How Them! Changed Sci-Fi Horror Forever | Retro Cinema Classics

 Written By Ken Hulsey

Back in 1954, monster movies were experiencing an exciting revival. At Universal Pictures, the team was gearing up to release "Creature From The Black Lagoon," the last of their classic monster lineup. Meanwhile, over in Japan, Toho was wrapping up their own monster epic, "Gojira" (or Godzilla), which would kick off a legendary film series lasting five decades. At Warner Bros, director Gordon Douglas and producer David Weisbart were busy working on their own creature feature, "Them!" This film introduced audiences to colossal ants that emerged as a result of atomic testing in the New Mexico desert. Little did Douglas and Weisbart know, "Them!" would significantly alter the direction of American monster movies for the next twenty years.

How House of Wax Changed Horror Movies Forever | Retro Cinema Classics

"House of Wax," released in 1953, is a classic American horror film that showcases the incredible talent of Vincent Price. Directed by André De Toth, this film is noteworthy not only for its chilling storyline but also for being part of the early 1950s 3-D film craze. It serves as a remake of the earlier 1933 film, "Mystery of the Wax Museum," and has earned its place as a true gem in the horror genre.

Jack Arnold's Tarantula: A Look Back at a 1950s Sci-Fi Staple | Retro Cinema Classics

 "Tarantula" is a gripping science fiction classic from 1955, directed by the talented Jack Arnold and featuring performances from Leo G. Carroll, John Agar, and Mara Corday. One of the film's intriguing highlights is the appearance of a young Clint Eastwood, who, at just 25 years old, plays an uncredited jet pilot in a nail-biting concluding scene.

Planet of the Apes: A Look Back at the Classic Film | Retro Cinema Rewind

 Written By Ken Hulsey

In 1966, Franklin J. Schaffner acquired the rights to an exciting project he believed would make a fantastic film: Pierre Boulle's novel "La Planète des singes." He took his idea, initially dubbed "Monkey Planet," and pitched it to nearly every studio in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the response was lukewarm; many studio executives doubted that a story about talking apes would resonate with audiences. However, Schaffner's luck turned when he presented his concept to Arthur P. Jacobs and Charlton Heston, both of whom jumped on board to produce and star in the film. With Heston’s star power and Jacobs' production support, Schaffner finally had the credibility to approach 20th Century Fox.

When Birds Attack! - The True Story That Inspired The Hitchcock Classic

 Written By: Terri Hulsey

 In 1961, Northern California was hit by a deluge of seabirds that flew into homes, attacked, and frightened seaside dwellers near the once sleepy California coastal town of Monterey Bay. Alfred Hitchcock decided that he would make a film about the incident and do what he does best. Scare the heck out of moviegoers. However, what caused the birds to attack to begin with?

Rodan! A Supersonic Monster Movie For The Jet Age! | Retro Cinema Classics

 Written By: Ken Hulsey

After the tremendous success of the first two Godzilla films, visionary director Ishiro Honda and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka embarked on an ambitious project that would elevate the giant monster genre to new heights. This bold cinematic venture eventually became known as "Sora no daikaiju Radon." The initial idea for the film sprang from the creative mind of writer Ken Kuronuma, who was inspired by a unique tale he had translated for the Japanese edition of *Amazing Stories*. It centered around a Kentucky Air National Guard pilot who crashed his plane while pursuing a UFO, a narrative ripe with suspense and intrigue. 

Androids And Tanks: The Wild World Of Dominion Tank Police

 Written By Ken Hulsey

Picture a wild future where hospitals are only for the perfectly healthy, the two hottest women in town are part android, and the criminals are so outrageous that the police need tanks to handle them. Welcome to Newport, Japan—our fictional playground and the setting for Koichi Mashamoto's quirky 1988 anime series, "Dominion Tank Police." 

Why "The Day The Earth Stood Still" Still Captures Our Imagination

 Written By: Ken Hulsey

A fantastic illustration of the potential of serious and thoughtful Science Fiction cinema can be found in the 1951 classic, "The Day The Earth Stood Still." Released during the early 50s, a time before the genre became dominated by giant creatures and exaggerated alien invasion stories, "TDTESS" is often hailed as one of the finest Science Fiction films ever made.

What Makes "Big Trouble in Little China" a Classic Action Comedy

 Written By: Ken Hulsey

Originally, filmmaker John Carpenter had a vision for "Big Trouble in Little China" as a classic western, then shifted to a modern take on the genre. However, the movie ultimately transformed into an action/comedy that cleverly pays homage to Kung-Fu films. After several studios hesitated about the concept of a martial arts-infused cowboy movie, Carpenter brought on screenwriter W. D. Richter to give the script a fresh spin. Interestingly, Richter seemed to have his own ideas and early drafts connected the film to his previous work, "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension!" from 1984.

Rear Window (1954) - Hitchcock's Thriller | Danger Lurks for Those Who See Too Much | Retro Cinema Classics

Rear Window: A Hitchcock Masterpiece

Rear Window stands as one of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest comedies of terror. Set in a Greenwich Village apartment and its adjoining courtyards, this urban variation on the backyard-murder story offers both a light satire of modern life and a thorough exploration of voyeurism's allure. The film was a personal favorite of Hitchcock, who owned it outright along with several other works including Vertigo and Rope. His decision to withhold these films from television syndication to preserve their theatrical value meant Rear Window disappeared from public view for 21 years after his death in 1980, when the Hitchcock estate finally negotiated its re-release.

Kingdom Of The Spiders (1977) - Creepy Crawly Sci-Fi | Dimension Pictures | Retro Cinema Rewind

 Written By: Ken Hulsey

It is always entertaining to see how the cast from the original "Star Trek" television series tried to move on after the show got the ax. Many of the cast members continued to look for jobs in the industry. DeForest Kelley starred in the giant rabbit flick "Night of the Lepus," and Walter Koenig actually began writing episodes for TV series, including "The Stranger," which introduced Enik on "Land of the Lost." Nichelle Nichols, Leonard Nimoy, and William Shatner all attempted singing careers—the less said about that, the better.

Blazing Saddles | Mel Brooks' Iconic 1974 Comedy Western | Retro Cinema Classics

Written By Ken Hulsey

In this hilarious Mel Brooks spoof of Westerns, crafty railroad worker Bart (Cleavon Little) becomes the first black sheriff of the frontier town of Rock Ridge, which is about to be destroyed to make way for a new railroad. Initially, the townspeople harbor racial biases against their unconventional new leader. However, they warm to Bart and his perpetually drunk gunfighter friend (Gene Wilder) after realizing they are the only defense against a wave of thugs sent to rid the town of its population. This ribald and irreverent classic pokes fun at the Western genre and its tropes, sparing no one and nothing.