It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958) Online

I haven't seen this movie in 46 years, but the thing I remember about it is the fact that I was so terrified watching it, at nine years of age at the Lincoln Theatre in Kearny, NJ, that I had to leave before it ended. I didn't sleep well for many nights after that.

There was a scene I remember where a crew member opened an air duct access hatch (or what, as I recall now, looked like one), and a hand fell down in front of him, obviously belonging to a dead colleague of his. The creature had stuffed the body in the ductwork. That was all I could take. I threw my comic book (I always bought one for 10 cents on my way to the movies on Saturday afternoons. My mom would give me 35 cents, 10 for the comic and a quarter for the double feature with cartoons in between) up in front of my face so I couldn't see, and ran up the center aisle, out the doors, and away from that horror. I saw just about every monster/horror/sci-fi movie made in the 1950's on one or another of those wonderful Saturdays at the Lincoln Theatre, and the only other one that made me run out was House on Haunted Hill.

What I wouldn't give for another chance to see two movies and three cartoons for a quarter, through the unjaded eyes of a nine-year old boy, still able to be scared out of my wits by a guy in a rubber suit.

I dug this one out of the dust bin and was quietly amazed at the simple, yet straight on-target focus of this movie. Yes-- Alien borrowed the basic setup from this 1958 setup. And yes-- Alien did it BETTER, ICKIER, and SCARIER. But hey, this was 1958!

The script is actually very down to earth and intelligent. The snippets of Sci-Fi Factoids actually made sense for what people popularly knew about Mars back then. The women were still women of that era, but they were intelligent and level headed. No Screaming. No fainting. No Falling down and spraining of slim ankles because of fashionable stiletto heels.

The fact that the movie is B&W is a plus in terms of the monster and the make-up. Let's face it-- in most scary movies, the scariest moment is when the camera is DARK and there is almost no color. Here, the shadows hide that fact that the monster is a guy in a heavy rubber suit. And in 1966, this movie frightened me enough to keep me awake all night.

Fun spots:

1-- Guns, LOTS of handguns, Rifles, grenades, crates of 'em-- gods, they even got a BAZOOKA! And they're shooting them all off inside a tin can in Outer Space. Man, they built them thar spaceships like battleships! And they're ALL good shots because not one single bullet ever sets fire to a VITAL control panel. Wow!

2-- The women pour coffee and make sandwiches for the men. Ah. . .Heaven!

If you and your friends are Sci-Fi buff, despite being dated, this 'B' Classic is worth a Saturday Night Oldies Flick.

Just ask POLITELY: Girls, can we have some sandwiches?

Out of the fifties 'B' Science-Fiction monster movies, this easily ranks as the best. It's most notable as the film that ALIEN is an unaccredited remake of, thus giving it a certain historical significance.

The intriguing plot is about the rescue of the only marooned survivor (Col. Carruthers) of an ill-fated expedition to Mars. The authorities, pig-headed as usual, falsely assume that he murdered his fellow crew members, so that he'd have more provisions to survive; hence he is being brought back to Earth to face court-martial for murder. (There is also a somewhat interesting plot reversal here: Most movies of this nature usually begin with the ship leaving Earth, enroute to its otherworld destination, while, in this case, the "story" is believed finished, and begins as the characters take-off from the other planet, returning to Earth). As the rescue ship is leaving Mars, a lurking, ominous shadow is seen in the lower compartment. (A frightening, atmospheric moment, accomplished through sheer economy and simplicity).

Carruthers insists of his innocence to his fellow captors, claiming that his original crew mates were slaughtered by a hostile, unseen presence on the desolute red planet, but three-guesses as to their reaction to his unusual plea. Naturally, he can't prove it, and 50's space authorities were not very alien conscience at the time. (As a side-thought, "unseen menace" may remind you of that highly "original" BLAIR WITCH).

As everyone sacks out, a hapless supporting charactor whose name is at the bottom of the casting list (guess what will happen to him?) hears something in the lower compartment. Despite your futile "don't go down there, you jerk!" pleas, he does just that, and is appropriately killed (more like thoroughly obliterated) by the shadowy figure with insatiable blood lust on its mind. In the victim's case, dereliction of duty and sheer cowardliness would have been the wise decision. The scene is actually well-directed (for a change) and develops much suspense, as the entire film surprisingly does.

