Red Planet Mars (1952)
Jan 11, 2002Radio Messages from God on Mars
One of the most bizarre of 1950s Communist Fear films in which humanity begins to receive radio message from God on Mars. The film's politics are hysterical today.
Peter Graves
Killers from Space (1953)
Jun 3, 2003Alien Invasion
A cheesily bad alien invader film from the 1950s that seems to be trying to throw every element in SF of the era into the mix from mind controlling aliens to atomic monsters
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Jan 6, 2001Children Pursued by Psycho Preacher
Absolutely extraordinary directorial debut from actor Charles Laughton who transforms the story of an evil preacher (Robert Mitchum) pursuing two children into something approaching a stylised Expressionist fairytale
It Conquered the World (1956)
Sep 11, 2003Alien Invasion
One of the early directorial films from Roger Corman, a surprisingly vigorous and well written variant on the alien body snatcher film featuring one of the memorable alien creations of the era
Beginning of the End (1957)
Jan 4, 2014Giant Atomic Grasshoppers
Giant grasshoppers invade Chicago – what's not to like? A sterling example of the 1950s atomically enlarged insect film from Bert I. Gordon who found his calling make cheap giant animals/people films during this era.
Where Have All the People Gone (1974)
Jun 9, 2016Mysterious Catastrophe/Last People on Earth
One of the first films about a mysterious catastrophe that empties the world of all but a handful of survivors that formed the template of later films like The Quiet Earth
Parts: The Clonus Horror (1979)
Jan 6, 2016Secret Cloning Program
This had its entire plot ripped off as Michael Bay's The Island. Without Bay's action overkill, this is by far the better film, working as a fascinating mystery set-up that leads to an ingenious twist
Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)
May 9, 1999Disaster Movie & SF Spoof
Airplane was a parody of the disaster movie that proved a hit. This was a sequel that expands the action aboard the space shuttle and contains many SF in-jokes but to generally lesser effect