Target Earth (1954)

[lester1/2jr]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQzgGtoxRTk

Okay the robot is pretty ridiculous. No one is denying that. Still, this is a pretty awesome movie with better casting, acting, and drama than many of the big classics of the sci fi, noir, or disaster film genres.

A woman wakes up after attempting suicide to city that appears to be totally empty. She bumps into another guy but after seeing dead bodies around doesn't know if he is the one who killed them, where anyone is, or what the hell is going on. The girl is really cute. Not really a bombshell type but sexy nonetheless and my eyes were pretty much glued to her strapless shoulders (and whatnot) throughout. She eventually bumps into some other people and its kind of like in a disaster movie where you get to know them a bit as they deal with the thing. They are alot less annoying than those people usually are though. Also, a psycho killer is among them!

Very cool movie despite the ridiculous robot. It must have been hard to keep a straigtht face, the scene when the robot slowly makes its way up the stairs... has been written about. I am probably the least resourceful person there is and even I came up with a half a dozen ways to stop the thing: rope, water, oil. I mean, empty city there are supplies everywhere but f**k it: this movie rocks and 75 minute running time to boot.

This VCI edition is not restored but it looks fine if not spectacular, some pops and whatnot. It comes with a very cool 20 minute doc on the producer Herman Cohen. His lifestory is quite impressive: starting as a usher/ helper kid at a movie theatre, he eventually made tons of sick movies and owned the very theatre he started in and many others. He made the first teen horror movie " I was a Teenaged Werewolf" and later did Horrors of the BLack Museum and (I think) the Flesheaters.

4.5/5

cool

[Jack]

Man, women really used to scream a lot back in the '50s   

Sounds like a cool movie, I added it to the Netflix queue.  Thanks for the tip!

[Raffine]

This is one I've managed to miss over the years, but I've always been curious to see. Those old photos of that goofy robot are intriguing!

Even the used DVDs are a bit pricey but I'll keep a lookout for it.

[retrorussell]

[The Burgomaster]

How many times did Richard Denning save the Earth . . . while always wearing that same suit?????

[JaseSF]

The film reminds me of the Last Man on Earth style films - you know Last Man on Earth, Last Woman on Earth, Omega Man, The World, the Flesh and the Devil...and is surprisingly gripping for most of its running time. There were supposed to be an army of robots but of course there's only ever really one which was kind of disappointing...still, they played it serious and I think it works well and is a fun film for it.

[major jay]

I agree with xJaseSFx the shots of empty streets in, I think, LA are very cool, but it could have used more robot action. Still, I like the flim very much.

[Flangepart]

Well, her breasts could break through an ice pack, I must say.
Oh, how this could make a good rifftrax!