The crew finally catches on that they have an unwanted ship crasher on board, and try every possible means at their disposal to eliminate it, but the unknown creature seems to copping an anti-death attitude. Proving to be an even more clever, worthy adversary, 'IT!' also hides out in the ventilation shafts of the ship (now that should ring a bell). Cahn's forceful direction generates considerable tension as the malevolent stowaway works its way up from one level of the confined ship to the next, eventually leaving the remaining characters trapped at the top. The movie's suspense is blunt and right to the point: "IT!' has to kill them or starve, hence they have to kill "IT!" or die. Nothing like those "no two ways about it" choices. Rent it, or check for it on cable if you wish to know the outcome.

For a low-budget quickie, IT! is quite impressive and memorable. The dreaded sense of claustrophobic tension, rendering the characters' helpless entrapment, is highly effective. This is a production in which the limited budget and small sets actually work in favor of the plot's scary ambience. The black & white photography (Yes, it's one of those!) helps to enhance its dark, creepy mood, and the sense of apprehension is quite high. (Modern day color freaks never seem to take that into consideration). The plot is also somewhat cynically ironic: If the creature hadn't stowed away on the ship, Carruthers would have most likely been found guilty of the charges against him.

The intelligent script (see what I mean about "rareity") was penned by noted Science-Fiction author Jerome Bixby (remember Twilight Zone's "It's a Good Life")? The picture's taut editing eliminates any extraneous dross. (ALIEN tended to drag in its first hour with its sophomoric dialogue, and why did it have to include that stupid and ultimately counter-productive sub-plot of Ash being a robot, and further dragging the story down to another big bad conspiracy cliche? UNNECESSARY!!!)

Director Cahn astutely keeps the rubber-suited monster off-screen and in the shadows through-out most of the proceedings, keeping your paranoid imagination on constant alert. Unfortunately, perhaps at the studio's commercial insistance, it is a little over-revealed at the climax, but I haven't claimed this to be the perfect masterpiece. The performances, though nothing award-winning, are nevertheless cool enough so that one becomes sincerely concerned as to their fates. Not many movies in recent times ever come close to achieving that. They can be over-produced from here to eternity, and usually only succeed in being gloriously annoying.

This film's story is not really totally original (what is?), for it is based on A.E. Van Vogt's "VOYAGE OF THE SPACE BEAGLE." All ALIEN fanatics should track down an old used copy to see where the initial influence came from.

As long as you're not craving another CGI wind-ding, you may find it worthwhile. Just don't expect the women to be Ripley precursors. This was still the sock-knitting fifties, sad to say.

This is a fun movie. The cast and especially the stars are a bit stolid and stereotyped (I'm a Marshall Thompson fan but even I will admit to his acting inadequacies), but the plot does maintain a certain level of suspense.

Ray "Crash" Corrigan does a tolerable job as the somewhat illogical monster...he's definitely not the Alien from Ridley Scott's movie...you can tell he's just a guy in a suit. He does a better job than Kim Spaulding, the commander of the rescue ship, who's one-faceted character makes Marshall Thompson seem like Olivier. Most of the supporting cast, especially Dabs Greer, come off much better. They make the most of their limited lines and actually attempt to act (at least in as much as their limited and stereotypical characters allow them too).

Think of "Alien" done in the fifties and you've got this movie...though try not to laugh at the beginning when it celebrates the first manned Martian spaceship landing in 1973.

When one watches a 50's space movie, it's very easy to make fun of how outdated they are. Of course, now that we know how to travel to space it is easy to say it, but in those movies, they had to imagine how would it be to do that. It's unfair to judge them with the knowledge we have now.

With that said, I think that "It! The Terror from Beyond Space" is one of the best 50's space horror b-movies that was done in those long lost years. Sure, under our conception of sci-fi the movie is seriously outdated, but judging it in its time frame, it was a very good movie in its day.

The story is as follows: In 1973, the first mission to Mars failed, so another spaceship was sent to rescue the crew . Only Col. Edward Carruthers is found alive, and thus is the only suspect of the murders of the rest of his crew. But Carruthers claims that he was not the killer, something else did, and now it is inside their ship.

Suspense and mystery are handled very well in this movie, with a script that later was used as inspiration for the highly influential "Alien" more than 20 years later. Sci-fi writer Jerome Bixby creates a very well thought plot that, while it has typical 50s odd one-liners, it still moves straight-forward and both the plot and the characters are developed to a good level.

