The Creation of the Humanoids (1962) - Retrospective
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- In this episode of Glow in the Dark Cinema, Mr. Sterling takes a loquacious look at the sci-fi gem -The Creation of the Humanoids.
Want to look like an even bigger weirdo? Check out the Atomic Snack Bar Shirt Shop - www.teepublic....
Follow the Snack Bar on Twitter & Instagram -
/ thersterling
/ thersterling
#sciencefiction #scifimovies #1960s
EPISODE NOTES: This one's a doozy. I went back in and added about two minutes worth of new information and trivia. That may not sound like a lot, but for one of these, that's a good bit of trivia goodness.
But something I missed both times, it's Don Doolittle, not Dan. Apologies to Mr. Doolittle.
And as I quickly stated in the video, I would more realistically give this one a 4. Which if you are unfamiliar with my ratings system - a 4 is a film I thoroughly enjoyed, would watch again, and would definitely own.
Hey; posted this, but didn't hear from either you or Santiago... no rush. Just wanted to see if it made it through hyperspace:
Alright, guys... I finally took care of the Riddler; he's back in Arkham, safe and sound. I imagine he'll break out again, but hey, I can't kill off my villains... I'd be out of a job.
This is a Hollywood story that occurred early on, in which two famous names set out to treat me like crap, but ended up doing me a priceless favor.... and if that doesn't wet your appetite, I don't know what will... ;)
When I first arrived at SONY/COLUMBIA/TRISTAR (it got confusing, trust me) I was broke. I worked there for four and a half months for free until the unit that would become IMAGEWORKS got off the ground. Listening to young people (I'm old enough to say that now) gripe about job opportunities kills me; we made out opportunities by working for free until somebody finally had to acknowledge our presence, or find someone else to sweep their floors.
Anyone who's survived a year of the TOP RAMEN/DINTY MOORE BEEF STEW diet-axis knows the joy that an actual meal could bring to one's life... and so, before actually being hired (another story entirely), I would occasionally be given a voucher for the commissary on the lot. To the regulars it was OK, but to Oliver Twist it was heaven.
One faithful day I found myself in line with pre-Spiderman SAM RAIMI. He was working on, I think it was BRISCO COUNTY JR. at the time. I couldn't give a F!!K about the first two EVIL DEAD movies or Brisco County Jr., but ARMY OF DARKNESS is one of my all time favorite films, and every line of dialogue was still fresh in my mind. That, combined with my just-fell-off-the-applecart newcomer B.S., produced toxic levels of 'starstruck'.
Cue awkward situation.
"Wow... you're Sam Raimi! (foot in mouth) I just love (head up ass)"... you guys can fill in the rest. Raimi gives me an understandable look of frustration; how'd this %$#@! get in here? I'm on my pathetic lunchbreak. Ten minutes. God help me!
Raimi listens to me patiently, then interjects. "Thanks. Wow. That's great. Hey, look over there by the cashier... isn't that BRUCE CAMPBELL?"
And, by god, it was.
"Bruce just LOVES fans... why don't you go over there and introduce yourself?"
You guys remember Campbell's wretchedly contemptuous doorman at the theater in SPIDERMAN 2? I got that, and richly deserved it. But then Campbell says, "Sam's just playing a joke on you... he really LOVES fans that try harder. If you go back over there now, he'll probably ask you to sit with him and have lunch! Go ahead; you'll see."
And I did.
I went through this ritual of humiliation TWICE before I finally caught on, God help me. I finally slinked out of the commissary, defeated, my life and career over for good.
But wait, as Billy Mays would say... where's the priceless favor?
A week later, I became the demo guy for the nacient unit, in an attempt to convince Hollywood's elite that CGI was actually going to be a tool worthy of investment. That's right, I started back when CGI was a joke, an outlier that would take "At least 20 years" to ever become valid, let alone replace MOCO as a viable effects technology.
Over the next few months I met every single A+ lister than came through either Ken Lemberger or Mike Medavoy's office at TRISTAR, giving 20 minute demonstrations of miraculous SGI/CGI tech and graphics. It helped get the unit greenlit, and gave me a chance to meet EVERYONE in a way I never would have otherwise.
Oh, and my boss loved me, because I was already cured of any starstruck nonsense; I was a consummate professional, every time. I couldn't have done it without them.
I never saw Sam Raimi again... but I did get to meet his brother Ted, a wonderful man, and told him the story (to laughter and applause) and so I figure the story got back to Sam.
It made all the difference.
@@user-dh2qf5kd8c Oh, man, no, I did not get that post before. But that is a great story. And so like those two as well. It's a rare honor that you were part of, even unknowingly, a prank on Raimi and Campbell. Good stuff.
You know, you have so many great stories. You might want to consider a book. Or at very least, a podcast.
Getting screwed over by those two guys is one of the great experiences of my life... ;)
As far as published/podcast, nah... I'm done giving a damn about the public. There's a handful of channels out there I gab with that've mentioned the same thing, and it's flattering, but I just love hanging out with you guys and occasionally making you all laugh. I figure that the SURVEILLENCE STATE(TM) is hoovering up all my stories, and will be keeping all my material for posterity after the Datapocalypse! As long as they don't store it in any place called 'Alexandria', I should survive the ages.
See? Money well spent.
Ask yourself this; was OEPDIPUS REX Sophocles'' finest play... or just the crappy one that survived the ages? Maybe it was his PIHRANNA 2: THE SPAWNING and we just don't know it! Food for thought.
Hey... how do I make sure that Santiago sees it? He's the one that wanted me to write it down. Can you ping it to him, or should I?
I'm actually saving Piranha 2 the Spawning for posterity, on VHS cassette.
May it be the last film ever to survive into the next age!
The future society will enshrine it... and base an entire form of storytelling off 'The Great work'.
This movie was extremely unique for it's time. Most nuclear war movies of the time only portray the war itself, or an immediate dystopian aftermath. In this movie humanity not only recovers, but begins advancing again only to face another problem.
An excellent point there. It definitely thumbed its nose to the trends of the time in so many ways. Low budget or not, I feel the lack of action scenes was deliberate. Barry could have easily worked a few in there had he wanted.
@ AtomicSnackBar - Now you've got me hoping for a Criterion restoration bluray release. Get on them, Sterling.
@@tonysantiago255 Oh man, if only. I would sell out in a heartbeat if Criterion, Arrow, or Kino came a calling. I kid, but not really.
@ AtomicSnackBar - It's pretty creative and colorful in it's standard resolution, but it's always interesting to see a film with sharper imaging and Widescreen. And in 🎶 stereo-phonic sound!🎶 I think this movie would be quite impressive when restored. The color cinematography and the Humanoids would be especially effective.
@@tonysantiago255 Even if not Criterion, I'd be thrilled with Arrow or Kino putting it out.
I have long contended that good writing and good acting are the most important elements in an enjoyable movie. This movie is a perfect example.
True indeed, good sir.
One piece of trivia I feel compelled to read into the record is that this was supposedly Andy Warhol's favorite Film!
Plus... the insight into future societal changes was nothing short of uncanny! another phenomenal Retrospect! Thanks again Capt. ASB!
That little piece of trivia came courtesy of an art review back in '64. The person writing the article mentioned the movie and then went on to say that Warhol said it was the best he had ever seen.
I've also seen that the Andy Warhol Robot was directly inspired by the film. But the source was behind a paywall so I couldn't look any deeper into it.
@@AtomicSnackBar I must again applaud the level research you do for your channel! I doth my cap, my friend!
I email a friend of Andy Warhol years ago to ask him if he knew Warhol liked the film and why? He didn’t know anything about the Warhol comment, but he said he may have liked this low budget film because it was so campy. He thought Warhol thought it was so bad it was actually good? Also, Frances McCann, who played Cragis’s sister, was murdered the next year in Rome in 1963. After doing some digging, in found a letter on the internet from Frances McCann’s daughter, named Frances McCann, explaining what had happened to her mother. She said her mother was an opera singer, who at the time touring in Europe. She stopped in Rome to get dresses to wear in her next concert in Naples. An American talent agent, who she rejected, was stalking her. He killed her in her hotel room and killed himself in the hotel hallway. The daughter was very angry at Variety magazine story about her death. She said they misrepresented her mother’s relationship with this man.
