classic sci-fi ultimate collection

THE FLICKS: First released as Best Buy exclusives, the Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection Vol. 1 & 2 went on to become such a out-of-print commodity that Universal wisely decided to package them together and sell them in wide release. Sporting 10 films across 6-discs, even if you’re only interested in a few of the titles, the final tally is around five bucks a movie. Presented in their original aspect ratios (a mix of Academy and widescreen) plus trailers, that’s simply too good of a deal to pass up! TARANTULA: The first of several “big bug” movies in the collection, this Jack Arnold directed chiller begins with an experiment gone wrong in the name of science, specifically a nutrient formula that turns lab animals into giant freaks of nature. A local country doctor (John Agar) must solve the mystery behind several corpses sucked bone dry of their vital juices. Watch for Clint Eastwood as a fighter pilot in the final sequence. The effects vacillate between sloppy and superb, but the desert scenery makes for a particularly menacing backdrop. THE MOLE PEOPLE: Searching for a lost civilization, a team of scientists (led by John Agar, once again) gets trapped in an underground world populated by ancient Sumerians and their race of enslaved mole monsters. There are not many scares but the concept is pure Edgar Rice Burroughs fantasy, with some creative make-up work on the title characters. This one is best suited for the Mystery Science Theater treatment. THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN: The most highly pedigreed film in the collection and the most sought after by fans, this adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel manages to stay true to the spiritual and metaphysical subtext while still delivering knockout action sequences. Reduced to the size of an action figure – and getting smaller everyday – our hero must fight his way through a variety of domestic dangers including the family cat and a determined house spider, both of which are looking to make him a meal. THE MONOLITH MONSTERS: A bizarre concept that shouldn’t work, but somehow does: mysterious rocks react with water turning people into statues then quadrupling in size. This deadly moving avalanche threatens to destroy a small desert town and eventually the world if a solution can’t be found. The threat seems preposterous but the special effects pull it off. MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS: After accidentally exposing himself to a deadly combination of gamma-irradiated blood from a prehistoric fish, a lauded professor regresses to a raging Neanderthal, wreaking havoc on the local co-eds and stymieing the police. If you said, “that sounds sort of like the pitch for Altered States!” pat yourself on the back. DR. CYCLOPS: The only movie in either collection presented in color, Dr. Cyclops looks amazing by comparison. The Technicolor transfer practically glows as it tells the story of yet another evil scientist who shrinks a team of scientific butinskies to 1/5 size. While not as deep as The Incredible Shrinking Man, the special effect sequences are still a kick. CULT OF THE COBRA: After all the mad scientists and monster bugs, this is a nice change of pace from the other films in the collection. Essentially a remake of The Mummy, five soldiers defile the ceremony of a snake cult whose high priest vows a curse of vengeance. Sure enough, even before they head back home one of their group falls victim to a deadly snakebite while a mysterious woman who has the ability to change into a serpent stalks the rest stateside. The talky romantic subplot might turn some people off, but as a cut-rate Cat People it’s still effective. THE LAND UNKNOWN – Forced to land in the crater of an Antarctic volcano, a military team stumbles upon a hidden world populated by dinosaurs; yet their most dangerous enemy is one of their own kind. The widescreen photography really helps to give the film scale, particularly combined with the primeval set design and miniature work that creates convincing (for the ‘50s, at least) prehistoric monsters. THE DEADLY MANTIS: Awakened from its frozen slumber, another giant insect is on the loose and headed for New York. The climactic battle in the Lincoln tunnel almost makes it worth sitting through the rest of this rather boring entry. Them would prove to be the ultimate oversized insect movie. THE LEECH WOMAN: In the search for eternal youth, a woman finds the answer she was looking for; but the cost is human lives! Turned into a quasi-vampire to retain her beauty, the Leech Woman is unable to stop her murderous momentum. Like Cult of the Cobra, this one is a nice change of pace from the other films in the set.