Certainly, the acting is not the best, and maybe this is were the film lacks quality. Nevertheless, Marshall Thompson as Col. Carruthers, carries the film with grace as the main suspect of the killings.

The SFX are of mediocre quality even for its age, nevertheless, director Edward L. Cahn does the intelligent thing and keeps the creature in the darkness, making the menace of what lurks in the shadows a more powerful presence. Black and White photography helps with the task, and gives the film a noir beautiful look that in color would not had worked that good.

To summarize, it is a very outdated film, but if you want to know how were space horrors in the years before Apollo 11, you will be surprised at how good it is. Also, this film is a MUST see for fans of the "Alien" series. Among the best 50s B-movies. 6/10

The "Fun Facts" section on the back of the Midnite Movies DVD proudly exclaims that this film formed the main inspiration for Ridley Scott's film "Alien". I find this quite a remarkable little trivia detail, as "Alien" is generally – and deservedly – regarded as one of the greatest and most legendary milestones of Sci-Fi cinema and, if the premise of such a classic is inspired by a cheap and typically 1950's monster mania flick, than it means that this source of inspiration must be an underrated and overall very decent film. Of course, being the blueprint for "Alien" has to be put into perspective just slightly. I think we can all safely agree that the rudimentary plot of Scott's film is the least impressive aspect about the entire production. Hideous and invincible extraterrestrial monster gets aboard a spaceship and kills off the astronauts one by one. That's basically it and that's also all that "Alien" has in common with "It! The Terror from beyond Space". "Alien" promptly became an immortal classic thanks to the Ridley Scott's unique talent of building up claustrophobic suspense, the titular creature's nightmarish design and the flawless acting performances of the entire cast (including Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt and Ian Holm), whereas "It!" simply stayed a charming but nonetheless fairly insignificant 50's monster movie. Still, I wouldn't hesitate recommending this movie to fans of nostalgic Sci-Fi, as the action is fast-paced, the characters are likable and the guy-in-the-rubber-monster-suit is highly memorable. The story opens with a sinister voice-over intro – I love that – spoken in by Colonel Edward Carruthers; sole survivor of the very first manned mission to planet Mars. He awaits the arrival of a second spaceship that will take him back to earth AND to court marshal. Nobody believes Carruthers' story about an unconquerable Martian killing off his crew and he will have to stand trial himself. The nine-headed crew of the second mission will soon be able to defend Carruthers' story, as the unnamed monster sneaks aboard and turns the voyage back to earth into a deadly ordeal. Obviously almost every aspect of the film has dated severely by now (not just the special effects but also, for example the role of women in science) and the script is crammed with hilarious improbabilities (the monster dodges bullets and even grenades, but it's petrified of a tiny little flame?) The acting performances are way above average for that time, with particularly Marshall Thompson and Shirley Patterson shining like stars. Recommended

As a longtime "Starlog" and "Fangoria" reader, I can tell you right off the bat that fans immediately recognized the similarities between this film and Ridley Scott's "Alien" when it was released in the 1970s. Leave it to others to point out all the areas of similarity; I will say that in and of itself this is one of Eddie Cahn's better films from the 50s and probably had the power to really scare audiences at the time of its release when its monster was more convincing perhaps. Just this week I've finally seen it on the big screen. The shots of Ray Corrigan in his monster suit (designed by Paul Blaisdell) framed against the smoky hallways are very imposing and stark.

In many ways the film is indebted to Howard Hawks' early 50s production "The Thing from Another World", except in this case the scientists are trapped on a spaceship as opposed to a polar station. The early parts of the film are quite well written, allowing us to sympathize with Col. Carruthers (Marshall Thompson) because the rest of the crew believes that he is a murderer. Col. Van Heusen (Kim Spalding) even has evidence in the form of a human skull which has been penetrated by firearms. As it turns out, Van Heusen is hit by some kind of alien flu and ends up spending most of the movie in sick bay while Col. Carruthers runs off with his girlfriend (Shirley Patterson) and fights the monster. For the kiddies this movie was designed to please that might constitute a "plot twist" but it's easy to see it coming. Still, it's amusing the way the female crew members fawn over Carruthers as soon as they realize he's not a killer. And it does give the hero a bit more pathos and the film a bit more of the air of paranoia that infested "The Thing" more successfully.