Her mother thought when she was being filmed in the movie, she thought it was a screen test for the movie? Her thought it was a horrible film. Her mother sang in many national stage productions. She was on contract with a major film studio (I think it was MGM?), but they never used her.
More movie trivia on this film. The director, Wesley Berry, grew up near Hollywood. He was a child star in silent films. He “may” have been in Burma in WWII as OSS agent. OSS was a precursor of the CIA. The cinematographer, Hal Mohr, won 2 Oscars and married actress, Evelyn Venable, in 1934. They met on the Will Rogers movie set. Will Rogers was at their wedding. Will Rogers died in 1935 in a plane crash with aviator, Wiley Post, in northern Alaska the next year.
@@penumbraman99 That is an impressive amount of added trivia. Kudos, Tbone. I had no idea about McCann's life or Barry's possible connection with OSS. The child actor thing I have run across. He really was a talented gentleman that should have done much more. I think Warhol just got the film, having referred to it as "Best movie he had ever seen".
@@penumbraman99 Great info! Thanks!
You’ve once again proven you’re several cuts above most sci-fi, horror and retro movie reviewers by highlighting and praising this film. It’s a very good movie, the opposite of the ‘turn your brain off’ special effects blockbusters that usually get the lion’s share of attention. Well done
I appreciate you saying so. And that is a great way to put it. A "Turn your brain on" kind of film. As I often say, one of the best parts of doing this channel is turning folks onto something new they might enjoy. I've never really understood the rationale behind covering something that everyone else has already covered.
Thanks, Joshua.
@ AtomicSnackBar - El Topo?
@@tonysantiago255 My 4 hour el Topo retrospective is coming in the next 14 to 49342 weeks.
@ AtomicSnackBar - okay. That's reasonable.
yeah, this is one of the few times we actually got a SF film and it was panned for being a bunch of 'taking heads' instead of a kid thriller.
You know, that's funny. I didn't even consider that. Just goes to show you the lack of respect sci-fi always received. Great point.
This is a tremendously underrated gem. Thought provoking and way ahead of it's time. Great review, thanks!
Couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks, Steve.
I totally agree. While not a great movie, it’s much better than it has any right to be.
Someone needs to have talking to with that film. Sounds like it's stepping out line a bit.
@ AtomicSnackBar - Now that you say that, some of those Humanoids did come off as a bit uppedy. Perhaps they did in fact need to be put in their place.
Sweet movie gonna have to search this one out. Another excellent episode and as always look forward to the next one. And I'm stunned to see Civil War era hats made a fashion comeback 😂😂😂
Yeah, not exactly the fashion one would expected to make a come back, but the distant future is a strange and mysterious place.
Thanks, Craig.
DUDE! I GOT MENTIONED! THANK YOU!
I laughed out loud so hard I did an honest-to-goodness spit-take; that rarely happens in real life. Seriously.
I wrote you and Tony S. both a follow up to my Dykstra story a few days ago (after Tony's response), but screwed up the posting and lost in in the N-SPACE between comments; I'll write it up again tonight, and send it to you guys... ;)
I love the silver contacts... they look like they could take on WESTWORLD'S gunfighter! Another example I thought of was Gary Lockwood in the second STAR TREK pilot, 'WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE'... Lockwood said those old Scleric contacts were terribly painful, and I imagine those were some dedicated android actors!
When I was working at SONY I had a lot of friends working at DIGITAL DOMAIN. At one point, they were working on INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE, where they were blending early CGI with practical makeup effects and animatronics. The death of Lestadt, for instance, incorporated all three.
At one point, one of my friends managed to get himself his own set of red scleric contacts, and a set of A+ vampire teeth. Halloween in that town was crazy, as you probably know. Guys from Winston's shop with predator outfits. Stuff like that.
Anyway, this guy would drive along, wearing the teeth, and the contacts under his sunglasses, incognito.
He would wait until he pulled up next to a car with unruly kids in the back (Station wagons were still a thing) at a stop light. When the parents, tired of all the noise, would look away, he would rip of the sunglasses, and bear the teeth and flaming eyes at the kids.
The kids would go WHITE and become instantly quiet.
He'd quickly re-don the shades, leaving the parents to wonder why their kids were suddenly so well behaved. Ah... to have the power of effects at your fingertips!
No, I don't think so. Sounds like you are seeing imaginary credit crawls again. Too many years in the film industry, good sir. Warps the brain. Turns you into a charismatic ne'er-do-well. Or so I'm told.
As to the follow up story, I did get a response on another video to which I responded to. But not I don't remember which one. It's very random the comments YT alerts to me these days.
I've heard that about the old contacts and that they could only be left in for a short amount of time. These guys most have been real troupers or made sure to get their takes right the first try.
Ah, scaring the normal folk. Good times. I have a nice silicone monster mask I used to wear on my old channel. One Halloween I even wore it out to dinner. Could eat in it and everything. So there I was at the buffet, a monster in a Hawaiian shirt.
I've known many monsters in Hawaiian shirts; worked for a couple of them, as a matter of fact!
The hallucination must have been a result of your sudden burst of color. That's it... ;)
@ user-dh2qf5kd8c - Thanks for yet another wonderful story or two from your years in the Valley of Crazies. Oh wait, I'm thinking of my time in North Hollywood. They were a different kind of zombie. Must have been so much fun to see people dressed in the actual costumes and makeups that were used in films we all went to see. Professional cosplay ahead of it's time. As for the story about the station wagon full of unruly urchins, who hasn't wanted to scare the bejeezes out of a little snot- nose every now and again. I'll check for that disappearing comment tonight. It's an honor to be a part of R.Sterling's League of Only Slightly More than Ordinary Gentlemen. Congrats and Chandu!
Dude... the first place I ever lived down there was in NORTH HOLLYWOOD.
Other than WRONG-BEACH, it was the most continuously violent place I've ever lived, and I spend four years in the Balkans.
I remember one particular night, struggling to get some sleep before an 'important' meeting at Paramount the next day (never went anywhere). My roommate and I would just about get to sleep each time, when the screaming would start anew, followed, inevitably, by gunshots. KAK-KAK-KAK.... POP, POP, POP.... KAK-KAK--
My poor buddy finally threw open the window in desperation, and shouted:
"WILL ONE OF YOU STUPID %$^#KERS LEARN HOW TO SHOOT SO WE CAN GET SOME GODDAM SLEEP?!"
You learn to eventually adapt... ;)
Alright, guys... I finally took care of the Riddler; he's back in Arkham, safe and sound. I imagine he'll break out again, but hey, I can't kill off my villains... I'd be out of a job.
This is a Hollywood story that occurred early on, in which two famous names set out to treat me like crap, but ended up doing me a priceless favor.... and if that doesn't wet your appetite, I don't know what will... ;)
When I first arrived at SONY/COLUMBIA/TRISTAR (it got confusing, trust me) I was broke. I worked there for four and a half months for free until the unit that would become IMAGEWORKS got off the ground. Listening to young people (I'm old enough to say that now) gripe about job opportunities kills me; we made out opportunities by working for free until somebody finally had to acknowledge our presence, or find someone else to sweep their floors.
Anyone who's survived a year of the TOP RAMEN/DINTY MOORE BEEF STEW diet-axis knows the joy that an actual meal could bring to one's life... and so, before actually being hired (another story entirely), I would occasionally be given a voucher for the commissary on the lot. To the regulars it was OK, but to Oliver Twist it was heaven.
One faithful day I found myself in line with pre-Spiderman SAM RAIMI. He was working on, I think it was BRISCO COUNTY JR. at the time. I couldn't give a F!!K about the first two EVIL DEAD movies or Brisco County Jr., but ARMY OF DARKNESS is one of my all time favorite films, and every line of dialogue was still fresh in my mind. That, combined with my just-fell-off-the-applecart newcomer B.S., produced toxic levels of 'starstruck'.
