Plot
A series of unexpected deaths appears linked to experiments conducted at a US Air Force base located on Canadian territory. The autopsy of one of the bodies would indicate the victim had his brain sucked out through two deep punctures discovered on his neck. The local townspeople are inclined to point the finger at the Americans and are particularly suspicious of the routine atomic tests the servicemen carry out on a daily basis.
In order to put a stop to what the military considers unfairly negative publicity, Major Cummings is assigned the task of shedding light on the matter. Attempting to get to the bottom of the phenomenon’s true origin, the diligent investigator follows a series of clues that leads to the lair of the venerable Professor Walgate, a scientist who believes that under certain conditions, thoughts can exist as independent entities…
I knew now that I had created a fiend.
Critique
7Veteran director Arthur Crabtree (“Horrors of the Black Museum“, 1959) wields an expert hand and a fine instinct for suspense to direct a misunderstood sci-fi horror film which, at the end of the day, turns out to be decidedly superior to typical films of the era.
After the first part which follows the classic mold where we witness Major Cummings undertake a difficult investigation against the backdrop of a mysterious string of violent deaths, the horror component takes on ever-greater weight, leading to an incredible finale that audaciously tosses in a dash of weirdness and even some ahead-of-its-time “splatter”.
A competent cast breathes life into a range of serviceable characters who get the job done despite being a tad stereotypical. Anyway, the true stars of the film are the bizarre creatures rendered in stop-motion animation by Karl-Ludwig Ruppel and Flo Nordhoff.
Among fan-favorite scenes, we’d definitely cite the final attack of the materialized thoughts, sort of vampirical facehuggers shaped like the “central nervous system”. The film was inspired by the short story “The Thought Monster” by Amelia Reynolds Long, published in “Weird Tales” way back in 1930.
Extremely Lovecraftian.
More Info
- Inspired by the short story "The Thought Monster" (1930) by Amelia Reynolds Long
Quotes
- I needed to stimulate my brain to the extent that I could detach thought from my conscious to give it a separate entity of its own.
- I knew now that I had created a fiend.
Products
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