Eddie Cahn was a serious professional and this film has no "camp" value, though sometimes the acting is poor enough to be unintentionally humorous. The monster suit itself is pretty good in my opinion, probably still scary for young kids. The professional photography in the film lifts it a bit over some of the more amateurish drive-in films of the period.

By the way fans of this movie will want to seek out Filmfax #116, just released in late 2007, which has an in-depth article about the film's monster suit and Blaisdell's career.

The original alien concept , that is xtra-terrestrial intruder sneaks aboard ship and proceeds to kill crew one by one until the hero overcomes ''IT'' . This formula has been used to death ever since , the film ''Alien'' is a b-movie with an A- budget , but the plot is identical .Marshall Thompson is good as the wrongly accused survivor of the first flight , Shawn Smith and Kim Spalding round out the top stars with Dabbs Greer and Paul Langton filling out the crew . The costume was scary in its time , I know it scared me to death as a kid on ''Chiller Theatre'' , I was afraid to go in the basement !! But although by todays standards it falls somewhat short , it is still entertaining and has some unforgettable goofs too . As when the cigarette sticks to Gino's lip and he needs to use his tongue to push it off his lip ! Its supposed to fall out from fright as he is startled by ''It''. Give this one a try , you'll be glad you did .

Col. Edward Carruthers(Marshall Thompson)loses his crew to an alien monster than drains it's victims of their blood and water(even from the bone marrow and tissue)during an expedition on Mars. A second space vessel, one of rescue when the first ship crashes on Mars, picks up Carruthers who is not believed by anyone including his government back home that an alien monster killed his crew. That is until, they themselves are being killed one by one after the monster found a way into their ship on it's way off Mars to Earth. It seems almost indestructible after countless attempts by the crew to kill it with grenades and guns. Somehow the crew will have to find a way to destroy it as the monster holes them up on the bridge after getting through their first two department levels. What's even worse is that two of the crew, including leader of the rescue mission, Col Van Heusen(Kim Spalding), are attacked by the creature with a bacterial infection spreading into their bone marrow. Another crew member, Lt. James Calder(Paul Langton)is stuck in the lower engineering room with the monster after he and Carruthers attempt to electrocute it. Hiding between the Induction pumps which make the ship land properly and orbit safely, Calder keeps a blowtorch at it's eyes not allowing it to get him(..although, his leg is broken). That presents a problem in itself..if that creature were to attack the equipment in that engineering area, the space ship would not be able to land, but merely drift in space. And, to add to all this, a sick and jealous Van Heusen(he's in love with Ann, played by Shirley Patterson, who is bonding with Carruthers)unshields the reactor hoping radiation will kill the monster who is caught in the room with it after Carruthers closes the hatch to that specific room. Now, the crew, or who's left of them, will have to figure out a way to stop the creature with most of the ship full of radiation! A possible solution, regarding the monster's desperate need of oxygen due to it's huge lungs, may be the crew's only means of harming it.

Despite being dated and low-budget, this sci-fi thriller is a winner. The idea of a crew having to match wits with an almost unkillable alien beast adds a great deal to the film even if the monster is merely a man in a hideous rubber suit. I credit director Ed L Cahn and writer Jerome Bixby for creating a tense situation which is pretty much "The Thing from Another World" set in a space ship. Still, that whole "race against time" angle along with the idea of "having few places to run" just makes this little B-film a must for fans of 50's creature features. Cahn and Bixby create an intelligent flick that makes up for the budgetary constraints with taut situations where these characters have to come up with ways to combat their predator when options are limited. Highly recommended. It's clear when you watch this flick how much Ridley Scott's "Alien" was inspired by it.

I have seen IT! The Terror From Beyond Space several times and found it very creepy. I taped it when Channel 4 screened it in the afternoon.

An expedition returning from Mars are unaware of the Martian monster that has stowed away on board and is very hungry. Crew members start to go missing and then discover they are being killed and some of them eaten by this monster. As the monster heads towards the top floor of the ship, the survivors come up with a way of killing it. They do this by opening the ship's hatch and starve the beast of oxygen, which suffocates it.

This movie is very creepy in parts and some consider it to be an earlier version of 1979's Alien. The plot is very similar.

The cast includes 50's sci fi regular Marshall Thompson (First Man Into Space), Shawn Smith and Kim Spalding. The monster, It, is played by Ray Corrigan.