Cue awkward situation.
"Wow... you're Sam Raimi! (foot in mouth) I just love (head up ass)"... you guys can fill in the rest. Raimi gives me an understandable look of frustration; how'd this %$#@! get in here? I'm on my pathetic lunchbreak. Ten minutes. God help me!
Raimi listens to me patiently, then interjects. "Thanks. Wow. That's great. Hey, look over there by the cashier... isn't that BRUCE CAMPBELL?"
And, by god, it was.
"Bruce just LOVES fans... why don't you go over there and introduce yourself?"
You guys remember Campbell's wretchedly contemptuous doorman at the theater in SPIDERMAN 2? I got that, and richly deserved it. But then Campbell says, "Sam's just playing a joke on you... he really LOVES fans that try harder. If you go back over there now, he'll probably ask you to sit with him and have lunch! Go ahead; you'll see."
And I did.
I went through this ritual of humiliation TWICE before I finally caught on, God help me. I finally slinked out of the commissary, defeated, my life and career over for good.
But wait, as Billy Mays would say... where's the priceless favor?
A week later, I became the demo guy for the nacient unit, in an attempt to convince Hollywood's elite that CGI was actually going to be a tool worthy of investment. That's right, I started back when CGI was a joke, an outlier that would take "At least 20 years" to ever become valid, let alone replace MOCO as a viable effects technology.
Over the next few months I met every single A+ lister than came through either Ken Lemberger or Mike Medavoy's office at TRISTAR, giving 20 minute demonstrations of miraculous SGI/CGI tech and graphics. It helped get the unit greenlit, and gave me a chance to meet EVERYONE in a way I never would have otherwise.
Oh, and my boss loved me, because I was already cured of any starstruck nonsense; I was a consummate professional, every time. I couldn't have done it without them.
I never saw Sam Raimi again... but I did get to meet his brother Ted, a wonderful man, and told him the story (to laughter and applause) and so I figure the story got back to Sam.
It made all the difference.
Loved the trivia in this one. Also, that's a great disembodied arm!
And if anyone knows a great disembodied arm, it's the Case-Master General.
One of the best straight Science Fiction movies in my collection! I liked it so much that I even bought one of those metal contact lenses. That single lens was so effective that I got asked to leave my local miniature golf course for knocking over little humans and kicking balls off course.
@ atomicmonsterland - Humans can be so annoying.
But to be fair, you had already been asked to leave for zapping the party ahead of you with a laser pistol.
First of all: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for doing this movie. It’s so incredibly obscure, and yet so worthy of attention.
The immediately-offputting thing about the film is how static it is. There’s not one single tracking shot or zoom or pan or anything. The camera is just locked down through the whole thing. There’s also not very many locations in the movie, and really not a lot of individual scenes either. Like maybe twelve? I counted them once but I’ve forgotten the number. Because of this, and how stiff some of it seems, a friend of mine actually thought it was a stage play that they just decided to film. It does feel like that, honestly.
And were it any other movie in the world, I would totally rag on it for that, but there’s something about this movie…all that stiff stillness and the slowness of the direction and the plot….it almost picks up this dreamlike quality that a more competent film could ever manage. Andy Warhol once said this was his favorite film, so that kinda tells you what I mean right there.
But….it’s also brilliant. The central concept of the scary KKK-like secret society versus the scary conspiring robots, and the icky love bot stuff, all resolving itself into a conclusion I totally did not see coming, which for the time was both unique and a little scary. It’s easy to miss because the dialog is so ham-fisted and the direction is so pokey and the whole thing is so cheap, but, yeah: brilliant.
Philip K. Dick once said, “It is the nature of Truth to hide in garbage,” and, man, this movie is that in spades!
It's all just a testament to the strong writing and wonderful cinematography. I feel like the static nature of the film was intentional in order to show how static the future had become. It may be a case of me overthinking, but it really seems like there were many decisions made here that put artistic vision above what was expected at the time. Just luckily in this case, it still worked out to be an entertaining film.
Speaking of Warhol, it's also said that this film inspired the Andy Warhol Robot. But the source was behind a paywall, so I wasn't able to confirm it.
Thanks for watching, Randy. Good to hear from you again.
@ mahatmarandy5977 - Wow. Excellent analysis. Considering how miniscule the budget had to be, the ideas are even more relevant today. The producers squeezed a LOT of imaginative strangeness out of what they had to work with. I haven't watched it in a while, but now I'm curious to give it another go. But that's one of the great things about this channel. The different perspectives of our man, Sterling and the often thought provoking angles that fill the Comments section are truly entertaining. And then, he also puts up with the idiocy of yours truly. Thanks for contributing to the Wackiness.
It’s so great that you’ve posted this film.. I love this film.. I saw it years ago and was marveling at the sets, they’re amazing..it’s a very interesting and different film
Glad to hear that you not only dug it, but liked the set design as well. I thought the minimalistic look to it all was great. The old saying "Less is more" really applies quite nicely to this film.
Manlove was responsible for the sequel, CREATION OF THE HEMORRHOIDS, which made use of rear projection effects, and was shown to standing room only audiences.
Ouch.
On multiple levels.
@ w.adammandelbaum1805 - The Great Punster strikes again! Not to be confused with a similarly named Bat-Villian.
Now that's a bummer! Where's my donut pillow! Warrenoid!
Howdy!
I sometimes wonder how small budget films like this one managed to blend newer folks and Hollywood star power. The director or producers must have cashed some favours or been good friends with the people they attracted to the flick. I love it when small films can punch above its weight.
Love the bits of random floating text throughout this one.
You bring up a most interesting point there. According to multiple sources, both Pierce and Mohr were in the "twilights of their careers," thus implying they weren't as in demand and probably needed the work. But I'm not so sure that's the case because both were still working.
Thank you much ... I'm not sure what you call you.
I saw it a while ago. I rank it with movies like Clockwork Orange, Loveless, 2001, because it sticks out 90 degrees from what is the norm for the period it was made. Costumes, music, back drops etc, move it into its on little space of " look we are different". To watch it wholly understanding when it was made and then applying the differences it offers makes it a worth while film. Enjoy your channel.
It's unique indeed. Like you said, it's so different than everything else at the time, and yet, so wonderfully 60s all at once. A strange and appealing contradiction that just works so well.
Thanks, Keith.
I like how the aliens from Earth versus the Flying Saucers are shiny. They're shiny guys.
Shiny Happy ... Alien People.
@darkstarZ74 - Shininess was definitely an admirable quality in 1950s Aliens and Giant Robots alike. 🎶 By the light...of Gort's silvery glow 🎶. You know the rest.
never even heard of this flick, and it looks FABulous.
Yes, siree. It's a talkie good time. And I bet you could write some mighty fine ditties based on it.
Im not a dialog heavy movie person but this one caught my interest
If nothing else, the use of color and lighting would probably appeal to you being an artist.
This is one of my favorite sci fi movies of all time! saw it when I was a fairly young and it stuck with me. Very cerebral approach to the subject. Very well done for the cost of production. Thanks very much for critiquing it......much appreciated.
Very cool. I'm glad to hear you dig it as well. I was so surprised at how good it was. And how much it had to say.
Thanks, DC.
Speaking of wonderful design of the androids. Myself personally I couldn’t help but think about how much they looked like a blue version of Dr.Evil.
The plot for this one doesn’t sound to far off from where we are today but instead of androids it’s AI. The human race isn’t necessarily dying off per se, but it doesn’t feel like the world is on fire. And with that, that’s about all my bundle of happiness has to offer. Keep it Snacky good buddy.
@ jsuperawesome - I was thinking that it is intelligent enough to warrant a remake, but the current slate of filmmakers are not. Intelligent.
Apt comparisons on both cases, Jackdar. But the difference here, A.I. will overthrow humans long before the events of the film. I just hope my love of robots will put me on their good side.
