Okay, so the first hour of this 74-minute non-epic is padded to
the gills with seemingly silly dialogue, off-kilter acting, and
budgetless set design. I would argue that there is more than
meets the eye in the film's script, though, to the degree that it is a
surprisingly intelligent, supernatural take the atomic age. A highly
enjoyable hour which provides more than mere camp appeal. But - wow - that last 15 minutes! You can see everything from
THE TINGLER, to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, to ERASERHEAD,
to EVIL DEAD being born in the film's glorious finale! After being
blown away by the film's (beautifully animated and frankly
disturbing) ending, I watched the film again, and admired how the
the seemingly thin first hour actually builds quite ingeniously to the
climax. I was also impressed with the tasteful application of gore
at the end (which could be generically attributed to the film's British
sensibility), giving it both a shocking and alluring quality. The more I think about this supposed schlocky B-film, the more
I appreciate it. Sometimes mainstream critics such as Mr. Maltin
miss the boat, and this is precisely one of those times.