1950's low budget science fiction at its best. Excellent.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

Ever seen the movie Alien directed by Sir Ridley Scott? Well, It! The Terror From Beyond Space is essentially a 1950s version. The plot is heavily similar to Alien, a spaceship is sent to an alien planet (in this case Mars) and ends up with a deadly stow-away, the big green alien hides in the air ducts and vents (like in Alien) and picks off the crew slowly. Eventually attempts to kill it are made but this is one resilient B-Movie alien, as bullets, grenades, and poison gas all seem ineffective, even dosages of radiation that would make Oppenheimer turn in his grave fail to phase the creature.

The film has relatively low budget special effects as is to be expected but I found the characters interacted relatively well and there was a real feeling of being aboard this ship with this crew fighting for survival.

An excellent B-Movie that sets up a formula for later Sci-Fi makers like Scott to perfect upon. Recommended to anyone who doesn't mind old fashioned Sci-Fi at its finest.

A few have pointed out that the plot is so similar to Aliens, one has to assume that Ridley Scott and Rockne O'Bannon plagiarized it, so they can hardly complain when a dozen movies plagiarize their idea.

The plot is that the lone surviving astronaut of the first Mars expedition in the far advanced year of 1973(!) is being brought back to Earth by the second expedition on the assumption he killed his crew mates after the crash to extend the rations. The alien sneaks aboard and starts picking off the crew one by one until it is killed by opening an airlock. All that was missing was Sigourney Weaver and her skimpy panties.

The movie has some strange moments, like stringing up the room with all your supplies in it with hand grenades (guys, your in a spaceship, that doesn't seem very smart!) or firing a bazooka in the control room.

The monster looks phony by today's standards, but I'll bet it scared the pants off 1958 audiences.

Still, it isn't a bad picture. It was quite revolutionary for its day.

I also want to comment on the trailer. This must have been one of the first attempts at subliminal messages, because the words "See It" and "Don't Miss It" kept flashing up on the screen for a second. (Easily slowed down on DVD.)

When you first watch "Alien", you soon realize it is a remake of this movie, and you know how to get rid of the monster. But if you've never seen either movie, you probably would be as much on the ropes as the characters. In both cases, a space crew happens upon a hostile life form which infiltrates their space ship. No longer a haven from space, the astronauts try every means to kill the invader and save their lives (because the monster is killing them at will), and nothing seems to work. The basic difference is, of course, the special effects, which are paramount in the "Alien" movies, but nondescript in this movie. The robot and other automated features provided by the "company", seems to be actually at fault for all the carnage in "Alien." In "It!", the creature pretty well does it all on his own. Minor difference at best, because both movies are about thrills and adventure, and both succeed. An advantage of black and white film representation with little or no special effects is that it doesn't have to prove as much, and there is no exorbitant information for the viewer. It's more of a dream state where the information provided is the information needed. In the modern colorful world, it is too much for a viewer to fend off extra information in most movies. There again, both "Alien" and "It" capture the essence of what they try to achieve. And if you like one, I'm sure you'll like the other.

An expedition to Mars picks up Colonel Edward Carruthers (an excellent performance by Marshall Thompson), who's the sole survivor of a previous disastrous mission to the red planet. A strong, lethal and seemingly indestructible reptilian alien beast (Ray "Crash" Corrigan in a cool rubber suit) also stows away on board the spaceship and starts bumping off various crew members. Director Edward L. Cahn, working from a smart and taut script by noted science fiction author Jerome Bixby, wrings plenty of harrowing suspense from the absorbing premise (said premise was an obvious influence on "Alien"). Moreover, Cahn maintains a steady pace throughout and stages the shock scenes with considerable panache. The cramped set design, stark lighting, and inspired use of both shadows and suggestion all add immensely to the creepy and claustrophobic atmosphere. The shuddery ooga-booga score by Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter further enhances the eerie tone. Kenneth Peach's crisp black and white cinematography offers several nifty fades, wipes and dissolves. Kudos are likewise in order for the sound acting from a sturdy cast, with especially praiseworthy work by Thompson, Kim Spalding as the hard-nosed Colonel Van Heusen, Ann Doran as the compassionate Dr. Mary Royce, Paul Langton as the sarcastic Lieutenant James Calder, Dabbs Greer as the shrewd Eric Royce, and Richard Benedict as the excitable Bob Finelli. A highly satisfying little winner.