@ AtomicSnackBar - You just reminded me of one of the most obscure recent Sci-fi films that I thought was quite original and almost totally overlooked. Robot Overlords. Good movie. Terrible title. Sir Ben Kingsley and Gillian( X-Files,) Anderson. And the freakiest child robot leader I've seen since Children of the Damned. The George Saunders original. The better one. 196...1?
Village of the Damned. The sequel was poodie.
You always have the best films! Love the channel!
I like to think so. Glad to hear you approve. Thanks, Eric.
I have this film on DVD... have a huge soft spot for it. It's weird of course... so stagey and flat, with the stage-like sets... it's like watching a filmed stage play. But then there's the lurid colors, the actually very cool cinematography, the score... and it becomes more like watching a dream. Made even more tangible when watching it late at night around Halloween. It has an "Invaders from Mars" feel to it. The same kind of dream-like quality.
I've never thought of the dream-like quality, that's interesting. And there is some debate about the film, but I do feel the sort of flat, stoic nature of it all was fully intentional. Meant to show that society had become stagnant.
Thanks, Randall.
@@AtomicSnackBar Good point. This film, while no masterpiece by any means, still has a lot going for it... especially when you study it carefully.
One of the four film credits for the guy playing the doctor was The Blob(original), where he played the fire chief
Oh, was he? I didn't catch that at all.
Thanks, Mike.
This is a pretty good B-movie. Kind of like an earlier version of Blade Runner.
I originally just watched expecting a so-bad-its-good flick, but I found myself legitimately enjoying it.
I first caught this on Svengoolie sometime back. I had never heard of it and went in with no expectations at all. But wow was I surprised and impressed.
This movies seems like it was an inspiration for Kraftwerk.
I've heard the name many times, but am not overly familiar with their concept. That definitely sounds interesting.
@@AtomicSnackBar German synth-pop band.
@@creech54 Did they have a sci-fi or futuristic theme?
You can find them on youtube pretty easily. Their song "The Robots" has a sci-fi feel.
@@shanegross9976 You had me at robots.
Wow! I'm still waiting to become humanoid
Maybe one day. Maybe.
Yes! Love The Creation of the HUmanoids.
I'm glad to hear that folks seem to dig it as well. It deserves the attention.
Top notch flick!
I certainly thought so. Thanks, Nolo.
Glad you liked this. It impressed me as well. Pleasant surprise.
Thanks, Stuart. It's been nice hearing how many folks dug this one. I've only had one angry, naysaying rando thus far.
@ AtomicSnackBar - I shall consider that a badge of honor. I'm also a very imminent ner' do-well. I have the diploma and everything.
@@tonysantiago255 I rarely, though there are exceptions, trust diplomas gained as a prize in a 30 year old box of Cracker Jacks.
@ AtomicSnackBar - I also have a BS in Blathering Nonsense. Got that in a box of soap detergent. Along with some dishes. Dig that one out of the Memory hole.
The VHS that I have says the Humanoids had Purple/Bluish heads, but the newer DVD's and BR's versions have the Humanoids with Green heads. I clearly remember watching this on late night television, in the 70's, and their heads were definitely blue not green. I wonder how they came to that decision? By the way this movie came out today July 3rd in 1962.
That is interesting. They've been blue to blue-grey in both versions I've seen. But neither were the DVD. I've been meaning to pick it up for some time now. It really deserves a nice restored bluray release.
And sure enough, it is the anniversary of the film, isn't it? Nice catch.
Thanks, Gil.
I saw this one when I was quite young and didn't really understand it at the time. I recall being bored by it, but I haven't sen it since. I always used to get this one mixed up with The Time Travelers, thinking that The Creation of the Humanoids referred to the scene in the other film where they're constructing androids.
I can totally see why you would mix it up with The Time Travelers. Both feature strange, unsettling androids.
I also get why you didn't dig it as a kid. It's definitely not a kid's movie. Heck, it's not even a movie for many adults. But if anything I said strikes your interest, do give it a watch.
cool stuff man,need to add this to my android/robot/cyborg collection for sure, love the robots evolution section, cheers sterling
Yes, indeed. I think that would be the wise move.
Thanks, Stephen.
Groovy androids you say. I'm hooked. Spectacular video Slim. New developments, i actually have the dark sky double feature.
Most excellent. I've been quite curious about the picture quality. Do let me know when you finally check it out how it looks.
@@AtomicSnackBar Will do buddy.
Great Write can save almost any film
Very true.
I think I'd like this movie.
I'd like to think so, but I readily admit it's unique and certainly not for everyone.
This one is new to me! Thanks, AtomicSnackBar! Great Review!
Thank you kindly. If you don't mind a lack of action, it's a darn good time.
Btw Sins of the Fleshapoids by Kuchar is from the same period and is also quite good.
I don't know that one at all. But I am intrigued. I'm going to look into that now. Thanks, Travis.
Those are bald caps? Those are about the best I have ever seen. That make-up man did fantastic! And that one cityscape as they are walking in was great! I don't know that I could do as well. I've only been instrumental in making one humanoid, but it was fun and all the practice was great.
@KatlWitsman - Slipped that one between the algorithms. You sly dog you.😉😄
@@tonysantiago255, Yep, I am sneaky and wacky that way.
And just think, that one humanoid hasn't risen up to destroy you ... yet.
But on a less serious note, Jack Pierce did a fantastic job as per usual on this one. If you don't mind the talkieness of it, I think you'd enjoy this film.
@@tonysantiago255 Witsman here is quite the sly one. And a fellow cat person. So he can be trusted.
@ AtomicSnackBar - Cats have their own secret societies and walk upright when we're not watching. Ask your sister.
I saw this for the first time on a very low quality youtube print maybe 10 years ago; there was this vertical line in the middle of the screen present for most if not all the film. Even so, it was quite a find, and I was surprised I had never even heard of it before that. The copy you’re using looks great. Great film. It could easily be a play.
That's good to hear. I was actually a little concerned the footage might be a tad rough when viewed on TVs. I keep meaning to pick the DVD. The picture is supposed to be quite good on it.
@ AtomicSnackBar - Since my recent move, I have no idea of where my copy is, so I can neither deny nor verify the picture quality.
@@AtomicSnackBar There are two versions on tubi right now; one is 4 minutes longer than the other. I think *maybe* the longer one is better quality... I don't know what the extra footage might be.
@ Terminus_El_Camino - Maybe somebody actually runs for a moment. I like the movie, but there is literally no action. Unless you count the characters moving their lips when they speak. There's a lot of lip action. 🤔 That... doesn't sound quite... right...
@@tonysantiago255 Or does it sound too right? Really makes you think.
This really is Super Groovy Cool ! Surprised to not hear that this was Andy Warhol favorite SciFi film ? Perhaps it is not confirmed ? You put in a lot of great info about this movie. Cheers
It's an interesting factoid. Apparently, it comes from a 1964 art review where Andy called the film the best movie he had ever seen. It supposedly led to him creating the Andy Warhol robot. But the article was behind a paywall, so I couldn't confirm.
LOved your coverage of this once-upon-a-time-overlooked film. Jltra-low budget, never having deserved that fate.
Shortly before he passed, I had a chance to spend an afternoon with the writer Jay Simms, and acquired all the script drafts of the film (once to be titled THIS TIME TOMORROW. They make for a fascinating back story re the production).
Don Megowan played creatures a couple of times in previous productions, including the one you mentioned. I missed a chance to meet and talk to him. Damn.
The Civil War -era motifs in the costuming dept. were meant as comments on the racial metaphors the film played with, as well as suggesting unrest of the vivil-war type growing in the society pictured in the film. I thought that interesting.
Thanks again. Thumbs up!
That's exactly what I think as well. Everything about the film feels intentional. I never got the feeling that he was just throwing stuff together because it was available or cheap. Same with the minimalistic sets and static camera shots.
This Time Tomorrow would have been a great title for the film. Almost making it sound like an educational film that would have been shown in school. I dig it.
Great job, Rob! 😁👍 As a recovering Humanoid myself, i did enjoy this one. Kind of a precursor to Blade Runner, but with the action dialed down to near flatline 😅 The scene showing the previous attempts at the titular humanoid creation always makes me wonder if it was the inspiration for the similar (though much more disturbing 💀) scene from the original Robocop 🤔
That's an apt comparison right there. The Robocop one, not the complete baloney about you being a recovering Humanoid.
