly without being detected by radar. That's because he's from an 'anti-matter dimension' and he generates his own force field. This leaves him impervious to missles, bombs, and rockets. However, it lays eggs and the eggs can be shot with a rifle. Go figure.

The plot is really nothing more than 'Oh my God! There's a giant bird attacking the world!'. There's a whole lot of kooky 50's Sci-Fi mumbo jumbo talking about science that makes no sense, an over zealous military general, a so-so leading lady, and our star the chicken buzzard. It looks like a child's project gone horribly wrong. You can't help but to laugh watching this.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE GIANT CLAW, March 16, 2004

By 

L. Dequesada (JAMAICA,, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Giant Claw (VHS Tape)

The Giant Claw is definitely one of the best Sci-Fi B Films of the 1950's. Starring Jeff Morrow and Mara Corday. Jeff Morrow portrays a test pilot who is testing a new device on a vintage jet fighter aircraft in an Arctic Circle U.S.Airforce base During mid flight he sees a gigantic shawdow "the size of a battleship" which bypasses his aircraft and radioes his base and a couple of jet interceptors scramble to intercept the gigantic flying object, but neither the base nor the scrambled interceptors radars show anything. The gorgeous looking Mara Corday portrays Morrow's co-worker and scientist monitoring Morrow's test flight. Morrow is "put on the rug" by the base military who believe Morrow caused a false alarm. Their suspicions dissipate as sightings of the huge flying object are reported from elsewhere, however the huge object is never detected by radar. Finally during one of the sightings the flying object becomes visible as terrified onlookers see a gargantuan size bird who proceeds to dive and engulf people destroy buildings and destroys or downs flying aircraft. Air force interceptors are powerless and are destroyed in considerable numbers, against the huge bird as their bullets and rockets bounce off some sort of "deflector protective shield" covering the bird.
Time is running out for humanity as scientists and U.S.Airforce brass work franctically to find a way for anti-aircraft proyectiles and missiles to penetrate the bird's defensive shield and pierce his skin.
Special effects in this movie are not of a very good quality and the gigantic bird from outer space,built by mexican films industry special effects model people, looks like a huge flying black feathered turkey with claws. However this film is definitely a typical and outstanding Saturday matinee classic gold "B" movie of the late 50's, which will surely become one of your favorites. A must have in every Sci-Fi collection. Unfortunately this film has been discontinued and right now is not available, but it will surely resurface again,most likely on DVD format, due to its popularity with collectors who demand its presence in the market.