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Editorial Reviews
Featuring groundbreaking special effects, The Incredible Shrinking Man is considered one of the most innovative and thought-provoking films ever made. When Scott Carey (Grant Williams) encounters a mysterious radioactive mist on a boating trip, he soon finds his life taking on a bizarre and frightening twist. His physical size begins to diminish as he shrinks to a mere two inches. Suddenly, ordinary household situations loom over him with lethal intensity, a playful cat becomes a demon and a spider is a gargantuan monster. Carey finds he must rely on his wits to survive in his new oversized world in this sci-fi classic that remains as terrifying today as it did over 50 years ago!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is one of those films I had to see as a kid. The protagonist was handsome, it had terrifying details in a normal house, and the effects looked believably horrific. I even got a paperback version of it, which was superlatively written, in the same style as the internal dialogue of the shrinking man. I had to see it again.
OK, as a 50s film, it is the magic of radiation at the base of it. A couple are on a sail boat trip, the husband is outside and caught in a strange mist though his wife isn't. Upon their return home, he notices that he is losing weight. The doctor confirms this and that he is getting smaller, which the couple suspected. As the process continues, the house cat attacks him and he escapes, and yet is trapped in, the basement. There, as he searches for food and continues to shrink, he finds a horrifying new adversary, a spider.
What distinguishes this film is the dialogue the man has with himself. He finds his masculinity compromised and takes a lot of it out on his wife, but then he turns to survival and the reasons he is trying to live, all while he appears doomed to disappear. His plight is completely believable, and his thinking evolves from rage to survival to a kind of transcendence. There is a horrible scene where his wife, who thinks the cat got him, comes into the basement to de-block a drain and fails to hear him as he screams for help, holding onto a pencil to avoid being sucked into the drain. He also contemplates letting the spider get him, a hideous death, but quick. THen, in a moment of triumph, he achieves a kind of peace with himself, finds his place in the universe and its mysteries.
This is really great scifi. It has lived in my imagination for almost 50 years and seeing again was not at all disappointing. Warmly recommended.
OK, as a 50s film, it is the magic of radiation at the base of it. A couple are on a sail boat trip, the husband is outside and caught in a strange mist though his wife isn't. Upon their return home, he notices that he is losing weight. The doctor confirms this and that he is getting smaller, which the couple suspected. As the process continues, the house cat attacks him and he escapes, and yet is trapped in, the basement. There, as he searches for food and continues to shrink, he finds a horrifying new adversary, a spider.
What distinguishes this film is the dialogue the man has with himself. He finds his masculinity compromised and takes a lot of it out on his wife, but then he turns to survival and the reasons he is trying to live, all while he appears doomed to disappear. His plight is completely believable, and his thinking evolves from rage to survival to a kind of transcendence. There is a horrible scene where his wife, who thinks the cat got him, comes into the basement to de-block a drain and fails to hear him as he screams for help, holding onto a pencil to avoid being sucked into the drain. He also contemplates letting the spider get him, a hideous death, but quick. THen, in a moment of triumph, he achieves a kind of peace with himself, finds his place in the universe and its mysteries.
This is really great scifi. It has lived in my imagination for almost 50 years and seeing again was not at all disappointing. Warmly recommended.
14 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Perople who seek out lost classics, forgotten fantasy, science fiction, horror, cult films, b movies stop looking, this is a gem that needs to be in your collection. this movie was awesome! I watched this for the first time since i was a child. I was truly amazed at how good this film was. the acting, the special effects, the drama, and the philosophical/religous ending, all executed very well. this movie will keep you engaged. my kids of 3, 5 and 8 watched the film the entire way threw and liked it which says alot for a black and white film. one of the things that really stood out was the trumpet solo durring the opening credits. beautiful! do not hesitate to buy this film. no matter what you like you will apreaciate this movie.
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Finally, a stand alone US release of this terrific classic.
"Incredible Shrinking Man" reminds me of a great episode of "The
Twilight Zone". It's thoughtful, well-written, and ultimately pretty
daring in its conclusions. And, indeed, Richard Matheson, who
wrote many of the best Twilight Zones, wrote the script.
