Fiend Without A Face

[William Sommerwerck]

Unquestionably THE best sci-fi/horror flick prior to ALIEN -- a high-water mark of that genre. The claustrophobia of the final scene -- people trapped by hundreds of monsters they can't escape -- is played for full effect. Even at the age of 10 it scared the hell out of me.

The script, direction, and acting (except for the terminally boring Marshall Thompson) are a cut above what you'd expect from a low-budget genre film. Despite the "silliness" of the monsters, they're still effective at scaring an audience. It's nice that Criterion has recognized the quality and significance of FIEND and has released a collector's edition on DVD. Anybody wanna buy my LV?

[DJ]

This movie scared the pants off of me when I was a little kid, watching it by myself, late at night on TV! Brrrrrrr!

[Chadzilla]

This is a b-movie to just wrap your arms around and treasure.

[Armadillo]

One of the best 50's sci-fi/horror flicks with eerie atmosphere in the forests as lost citizens are searched for.  The moment at the town meeting when a formerly missing citizen turns up, shouting like a brainless moron, which he now is, is one of the most unforgettable movie scenes from my long ago childhood.  Marshall Thompson is even more heroic than he was in First Man into Space, blowing up the nuclear reactor and all without setting off a thermonuclear blast.  There is a shower scene, va va voom!

[Rick]

I remember watching this when i was about 10 or 11 in the early 60s.It gave me the creeps, but I loved it.Its one of the best sci fi flicks to watch especially if your a kid.

[Steve]

Definitely a classic!  This, SLIME PEOPLE, and THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid, and have become my own kids staple "scary-scary monster movies"  (that's what my daughter calls them).
I truly love '50's sci-fi, and wish more of todays kids had grown up with them.  I taught a high school course in aesthetics of film and found the kids had never heard of THE THING (either version!) or THEM...if anyone wonders what is wrong with kids today...it must be a lack of 1950's b-movies.  By the way, I really loved THE CRAWLING HAND, too, but for some reason it absolutely TERRIFIES my daughter!

[Tom]

WOW, I thought I was alone in thinking this was a great movie.  As a kid, I had nightmares from this flick. This movie effected me to the point that as a Bio major in college, I was creeped out during brain disections.  I would love to see an updated version only if it was as good an update as John Carpenters "Thing" was.

[Jon]

No, Fiend IS the first gore movie. It was made in 1957. Blood Feast came six years after.

Ahhh...

Bless you Criterion. The DVD is exquisite. Has anyone else got The Blob and Carnival of Souls. All three make for a fine evenings entertainment, with Fiend as the finale, of course.

[Georgiann]

This one scared me silly when I was a kid.  Very effective stop-motion brain creatures slinking around like big inchworms,leaping on people and making disgusting squirting sounds when they're shot -- great gruesome stuff.  

[Tommy-Boy]

This movie scared the beejeebahs out of me when I first saw it at age 7. My favorite part is every time one of the fiends is shot,out would squirt what appeared to be ketchup and BB's !! I always loved those parts the most,and am amazed at how good a shot that guy is with a 1911 .45 cal. pistol!! Usually you can't hit the broadside of a barn with one of those.

[brain fan]

Great Movie and very much underrated with good special effects. I have this on tape and watched it again today. Still very effective and obviously an influence for later films including Night Of The Living Dead. Also, what a rack on the heroine Kim Parker!

[lostmissy]

This is one of my all time "classics" . For the period and money, this is a very well done movie . It has the feel and atmosphere that the best "horror" films deliver. I first saw this on the late late night horror movieshow (or whatever) and just loved the general creepiness and buildup to the climatic battle scenes. I'm glad to hear that it is now out on DVD. This is one to own!!!

[Joey]

Watched these Fiends several times as a kid. Scared the snot out of me. Mom or dad had to check under my bed for these slimy brains before I could sleep. Still, I covered my head with the blanket and kept my pillow wraped around my fiend dining area (neck).

[DCE]

I have fond memories of this movie, watched some Saturday night long ago on "Creature Features" (or was it "Chiller Theater"?) Haven't seen it since then, so don't know if I remember correctly ... but I seem to recall there was some snappy, sassy male/female repartee, along the lines of the original "The Thing." And I remember the flying brain/cords and the moronic sounds the recently de-brained victims made. Gotta go rent this!

[Geoffrey Miller]

This film hasn't lost any of its impact over the decades.  Still one of the most unique of the '50's science fiction movies.  Let's remake it with Tom Sizemore as Major Cummings, Cameron Diaz as Barbara Griselle and Albert Finney as Professor Walgate.  And a large special effects budget for those computer animated "fiends".  Keep the same fiend sounds, a cross between a thumping bass drum, someone walking with heavy boots in loose gravel and large teeth crunching on a cold, crisp apple.