The Flame Barrier

This movie has virtually disappeared from the face of the Earth. Of those who saw it on late night TV in the 1960's, who can forget the look of terror frozen on the scientist who had been"absorbed" by the radioactive crystalline goo? You who are too young to remember, it will seem like nothing. But for those vintage enough to remember, that scene must be seared in the back of your eye sockets.

And how did a satellite crash through a jungle, skid hard enough to leave a scorched gouge, and then somehow wedge itself down into the bottom of a cave anyway?

You are in for a real treat. This classic can now be found on the Internet Archive (www.Archive.org). Please remember to tip your waitress . . .

https://archive.org/details/TheFlameBarrier1958_20170708

A satellite goes through THE FLAME BARRIER, causing it to crash into the jungles of Mexico. Carol Dahlmann (Kathleen Crowley) hires a man (Arthur Franz) and his brother to help her find her missing husband, who had gone searching for the fallen craft.

Setting out on their journey, the trio encounter many perils, including Mexican hyenas (!), and the usual big-snake-on-a-tree-limb that appears in all jungle movies of this type. They also encounter a tribe of Hollywood "Indians" in matching wigs. Said "natives" quickly come in handy as baggage carriers.

Meanwhile, Ms. Dahlmann's hair remains soft and manageable, despite the tropical heat. Wasn't there a satellite out here somewhere? And, what about the Hollywood "Indians" that keep melting all over the place?

This movie is a short, yet seemingly endless jungle adventure disguised as a sci-fi epic. It saves all of its real action for the final few minutes. The ultimate revelation is fairly novel, but it's hardly worth enduring the first 90% of this movie to get to it...

Like "Monster of Green Hell", much of this movie is taken up with a long African safari. The three principal characters argue, struggle and search mainly for a reason to continue. Natives provide it several times just as the party is ready to turn back. The acting is good and the continuing ambivalent relationship between the rich woman and the safari leader continues to warm up. There is no real special effects until they reach the location they sought after. The final scene is the only one that qualifies as science fiction. A good movie but light on science fiction.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Paul Landres; Produced by Arthur Gardner and Jules Levy, for United Artists. Screenplay by Pat Fielder and George Worthing Yates; Photography by Jack MacKenzie; Edited by Jerry Young; Music by Gerald Fried; Makeup by Dick Smith. Starring: Arthur Franz, Kathleen Crowley, Robert Brown, Vince Padula, Kaz Oran, Larry Duran and Rodd Redwing.

Tense and original science-fiction adventure wherein scientists stave off the threat of an impenetrable electronic barrier which expands its radius periodically and inexorably, surrounding a gooey blob monster which returned from space after an early rocket launch.

This was actually a well made movie with good production values, nice location filming and some good acting but it totally loses it's momentum in the script department. You will think you are watching a jungle exploration flick with a lot of bickering for most of the film. There a a few scattered special effects here and there but most of the 'action' takes place at the end with a very abrupt ending that demonstrates the poor scriptwork.

Not bad by any means but definitely a 'B minus' flick.

The are actually some other 50's sci-if you should see before this one: First Man into Space - Caltiki the Immortal Monster (goriest 50's sci-fi yet) - Space Master X-7(in widescreen 2:35 if you can find it!) - Night the World Exploded