@@AtomicSnackBar Mmmmmm… baloney 🤤
@ Gappasaurus - Such language. I'm reporting him to RUclips. This used to be such a Family friendly channel. You see what a little success does to a guy. Shameful.
@@tonysantiago255 Aw, maybe let him slide this time, he means well 😄
Anything with ‘Humanoids’ in the title always gets my attention. Looks like a good one, has some of the best bald effects I’ve seen (that sounds like a joke but isn’t!)
Jack Pierce really was a master of his craft. What he was able to do on such a limited budget, it's something else.
I don't know if the film is too talky for you, but I sure enjoyed the heck out of it.
@ AtomicSnackBar - Being a person who is very tuned into the visual aspects of design in film, this one appeals to me because of the use of creative bold fantasy colors. They did design this in the way a theatrical production is done visually. Contained spaces utilizing form, color and shadows for dramatic effect. It's possible that the director was not as familiar with the form of cinematic photography and it's broader capabilities. He may have come from a Theatre background and was just automatically doing what was familiar and comfortable for him. This approach certainly had the advantage of being cheaper than full size movie sets. Also, the Unions EAT into a budget in a big way. Technical people me stupid money.
@@tonysantiago255 It's possible, but I definitely think he knew what he was doing. The fact that they got Mohr as the cinematographer shows that. I may be overthinking it all, but it just seems to me like it was a series of very deliberate moves from a unique creative vision.
@ AtomicSnackBar - I would agree. Just like the original Star Trek series. Bold lighting and colors spilled onto the walls and backgrounds. Not of "this has to be totally realistic looking" stuff. I was being truthful in saying a quality Bluray restoration would probably make the color design Pop! I wonder if this is in Public Domain? I have several in my collection films which I thought were visually pretty good. And then a restoration is released and it's " throw that DVD in 'for sale' bin. I'll never watch that again. "
Never seen this film.....looks great!
Those eyes are spooky!!
Gonna watch out for this film ....maybe talking pictures channel will show it?
If not, it was right here on YT last time I checked. It was also on that certain archiving site I probably can't mention aloud. Org can I?
@ AtomicSnackBar - yeah.. has that been an issue in the past? Oh. I just got it. You sly devil.
I've attempted this one twice, but you've convinced me to try again. It's been on radar since I heard it was Andy Warhol's favorite movie, which sounds like a goof, but still...such a random choice. Good video.
There are some films that my brain just barely comprehends when genre fans don't enjoy them. But with this one, it's so different than most anything else, I totally get that it is not for everyone.
I looked a little deeper into the Warhol story. It came from an art review back in the 60s. The reviewer had mentioned talking with Warhol and that the artist spoke of "the best movie he had ever seen." Which, of course, was The Creation of the Humanoids.
Thanks for stopping by, John.
How have I never heard of that movie!? 100% on my summer watch list, thanks! Also the androids really have that Blue Man Group impersonal stare and look... kind of wondering if the original 3 Blue Men (Wink, Goldman and Stanton) got some of their inspiration this film?
That's an interesting comparison I hadn't thought of. I'm not overly familiar with their work, other than the bits on Arrested Development. Do they have a concept or storyline or anything of that nature?
It can be found on Tubi.
@@AtomicSnackBar The concept is hard to describe. They are 3 mute blue performers all playing one character. They communicate mostly thru gesture and their eyes.
They play music on odd instruments and perform skits. Many of the skits emphasise how 3 is the smallest group where one may be excluded.
(I've seen their live shows a dozen time, been backstage, met with performers. Lots of fun).
@@ve2vfd I've always thought it sounded kinda neat, just never really been exposed to it. Other than the aforementioned Arrested Development episodes.
One I will have to look out for.
If anything I said piqued your interest at all, then it's very much worth a watch.
Thanks for reviewing the classic, I love the movies made back in this time since this is when I grew up. The silver eyes reminded me of Gary Mitchel in the pilot of Star Trek. I enjoy dialogue movies too, another good one, not sure if you would classify it as Sci-Fi or not is The Man From Earth - 2007, it has several good actors in it and takes place in a log cabin as a man is getting ready to leave his job as a professor at a University. Take care and stay well
Of course I'm a big fan of 50s sci-fi, but the 60s are a bit more my sweet spot. So I've been trying to wiggle more 60s content onto the channel. Though I grew up in the 80s, much of what I watched as a kid were reruns of shows from the 60s.
I wasn't familiar with The Man From Earth, a bit modern for what I normally watch, but I was reading up on it. Turns out, it was written by Jerome Bixby who wrote several Star Trek TOS episodes as well as the Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life."
@@AtomicSnackBar Yep. There was a sequel made in 2017, the 60s had a lot of great movies, survival scenarios- Panic in Year Zero, The Day the World Ended, The Time Machine, and the Time Travelers. I love them because of the acting and very little special effects, mostly good make up.
@@55Quirll Interesting you mention Panic in Year Zero. It was written by the same gentleman who wrote The Creation of the Humanoids.
@@AtomicSnackBar Thanks, I didn’t know that but enjoyed both of them 🙏
@ AtomicSnackBar - I hear that Creation of the Humanoids is going to be part of the 50% off July sale from Criterion. 🤔 I'm lying. I do that sometimes. Not sorry. Reeses!
(Spoiler: Don't read this if you've not seen the movie!)
A fascinating film as you noted. One has to wonder if Wesley Barry understood what he was really portraying here. A declining human race that has to become a robot-dependent civilization, which is then saved by their own creation and (at the end) stand on the threshold of becoming post-biological beings.
I may be overthinking the film, I was just so taken with it, but everything felt very deliberate to me. And not just the direction. Jay Simms, who wrote the film, was quite the writer. He also wrote Panic in Year Zero and the screenplay for The Giant Gila monster.
@@AtomicSnackBar Your perspicacity with these films, as usual, is greater than mine. I had thought Barry was also responsible for writing, but if Simms was a great reader of classic SF novels, he may have understood the implications of his conclusion, and the significance of the advent of the upgrade from R96 to R100 by Dr. Raven. "Of course, the operation was a success. Or you wouldn't be here."
@@aleistercrowley7549 I was curious, did some further digging, but could not find much of anything about Simms. Not even a skeletal wikipedia entry to his name. But I do like to give the benefit of the doubt in cases like these.
As always ,lovely stuff- really cementing your Atomic vision. Just great stuff. You really are riding a crest here - just brilliant. Thank you for your great films - might be the beer talking but, you make us all feel like friends - and that is such a lovely thing. Watching your vids is like chatting to friend in a THX1138 world.
@ wetdog 1606 - Well put. Rob has brought together a motley but lovable community of crazies with a shared love of older Sci-fi and just general wackiness. And the Club is open to any and all who wish to contribute in a mostly positive way. Except me. I'm an honorary Curmudgeon. I was grandfathered in with the Wacky World Lounge change. Plus I hook him up with donuts from time to time. But only the ones with sprinkles. He adores sprinkles.
Well, very good to hear. And I think it feels that way because in many cases I am talking directly to Snack Bar VIPs. People come and go. So I do very much appreciate those like you and Tony who never miss a weekend at the Snack Bar, regardless of the nonsense I'm babbling.
@@AtomicSnackBar Never nonsense- never babbling.
Have you ever seen Four Sided Triangle - it's on Prime. A lot of people compare it to Curse of Frankenstein; apart from the use of some of the props -- I don't see it. Interesting film, well worth a watch.
@@wetdog1606 You know, I haven't it. But I need to give it a watch. I would like to cover it in the sequel to the Hammer Films episode. I do actually have that in the works.
@@AtomicSnackBar It's kind of soft sci-fi, in tone - but the message is actually a lot heavier - moves along quickly, really doesn't feel all that Hammer - but still nice.
