This review was requested via Patreon. If you'd like to request a review (and please do show mercy on me), click HERE.
THE GIANT CLAW (1957)
What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said about irritable bowel syndrome? I jest, but The Giant Claw does have a sizeable reputation. Somehow, I had managed to avoid it until last night, and that's not cool. I was curious to see if it offered anything past an absurd marionette. The plot gets brownie points for embracing pseudo-scientific piffle. I love that stuff. Here, the monster dodges radar detection (it's dodgy alright) with an invisible shield of some sort, as it's composed of anti-matter. I have no idea what that means, and I'm assuming that director Fred F. Sears didn't either. Tragically, Sears passed away almost immediately after production wrapped. My first instinct is to follow that up with a tasteless joke. Something about talons clutching the coffin. I don't know; you fill in the blanks.
Side characters broach the topic of folk legends. This could be one of the first films to introduce a prospective cryptid into the cultural zeitgeist. So it's worth noting for at least one reason other than...y'know. I'm trying to focus on anything else, but the ridiculous beastie is making it difficult. I did notice that most of the dialogue felt natural, which threw me for a loop. Trivia! The special effects were very nearly rendered by Ray Harryhausen, but producer Sam Katzman couldn't justify spending that much money. Well, I hope he's happy. I'm glad that I watched The Giant Claw myself. Apart from the obvious, it's business as usual for a budget picture from the 1950's. That's definitely a good thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment