“Once they were men; now they are land crabs.”
The late GREAT Roger Corman was not one to shy away from kaiju territory, no matter the ridiculousness of the story. His early B-movies are absolute marvels at what he was able to pull off on a dime-sized budget and that’s where we take things with this entry in Kaiju Korner as we cover Attack of the Crab Monsters from 1957.
Independently made, this black-and-white creature feature gets things started with an absolute BANG as title designer Paul Julian blows minds with a stunning opening credit sequence which defies the financial limitations of most B-movies. With this artsy sequence of mixed media effort, audiences get animated images floating across the screen as they cross and dissolve. There are physical camera movements, and tonal changes which add to the mystery of this flick. It all works to create a sense of fluidity and movement that is, at once, very complex . . . in spite of the radioactive monsters in this movie that will eat you and absorb your brain so that they can communicate with other humans.
That’s right. We’re talking giant-sized crabs. Reportedly made for $70,000, this film is a work of art from Corman. His camera is authentic; his scenes pivotal; and his production values are absolutely spotless, complete with an underwater sequence which still manages to thrill and chill. Few other filmmakers had his sense of style and understanding when it came to horror and humor during the 50s.
This fifteen-foot Atomic Age puppet - hysterical and haunting at the same time - is operated by Peyton’s Place Ed Nelson and, while the script called for two crabs, there was enough money for only one. This meant that Nelson and company had to constantly traverse back and forth across the island, picking off the unfortunate scientists left and right.
Sure, the design looks completely unrealistic - with a facial expression and everything else that goes along with mutated humans-turned-monsters - but the haunting use of the dead scientist’s voice and their memories as they call out to the survivors works to create some great moments of fear and fun!
Suspense! Action! And GIANT telepathic crabs! What more could you ask for in a kaiju flick?!?! Absolutely nothing and that’s why Attack of the Crab Monsters, now on blu-ray with a brand-new 2K transfer thanks to Shout! Factory continues to rule when it comes to non-stop Z-grade motion picture marvels.
Produced and directed by Roger Corman, Attack of the Crab Monsters is a true cult classic. It is also one of the most financially successful early B-grade monster movies thanks to that AWESOME title. It is an atomically-mutated 63-minute blast through Z-grade territory and it begins with an edge of seat sequence in which a sailor, thrown overboard from a speeding raft, is decapitated by something HUGE just below the surface. Oh, snap!
The joke here is that the man who gets decapitated is actually the film’s screenwriter Charles Griffith (who also wrote Death Race 2000 and was a frequent Corman collaborator after the success of this film) and, of course, the death is also an omen of things to come for the group of scientists who, arriving on an unnamed Pacific Island, have come in search of the first expedition that have gone missing.
The team, consisting of Dr. Karl Weigand (Leslie Bradley), geologist James Carson (Richard H. Cutting), biologist Jules Deveroux (Mel Welles), Martha Hunter (Pamela Duncan), and Dale Drewer (Richard Garland), are in over their heads. They are more alone than they ever dare ask - especially after their seaplane explodes and their attempts to communicate with others are completely rattled by a lightning storm.
It seems something is separating them from the outside world!
While the team muse about the possibilities of sea serpents and other weird anomalies able to rip someone’s head off, handyman Hank Chapman (Russell Johnson, you know him as The Professor on Gilligan’s Island) attempts to find a rationale explanation for all the tremors they are experiencing on the island.
And it all has to do with a giant pair of telepathic crabs; products of the atomic experiments that have been ravishing the islands. These crabs are on the prowl and it is world dominance that they are after because - once they devour their prey - they absorb their science-founded minds AND their voices (you know, to lure other scientists their way) and it is off the island they want.
Attack of the Crab Monsters is only available through Shout! Factory’s online store
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - August 25, 2020
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
While investigating the disappearance of researchers who had been looking into atomic activity in the Pacific, a group of scientists become marooned on an island. They quickly fall prey to giant, mutant crustaceans that are able to absorb the minds of their prey. Starring Russell Johnson (Gilligan’s Island), Richard Garland (Mutiny In Outer Space) and Mel Welles (The Little Shop Of Horrors). This Shout Factory Exclusive is limited to 1000 copies.
Video
The film’s original inter-positive print was used for the digital scrub and the results, being offered in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 looks achingly pristine, much better than previous releases of the movie. The textures brought out by this transfer are incredible. The fibers in the costumes; every rip and every tear; the beads of sweat; all are clear as day in this transfer. No specks of debris or dirt were noticeable throughout and skin tones are perfect. No damages of time or age noticeable in the print.
Audio
An adequate DTS-HD Mono Audio track provides the center-channeled thrills and spills.
Supplements:
Hopefully, the NEW 2K Scan Of A Fine-Grain Print is enough to get you to purchase this cult classic, but if it isn’t here are the contents of this edition!
Commentary:
- Audio Commentary With Film Historians Tom Weaver, John Brunas And Mike Brunas
Special Features:
- A Salute To Roger Corman Featuring Interviews With Roger Corman, Joe Dante, Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Fonda And More...
- Theatrical Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: Approved.
Runtime: 63 mins
Director: Roger Corman
Writer: Charles B. Griffith
Cast: Richard Garland; Pamela Duncan; Russell Johnson
Genre: Horror | Sci-fi
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "Yesterday, when we came to this island, there was a mountain out there. Today there's no mountain."
Theatrical Distributor: Allied Artists Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: February 10, 1957
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: August 25, 2020
Synopsis: Scientists become trapped on a shrinking island with intelligent, murderous giant crabs.