We have Talking Picture TV on stream now - good. TPTV is a channel devoted to old cinema, by people who seem to care. It's a really nice TV channel, and they do a bit of Sci-Fi and Horror - watched a nice documentary on Boris Karloff, and an episode of Outer Limits. Here it's called Encore - connected to Renowned DVD.
I posted a new vid - filmed in my garden, dodgy editing; but an effort - an effort. Tried to promote you in the comments, but it didn't create a link like FB does - how can I do that?
When I went into personal recording in 1977. I spent several hours in the shop being instructed by a knowledgeable sales assistant (and, no, they no longer exist.....today it's a 16 year old school leaver) in the differences between Betamax and VHS and it was clear that Betamax was years ahead of their rivals. They say the market will prove which is better, well in this case it didn't.....the inferior system won......go figure. So I have been Betamax, VHS and now DVD.....and I'm really cross that streaming has ruined hard media....I've had enough I'm sticking to DVD. I do have Netflix, but haven't bothered watching in months. As soon as they impose advertising I'll be gone. I've already cancelled Prime.
Oh yeah, I so know what you mean. I've been taking part in what I call "The Great DVD Re-Watch." I've almost completely cut out streaming movies and have been making an attempt to watch every movie I physically own in the order they appear on the movie shelf. It's nice in several ways, one of which is taking out the guess work of what to watch next.
I've also been making a real effort to collect before stuff goes out of print. Or worse, gets censored and/or cut.
@ AtomicSnackBar - As evidenced with the Great Disney Revisionist Purge which continues to remove anything deemed 'Offensive!' to Modern Audiences. 🤔. "Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"
@@tonysantiago255 Oh man, Disney called. They said this comment was problematic.
i saw this one , its pretty good
A individual of fine taste.
Thanks for watching, CJ.
I have to admit, Mr. Snack Bar, that I have never copped a look at this. As for my DVD choices lately, I have slyly been picking ones that my "ball & chain" would get a kick out of. I'm KIND of sure I could get away with getting a few old dungers ( a "dunger" meaning something is bordering on the the edge of being completely useless) for a laugh. I mean, he thought the movie "Grease" was a bleeping masterpiece. GAAAAH ...
I was going to ask what kind of stuff he was into, see if I couldn't offer a recommendation. I'm decently versed in martial arts and action films as well. But "Grease"? You got me there.
Regardless, I thank you for watching, good Mrs. Thais.
@@AtomicSnackBar Yeah, Mr. Snack Bar. Almost 30 years of being stuck with this git, when I wake up in the morning and realize I'm STILL alive I kind of think "Oh, F**k." ... I dig your channel no end because it is what it is.
@@thaisstone5192 Well, thank you much. It certainly is what it is.
Neat stuff:)
Thank you much, George. And thanks for watching.
Reminds me of the current argument with A.I art/music, I can see this actually happening in the not so distant future.
Just realised the Androids remind me of Data from Star Trek Next Gen.
Difference here, though, is that A.I. will overthrow mankind long before the androids in the film.
@@AtomicSnackBar Yeah you’re probably right, I was expecting 50’s style robots to be walking around by now! The past lied to us!
@ Junk_World_Templar - Nothing ever comes as quickly as we would like it to. But 'scientists'(mad) continue to make progress. Non-human robots have an impressive range of movement. The biggest trouble comes in making a human-like form that can replicate human movement. Standing and walking upright are much more complicated pieces of design work. The Chinese have a female ( whatever you define that to be) robot that can walk short distances. But the gate is still unnatural. Much like a man who lives in a white house.
@@tonysantiago255 Have you all never seen these robots that walk upstairs, downstairs, do backflips, etc.?
@@Junk_World_Templar Don't blame the retro-future, good sir. It's the present that let us down.
Friday night! For me, such a strange, but cool movie. I was late to find this flick, but man, what a cool one.
- awesome Kaiju reference,
- always good to connect to the Creature
Studly Manlove, awesome, just plain awesome
I guess I never caught the Saucers suit when I watched it before, but that is really cool
Looking good ( red is your color dude ).
Sounding great
Thanks for sharing!
I was late to this one as well, but in a way, there is a perk to that. Because it's nice to find a film that impresses me so with no nostalgia attached. Though I guess technically I have a general nostalgia for most 60s sci-fi. So never mind. Disregard the funny little man in front of the curtain.
But before you disregard, I thank you much for watching and for the kind words on my color choices. I actually do appreciate that.
Yes! More color! I love the B&W, but I think this ads to Mr. Snackbar's awesome powers.
@@user-dh2qf5kd8c Testing the waters. The more 60s the better, I say.
@@user-dh2qf5kd8c Hear! Hear!
@@AtomicSnackBar Absolutely! Some 60’s action would be psycho-delic!
I have that movie on DVD. I thought it was based on the Jack Williamson story, but Wikipedia says it’s unrelated.
That's what I've heard as well. IMDB has it listed as co-written by Williamson even. I read a summery of the story and it is quite different. So if it was based on it, it was very loosely based.
Cool
Right back atcha.
Pretty good movie. Did you skip the way back commercials?
I usually only do those in top list episodes. Or if an episode is just running too short. But I have considered adding them in to the single film retrospectives as well.
So Dan Dolittle really stuck with his name. I wonder if Dudley stuck with his as well? I never got into Batamax ahhhh must look to see If Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 was released on the format. Great video with awesome information.
I would assume so. I know I've considered changing my name to Robley Manlove many times. Or perhaps Dude Manlove.
And it does look like TCM II was released on beta. Saw a few on ebay.
@@AtomicSnackBar now I’m imagining Mick Foley identity criss. Ohhhh no, now I’ll have to try to score one.
@@DisheveledByDawn Then my work here is done.
A truly excellent piece of science-fiction! Though it lacks action there are some good plot twists.
You may like to compare and contrast it with Karel Čapek's 1920 play "R.U.R." which contains many similar themes.
I just became aware of R.U.R. recently, which was apparently the origin for the word "robot." I'm surprised they've never made a film out of it. Or have they?
@@AtomicSnackBar No-one has made a movie of Karel Čapek's play though it has been performed many times. A 35 minute segment from the play was shown on the BBC in 1938 making it the very first example of televised sci-fi.
The 'robots' in R.U.R. are artificial biological beings that are constructed on production lines rather than being mechanical devices. In that respect the 2016 TV series Westworld probably comes closest to embracing Čapek's work. Indeed the show is liberally sprinkled with references to R.U.R. For example, at one point Dr Ford says "The first models lacked sophistication. Even a simple handshake would give them away."
The letters R.U.R. do appear on the mechanical robots in Aleksandr Andriyevsky's 1935 soviet film "Loss of Sensation" though it is not based on R.U.R. but on the Ukrainian novel Iron Riot.
The film passed into the public domain in 2013.
It is available on RUclips with English subtitles as --> Loss Of Sensation (1935)
@ henrya3530 - Wow. Thanks for the info and the history lesson. I own the DVD of R.U.R., but I've never heard of the early film. Very cool.
@@henrya3530 I always meant to check out that new Westworld, but it got canceled before I could. How was it? I don't really watch modern movies, but I will give a sci-fi series a shot here and there.
@@AtomicSnackBar Westworld (2016) No Spoilers Assessment.
Seasons 1 and 2 were some of the best sci-fi I have ever seen! Absolutely epic stuff that is well worth watching more than once.
Seasons 3 and 4 take the story down a different path. Still really good sci-fi though some felt it had drifted too far from its original concept.
Conclusion:
With excellent writing and superb acting it is undoubtedly one of the greatest TV shows ever made. However, the complex and interweaving plots may not appeal to the casual viewer.
Go watch the pilot episode and see if it intrigues you.
The robot at 00:27 looks like the one from Santa Claus Conquers The Martians.
That's another my favorite bots right there. I think he was on my first '60s list that is currently down for repair. I first saw that guy on the Horrible Horror tape as a kid. I never knew such a thing was even possible. A Christmas sci-fi movie.