Hokey at moments, with a few special efx that are pretty badly dated,
it's still tense, inventive and emotional, with good twists and turns,
It's also ultimately very thought-provoking, and raises some interesting
(and vaguely Buddhist) ideas about the meaninglessness of size in the
vastness of the universe.
This film could be the poster child for what's now called by Hollywood a 'smart genre film' i.e.
it can be advertised as a genre movie (horror, action, sci-fi, etc.) but transcends the
limitations usually associated with that genre to become a special, well-made film that can
speak to a grown-up audience beyond those simply looking for a cheap thrill.
My only disappointment was the complete lack of extras (other than the trailer)
Not shocking, it happens with classic films sometimes, but it would have been
very interesting to hear how the effects were created, how the deeper themes were
addressed, etc.
"Incredible Shrinking Man" reminds me of a great episode of "The
Twilight Zone". It's thoughtful, well-written, and ultimately pretty
daring in its conclusions. And, indeed, Richard Matheson, who
wrote many of the best Twilight Zones, wrote the script.
Hokey at moments, with a few special efx that are pretty badly dated,
it's still tense, inventive and emotional, with good twists and turns,
It's also ultimately very thought-provoking, and raises some interesting
(and vaguely Buddhist) ideas about the meaninglessness of size in the
vastness of the universe.
This film could be the poster child for what's now called by Hollywood a 'smart genre film' i.e.
it can be advertised as a genre movie (horror, action, sci-fi, etc.) but transcends the
limitations usually associated with that genre to become a special, well-made film that can
speak to a grown-up audience beyond those simply looking for a cheap thrill.
My only disappointment was the complete lack of extras (other than the trailer)
Not shocking, it happens with classic films sometimes, but it would have been
very interesting to hear how the effects were created, how the deeper themes were
addressed, etc.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
All Time Favorite Sci-Fi
This film has a surprisingly "spiritual" and poetic message by the time you get to the end - even more so than War of the Worlds, another good one. Read more
Published 11 days ago by S. Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars
An American Sci-Fi Classic
From the novella by Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, Hell House, What Dreams May Come)with the screenplay written by him as well comes The Incredible Shrinking Man. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Mr. Sinister
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie
Big halloween movie night for older grandkids and what better than a little old-timey fright fest! They loved the movie!
Published 1 month ago by Tamera Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic Science Fiction Movie
If you are establishing a SiFi collection, this movie should be included. It comes out of the 1950's fear of the atomic bomb with a riveting plot and great special effects. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rodamu
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you watch it, you'll love it
This is an old movie that I have known for tons of years. It's just as good now as it was in the 1950s, if the viewer will just allow it to be. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Cisco
5.0 out of 5 stars
SciFi Movie.
One of the best 1950's SciFi movies ever made. This was the final VHS movie I needed to complete my DVD collection of 50's SciFi. Read more
Published 2 months ago by David S. Sivak
5.0 out of 5 stars
shrinking man dvd
Loved finding "old" sci fi movies on Amazon. My kids, now my grandkids love these movies. They are just so campy.
Published 2 months ago by ellenv
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Man May Shrink, But He Is Still A Man
5 Stars = Masterpiece
Maybe the greatest Sc-Fi film of the 50's, "The Incredible Shrinking Man" is a milestone in Sci-Fi. Read more
Maybe the greatest Sc-Fi film of the 50's, "The Incredible Shrinking Man" is a milestone in Sci-Fi. Read more
Published 3 months ago by JAMES MCCORMICK
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent, well made, well acted.
I saw this on TV ages ago, yet it's impact remains. This is NOT cheesy spectacle. It's thought-provoking and well-acted, a thinking-person's movie. Read more
Published 3 months ago by eswan
1.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie, shoddy product
The Incredible Shrinking Man is one of the best sci-fi films of the 1950s, but this new DVD version is an incredibly shoddy product. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mark Wallace
