Fiend Without A Face (1958)

[JaseSF]

When something thoroughly bizarre yet totally unseen is dispatching local townsfolk in the small Canadian town of Winthrop, Manitoba, people soon come to blame the nearby American military base and its top secret experiments involving an atomic reactor and military aircraft. Our story's hero Major Cummings (Marshall Thompson) however knows that 's not at all the case and sets out to prove it wasn't anything the military was doing that caused these deaths but what he uncovers proves even more startling and horrific.

While this takes its time getting off the ground (personally I'd argue the way it slowly develops it characters and establishes events is the perfect way to build anticipation and suspense, something of a lost art nowadays it seems), boy does it deliver the goods in the end. Any fan of the meshing of the sci-fi/horror genre surely will not be disappointed by this one, especially the final showdown between man and fiend. The sound FX are what make this film so very effective especially for its first three quarters when the enemy remains totally invisible. When we finally do see the creatures for which this movie is named, they certainly do not disappoint either. Just a great FX mix of stop-motion and other techniques making for a most gory conclusion, certainly unusual for late 1950s British Sci-Fi where this was filmed despite its Canadian setting. 

Honestly I don't really think this film is truly any better than many of the other British Sci-Fi efforts of the 50s such as the Quatermass Films and X the Unknown, in fact its plot seems somewhat more simplistic, more action-oriented (blowing up a reactor control room doesn't seem such a great idea in reality) and it proves much easier to guess the final outcome here but this film is at heart so much danged fun how could you help but forgive it and that exciting climax is definitely one of the best put to film in the 1950s. So much squishiness, so much fun! ***** out of *****

[JJ80]

I have to agree . This is one of my favourite fifties b-movies. I was surprised by the gruesomeness of the effects, especially at the end. The basic concept of evil thoughts coming to life through and causing havoc is an excellent one. The relatively quiet buildup to the finale is what gives it it's power, along with the effects used themselves. I wa slightly disappointed by the exploding reactor ending but it did seem to fit the rest of the film's straightforward plotting.
I think that this was director Arthur Crabtree only sci-fi film.

[Flangepart]

This is a good flick that can still be riffed. You don't mind a good natured riff...which I did...cause the flick is painless.
And oh, the sound a dieing brain makes...