Unfortunately I am unable to use the internet for about the next two weeks as I am going to Boy Scout camp and attempting to become a ghost story. Hopefully more leather face than Jason Vorhees but in case of the ladder let it be known that the greatest movie ever made is the valley of gwangi, the greatest tv show is the owl house, greatest video game is centipede, and greatest comic is the unbelievable Gwenpool. This the closest I’ll make to a will
@ rexevans5477 - Don't forget to pack the kitchen knives. And leave your copy of Valley of the Gwangi where I can find it. Just in case you have go off the grid for legal reasons.
Sure thing! Do you want me to leave my comics too?
@@rexevans5477 Dibbs.
Okay, your last will and testament has been recorded here at the Snack Bar. Should you run into any unforeseen masked madman, mutant insects, or psychotic camp counselors this will be revealed to the general public. And by general public, I mean Tony and a bunch of cats I managed to herd.
@ AtomicSnackBar - Dang it Sterling! You can't just call "Dibbs!" every time. Hey.. Rex... do you have any toys? Dibbs! You snooze you loose Sterling.
Great review, as always. To be honest. I didn’t like this film because it wasn’t an action or suspenseful film. I guess as a kid back then, I didn’t comprehend the film’s purpose. As I look back I can’t help but to think about Blade Runner and how the Replicants were used as slave labor for planetary exploration and colonization(and in some instances entertainment). But, unlike the androids in The Creation Of The Humanoids, they looked like any person you’d see on the streets, but have the memories and quirks of their creators and short lifespan. The androids in The Creation Of The Humanoids were easily spotted and they could easily adapt to their surroundings. Both the androids and the Replicants want to live in a human society.
It wasn’t until the 1980’s while reading Starlog magazine, that I realized that the genre of science fiction was expanding beyond violence and terror and entering into the issues of technology and sociology (and psychology, too). And everything has a reason in every story that is told. These weren’t pacifistic stories, just stories about the purpose (colonization, energy experimentation and exploitation). No war or conquest. It is all an education for survival in an environment of darkness and the unknown.
Have a great weekend, friend 😎👍✌️
I most certainly understand that. It's a very unusual film, definitely not for a general audience. I can't even imagine how bored I would have been as a kid. I'm glad I caught it for the first time as an adult. And good comparison there between it and Blade Runner.
I remember Starlog well. Wish I had bought it more as a lad. Instead, my money went to Fangoria for the monsters. I bet on the wrong android pony on that one.
Thanks, Gary.
@@AtomicSnackBar I remember Famous Monsters Of Filmland. God bless Forrest J. Ackerman. I didn’t read Fangoria as much, but it was an excellent magazine, all the same. I once used to buy what I call those sucker magazines like Space Stars(or whatever these magazines were called), which only showed pictures and not much else back in 1978-79.
There was also those horror graphic novels that were scarier than any sci-fi horror movie I ever seen. Those writers and artists were top notch.
@@garyreid2178 Famous Monsters was a bit before my time. The closest I had was Cracked Monster Party, which was a really awesome little magazine. The humor is a little kiddie, but it had such wonderful John Severin art and was the only place I could see these classic monsters and aliens in print. I've been slowly trying to collect the back issues. Really good stuff.
@@AtomicSnackBar There was once a newspaper called The Monster Times. It was a newspaper about monsters, horror, fantasy and sci-fi. But each paper cost about $2.75.00 at the time. And I was too young to get a job and I didn’t get an allowance every week.
Cracked Monsters was hilarious.
@@AtomicSnackBar Famous Monsters is still out there and sold in Barnes & Noble book stores.
A gem of an anachronism. As if a time traveler from the future came to the 60's and made a movie using actors and techniques of the time.
What is this movie about? It presents a pretense. Let's pretend we posess the knowledge to create robots "so" humanistic that women would find them preferable to men. The opposite to the movie "Cherry 2000".
It's funny how most sci-fi gives us this trope of socially disruptive "knowledge". Even "fancy pants" Star Wars can't resist. Though it is unusual that the "knowledge" that is socially disruptive in Star Wars isn't from "science" but from a quasi religious endeavor.
Cloning, virtual reality, evolution, genetic manipulation, A.I are all presented as socially disruptive in sci-fi. I don't think there are too many sci-fi movies where religion, economics or government are presented as socially subversive. Except for Star Wars, "Soylent Green", "Handmaid's Tale", "Brave New World" and one adventure of "Dr. Who" where an A.I. had forced most of society into debt and wage slavery.
I don't think there's ever been a movie where liberal values got society into trouble. No "freedom of speech" threatens the world...unless you count "Snowden", but that isn't "sci-fi", is it?
Well, that's it right there. Your time traveler theory is seconded and approved.
I think I've heard the name Snowden, but I have no idea what that is. As to freedom of speech threatening the world, I guess you could count Pontypool in that category. Kinda/sorta.
Just watched the movie. It was pretty good, and I liked it, but man is it ever talky! 😁
Much like this channel.
@ AtomicSnackBar - much like this Comments section.
@@tonysantiago255 Much like this channel ... wait, I already said that.
I saw it for the first time about 2 yrs ago.
That might be about the same time I saw it. Svengoolie perhaps?
@@AtomicSnackBar no, I think I saw it on creature features. Just not sure on timeline
@@chrisbridges4885 Is that a horror host-esc program?
@@AtomicSnackBar Possibly, or I found it while I was looking around on some of the Roku Sci-fi/Horror channels.
@@AtomicSnackBar yes, the somewhat silly one that has Vince, Livingston, and Tangella.
I also watch “The Original Creature Features “ with Al O Mega. I like these guys because while they showcase often near forgotten gems and made for TV movies at least they don’t mock them like RiffTraxx
Betamax! Yeah.. my family had a Beta machine and it was definitely better video quality than VHS. The best part about Beta though was going to the video rental store because they carried both formats of new movies and the VHS would be sold out but not the Beta.
We used to go to a standalone appliance store to rent movies back in those wonderful days when even grocery stores had video rental sections. Their video section was split down the middle. Half Beta, half VHS. But I remember towards the end there they started getting less and less new Beta tapes and more VHS. The grass was certainly greener in this particular case.
I love this channel! I pick my movies based on it now.😊 My dad copied everything on Betamax lol
Most excellent. Thanks, Will. I do always enjoy hearing stuff like that.
So Beta eh? We held out for so long, I think we went to the last rental shop in town just for movies.
@AtomicSnackBar the kids in my neighborhood wondered why our tapes were so small 😂
@@lazywill3991 The tapes were small and I remember our Betamax player being huge.
Do you have any movies in particular you remember watching on Beta a lot?
@AtomicSnackBar My dad was the bootleg king. American Werewolf, Humanoids from the Deep, Alien, Poltergeist, Jaws, and my fav Creepshow, etc... Great memories!
Not so much humanoids. Sleezy lol. I guess the title of your your video took me there. Haha
I don't know how I've missed seeing this movie, all these years? I really need to do something about that. Doesn't this have a cameo by FJA? BTW The accent is on the middle syllable for Meg-ow-an.
For such a neat film, one that is readily available and was shown on Svengoolie, it does manage to fly under the radar. I think it gets written off too quickly because of the lack of action.
I don't recall a cameo by FJA. You may be thinking of "The Time Travelers," another film with unique android designs.
So Meg-ow-an. That makes a whole lot more sense than Mego-won. I think my kaiju brain just kicked in there.
@ AtomicSnackBar - Ohhhh.🤔 I ASSumed it was a Star Wars reference. But, you don't cover obscure movies on this channel.
@@AtomicSnackBar That's what I was thinking of, and I do have a DVD of it. Silly me! 😁
@@tonysantiago255 Star what now?
@@creech54 I get it. Very similar in their use of creepy androids.
Wow Mr. S! I've never seen this one before, so I can't leave my usual incoherent comment! I'll check it out & get back to you! But I do like those Civil War uniforms...powder blue, eh? I guess that's what you get when you cross Blue & Grey!
Wonder if it comes in Orange! Cheers Warren, more Orangeaid than Hemorrhoid -- er, Humanoid!
Yeah, but very few rock that orange spray tan quite like you do. It really brings out your elbows.
