Customer Reviews

Giant from the Unknown

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I sought this disc out to see if it was as bad as everything I'd read about it. It's bad but not THAT bad. I saw no reason to rip it to shreds as one reviewer so painstakingly did. Richard E.Cunha made some bad horror films but this isn't the worst I've seen. It sports fairly decent location shooting for one thing and some of the most unintentionally funny dialogue and situations you could want in a low budget "monster" movie. The "Giant" of the title isn't really a monster but a revived Spanish Conquistador who's just really big, really dirty and mad as hell. Held responsible for murders and other assorted mayhem that occured BEFORE he was revived (as the above mentioned reviewer correctly noted), he commences his rampage by stomping around with an axe. There's an elderly archaeologist, his chirpy daughter, a jerk sheriff and the hero---a local guy who keeps getting blamed for everything by the sheriff. The story takes place in a mountain community where everyone is upset by these brutal murders---yet one young woman is left ALONE by her brother in their remote cabin and meets the "Giant" when she goes to the well for water. Then the dippy heroine is left alone at a campsite I don't know how many times while the men go off in the mountains. Yep, the "Giant"s lurking around in the bushes. He also throws rocks at people. So you see, this is a goofy, goofy film. It's dumb and silly but I liked it because it's really watchable. It's a pristine example of 50's b&w drive-in fare well preserved on disc by Wade Williams and Image in a crisp, clean print. Rather enjoyable if it's not taken so seriously.

So says the coming attraction trailer on this chiller theatre opus
Terror strikes a small mid-west community in the form of a spanish
7-ft tall conquistdator reawakened from a suspended animated sleep by a freak lightning bolt.

This low budget 1958 film is more memorable for sporting the score
of the great Albert Glasser than anything. This image dvd is great
for this type Saturday matinee stuff. The picture is the clearest
print that I've seen of this film in quite sometime of course that
special feature trailer which makes it complete.

I have always been very fond of this film. A giant Spanish Conquistador comes back to life and goes on a rampage in this Richard Cunha sci-fi gem. I love everyone in the cast especially Morris Ankrum and the always lovely Sally Forest. The small town setting adds a wonderful charm to this picture. 5 stars all the way!!!

I really love this film because it came from monsterdom's greatest era, the 50's and because of the title character, played by Buddy Baer. He also played the giant in Abbott and Costello's Jack and the Beanstalk. Any film made in this era, either sci-fi or horror can only be deservedly called a classic. Giant from the Unkown is no exception. Thank you Englewood video for releasing all these horror classics on video and allowing this monster freak to enjoy some of these lost classics I have been dying to see. Giant from the Unknown should be scen by all monster boomers because it will bring back all those matinee memories of monsters!

Considering the ultra-low budget of this film, it is not as bad as one might expect. Buddy Baer does a good job in the title role, as a huge Spanish conquistador from the 15th century who is revived by a lightning strike after 500 years in suspended animation and proceeds to terrorize a rural area in northern California. He had a reputation as a mean SOB to begin with, and he continues to live up to it. Moral: People don't change.

The Image DVD overall looks pretty good. However, there are 2-3 breaks in the picture which look like poor DVD production. Other than that, no complaints. In full-screen.

Mysterious happenings at Devil's Crag. The local loco Indian (Billy Dix in a real bad wig) suspect's unscrupulous white men have stirred up an ancient Indian curse. The local Sheriff "nosey" Parker (Bob Steele) suspects the mysterious local archeologist, Wayne Brooks (Edward Kemmer.)

Mean wile back at the cabin Wayne is smitten by a beautiful girl Janet Cleveland (Sally Fraser of "Earth vs. the Spider" fame) the daughter of Dr. Frederick Cleveland (Morris Ankrum, of "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" fame) who is in town temporarily to prove a theory.

Dr. Cleveland's theory is that in the 16th century a small band of Spanish Conquistadors were in the area lead by an unsavory Giant, Vargas (Buddy Baer), with bad teeth, and a penchant for pulling girls apart.

Just as lightning stuck Wayne's heart it also stuck the buried Vargas right in the axe. So Vargas reanimates to do his thing.

Will the Sheriff Parker believe Wayne's story about Vargas in time to save others from being dispatched or is it curtains of the local cutie Ann Brown (Joline Brand)?

We get to watch and kibitz.

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

This is the type of film you'd see on your favorite horror host show. "Giant from the Unknown" is a very good film that gets overlooked a lot. If you ever find the film on TV..watch it! or better yet, buy it!..and see for yourself, that this film is truly different than your average cheese horror film. Highly Recommended!

The story...Strange deaths, animals, humans, ripped up...Hero is suspected because he trespassed on victim's land. Scientific-type & daughter arrive looking for vanished conquistador & befriend hero. Buried conquistador revives & goes on killing spree...
Great location ( Big Bear, Ca.) shooting, PRISTINE PRINT that looks as though it were shot yesterday, & former cowboy hero Bob Steele as the top law officer make this a MUST-HAVE for 50's Horror/Sci-fi fans!!!!
I enjoyed this...my wife enjoyed this ( & she's not partial to this stuff...).
The end scene at the "mill" was shot at the same location used for so many Roy Rogers, etc. B-Westerns...Republic Mountie Serials & others...
GREAT STUFF...NOT TO BE MISSED!!!

The picture quality of this DVD is very good. The movie itself, simply put is allot of fun. The characters are interesting to watch(especially nosy Sheriff Parker)and although the story sounds stupid, somehow it all seems to work. I think I've watched this DVD more than any other. All in all, an excellant B-movie.

Tom Phillips