It's a smart film. And as long as you don't mind the lack of action, I think a well-read gentleman such as yourself would get a real kick out of it.
@@AtomicSnackBar -- I'll give it a click between tanning sessions & let you know what I think! Cheers from the Immortal Warrenoid!
@ awarningtothecuriouswerewolves - "Orange Man BAD!" Oh wait. I'm orange. And rocky.🤔 "Adriannnnnne!!! " Nevermind.
@@tonysantiago255 Hey, now. No Ben Grimm humor here on the channel. Too topical.
@@tonysantiago255 -- More like Orange Man Glad -- or as the folks around here say, "The Kook with the Toque!" A-Cookoo-to-You-too, from Warren!
👍
Appreciated, good sir.
Due to the use of the word “humanoids” by Neil Breen in his movie Twisted Pair, it’s tempting to think he knows this movie but… no.
I'm not familiar with his work. Actually had to run look him up. I start getting hazy on modern film around 2000.
@@AtomicSnackBarYou're not missing much.
@@leesimmons5453 That's really my take on 99% of modern film.
FOOTNOTE : just a quick reminder, that square body robot seen at the beginning, was also seen in episode of THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN under the name Mr Kellso , as well as an episode of the bowery boys !!
( he really got around, didn't he )
Does anyone know if he showed up in other productions ??
@ josephmatthews9866 - The legs at the very least look exactly like the ones on the Robot scout in 1954s(?) Target Earth. I'm sure that scavenging parts was an efficient way of saving on the budget and it was quite likely that such creations ended up being dismantled and recycled as a matter of practicality. They weren't valued and Sci-fi as a genre, was often dismissed and considered 'B' level Drive-in material. As Rodney Dangerfield used to say; "No respect."
You're probably thinking of the AOS episode "The Runaway Robot". "Mr. Kelso" was a big computer type machine. Starred my favorite Sterling (Holloway). Sorry "R", but we go back a long way. 🙂
@@tonysantiago255 I thank you for the information !!
@@creech54 and I sent my thanks to you as well !!!
@@creech54 I get it. I'm not even my own favorite Sterling.
I always thought the Beta was a much better-quality format than VHS, our first foray into watching and taping shows was going to Sears and buying a brand-new Beta machine on sale for 350 dollars from 400, VHS always seemed not as clear, I digress look like another one I'm going to look for
350 dollars was a darn good price for Beta back in the day. Ours was considerably more. I quite liked it until the VHS section started growing and the Beta section stayed the same.
The machine itself really hung in there, though. My mom ended up giving it to my grandmother in the late 80s, maybe even the early 90s and it was still working just fine.
@@AtomicSnackBar later we bought a VHS only because as you said Beta was getting harder to find, and it was a whapping 99.00 that's when I realized Beta was a better-quality VHS the slower the tape time the crapper the copy, however that all changed with the DVD and most of what you got was letter box
@@thomasdearment3214 I was a little slow to DVD as well. Not as slow as with VHS, but I just wanted to make sure the format was going to stick around after laser disc hadn't done so well.
@@AtomicSnackBar i agree there was so many bugs with Lazer disc big and bulky I believe some movies you had to turn over like an LP, other than that I liked the idea of no wearing out easy storage all on one disc and great picture
Have you reviewed ' the time travellers '?
I haven't done a full review, but I did cover the androids themselves in the second part of the 1960s Sci-fi Robots episode.
@AtomicSnackBar I remember that now!
They were really creepy...almost like blow up sex dolls!
Really disturbing when one catches fire!! 🔥 😳 😫
@@robinlarge1630 Yup. As I often say, "the most erotically creepy androids you'll ever see."
SVENGHOOLIE SHOUT OUT!
Back when I had normal cable, I'd DVR Sven each Saturday night. Saw some great films on there.
@@AtomicSnackBarsame here. I miss MeTV
@chrisbridges4885 no longer in your market? I get it off free antenna.
@@Skaramine You don't happen to get the new MeTV cartoon channel with the antenna do you?
@@AtomicSnackBar I'm watching Speed Racer right this moment. If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I'd be staying up for Thunderbirds and Supercar.
You know Mr. S, I may be goofy -- ok, I am goofy, but hear me out -- its seems to me that this film might symbolize the civil rights struggle, which was taking place during the early 60s -- the use of the derogatory term, "Clicker," the Civil War type uniforms, the KKK-like "Order of Flesh & Blood," the robot/human repour suggesting inter-racial marriage -- which would have be illegal in a lot of places in 1962! What do you think Rob? Am I on to something, or have I been out in the sun too long! Has anyone else suggested this? Cheers, the Warrenoid!
All jokes aside, that is kind of what I was thinking. I feel everything in the film was deliberate. That he was making a statement. Some claim it was just using whatever was handy, but I'm just not so sure about that.
@@AtomicSnackBar -- I agree with you Mr. S! I've heard that "he used what was available explanation," but, as you say, everything in the film is "deliberate" -- to me, the tell is the Civil War caps worn early in the film -- the moment you see them, you automatically think Civil War -- & who has powder-blue Civil War uniforms hanging around! Cheers, Pvt. Warren, F Troop, 666 Cavalry!
Why do the androids look like a proto Blue Man Group?
Because they are ready to rock.
@@AtomicSnackBar I like that attitude, I personally am NEVER ready to rock, but I do roll quite enthusiastically
@@haitch2676 I don't really rock either, but I sure do some Lounging.
@@AtomicSnackBar ah, lounging. My one weakness
@ AtomicSnackBar -🎶My baby she rocks and ro-olls - she rocks whenever she walks...🎶. - Chase from The Giant Gila Monster. Now that I think about it... what was he saying about the way she walked? They had to lay it between the lines in the 50s. And I thought he was such a nice boy...
Nothing like those pseudo civil war costumes to really sell the point.
I've ... maybe not argued, that's a strong word, but I have presented my theory that while low budget, I feel like the film was extremely thought out and planned. I think even the costume design was intentional and not just a case of using stuff that was cheap and/or handy.
@@AtomicSnackBar I have to agree, there's no way that wasn't deliberate
So this is a play that got filmed?
Better than any play I've ever seen.
Granted, I've only seen three, but it was better than those.
@@AtomicSnackBar did you know the word robot came from a play?
@@ICE9RLN0 Oddly, I knew it came from Europe, but not from a play. So I learneded something.
@@AtomicSnackBar people often say they learn things from me.
@@ICE9RLN0 I've heard that a few times myself. Purely speculation at this point.
Hm...🤔 I had no idea about the hallucinogenic qualities of sprinkles. No wonder both you and small children insist on putting them on everything. We need to apologize to the Sugar Industry. Must be in the 'processing' of said sprinkles. They are truly a gateway drug. The makeup was in fact at a much higher level than the budget clearly indicates. Bald caps are actually very hard to get to adhere without wrinkling. Was that Alien suit robot from Earth vs. the Flying Saucers rehearsing to conduct a Robot Orchestra? " Now... I'd buy THAT for a dollar! " And your upcoming book release. Nice plug. Hm..dang you Sterling! Dunkin Donuts closes at 7 here in East Po-dunkville! I'm jones'en for a donut with sprinkles. Bleh.
Some call me the space cowboy, but most just call me the peddler of donuts. But you really only have yourself to blame. You walk into a hive of scum and donutery, you walk out with a 12 pack. It's simple science, really.
And that's just the power of Jack Pierce. Even at a lower budget than I'm sure he was used to, he put his all into it and did a killer job. The size of the picture was clearly not his concern. It was the craft.
You know, the Saucer alien very well could have been rehearing. Here I thought he was playing Simon-bot Says.
@ AtomicSnackBar - Or perhaps he was the stand-in for Laurence Welk. Dig that reference out of your memory hole. 🎶 And-a one and-a two🎶. Que the champagne bubbles, Bobby and a-Sissy...
@@tonysantiago255 Welk was a snappier dresser.
@ AtomicSnackBar - as was John Candy when he spoofed him on SCTV.
@@tonysantiago255 I was all about some SCTV when I was a lad. I much preferred it to SNL.