Most folks who've watched this and Alien see the obvious similarities. In fact, Alien is what we all kind of imagined as kids watching this film and seeing it with the non-critical eyes of youth.

Regardless, this is a top drawer B movie effort that rises far above its limitations with solid acting, a fine story, eerie and claustrophobic settings with effective lighting, a quick pace and no lag-time.

If you haven't seen it, get the MGM Midnight Movie DVD double with Monster that Challenged the World, another superb B Movie sci-fi thriller that is as good as this one, and has an insect-like monster that you might recognize as the forerunner of the giant bug of Men in Black.

Folks, most movies of the sci-fi genre from the 50's and 60's were low budget stinkers, the list is too long to mention. But this movie was well done, had suspense and a good plot, and most of all was the inspiration for Ridley Scott's Alien. The monster stalks the crew in the same fashion, moving level by level and picking off crumbs until a confrontation at the end.

You get glimpses of IT, and each time as his screen time increases so does the level of menace. I saw this years ago and got my 15 yr old son to watch it. Even he saw the similarity. Yes, the rubber monster costume isn't the greatest, but the mask is startling. Suspend physics for a bit and ignore the science from 1954, and you'll agree this was a notch above dreck like "The Beginning of the End", "The Snow Creature" or "Tarantula".

Everything old is new again. Just like "Earth vs the Flying Saucers" was ripped off into "Independence Day" (including the virus), "IT:The Terror from Beyond Space" stands up to its descendant "Alien". If you can get this movie on DVD, its worth it.

I watched this movie as a youngster in the early 60s and loved it. I watched it again in 2005 and it's still a great science fiction show. I believe it is the forerunner of Alien. Even though the alien was a bit rubbery it still instilled angst in me as both an child and an adult. Marshall Thompson was a favorite of mine. Pity he is remembered in a host of so called B grade movies because he deserved better than that. OK some of the special effects were poor but remember this was 1958 and who cares about the not so rapid decompression of the spaceship. Still a great show and deserves a lot of praise. I recommend this movie for any science fiction enthusiasts regardless of age.

This is "it" alright. This is a classic 1950s Sci-fi "monster" movie. Oh, people can pick at it's flaws, and looking back today, it has quite a few, but this is what used to scare us in the 50s and early 60s. This movie shows you what it was all about back then. It can't be compared to a movie made almost 50 years later. Things were different then and the movie should be watched with the consideration that this was 1958. Take into account the context of the times. The audience back then was scared, thrilled and excited by this movie. It may have lost some of it's edge over the years but it's still a darn good movie. This is a great 50s Sci-fi monster movie. If you are looking for classic 1950s Sci-fi, I encourage you to watch this movie. You will not be disappointed but will be well rewarded.

A giant iguana from space hides out in the air ducts of an Earth spaceship, grabs unsuspecting astronauts and turns them into Robert Smith of The Cure.

This is actually a well done and pretty freaky movie from the 50s, inspiring Ridley Scott's "Alien" some 20+ years later. I remember watching it late one Halloween night on the old movie channel and being fairly impressed by just how tense and scary it was. Granted, it's a cheap quickie B movie with some low budget special effects, but it makes up for this with strong performances, likable lead characters (including some surprisingly strong female roles) and a great "haunted house" atmosphere. The monster looks a little goofy but for a man in a rubber suit, it's not that bad either. There's also none of that inexplicable monster-wants-a-mate rubbish to clutter up the plot. The victims, drained of blood and practically mummified alive, look quite shocking - and yes, they do somewhat resemble Robert Smith; sorry but it's true! It doesn't take anything away from the film, but it did make me wonder what else this film might have inspired. ???!!!

This is one of the many early sci-fi movies released in the 1950s. Standard for these types of B-Pictures was to put more drama and excitement in the film, than real science. Few directors during that day and age ever sought good solid factual science facts, instead they wanted good old fashion monster vs Earthling type action. They were hooky and poorly made, but without knowing it, they created the nightmare memories of our youthful dreams. As a result, they gave audiences what they sought, trills and cheap entertainment. The story in this film is the foundation of modern films like 'Alien' and for its day had formulas which worked. Marshall Thompson plays Col. Ed Carruthers and Ray "Crash" Corrigan, the stunt man for many other films, plays the Space Monster called " It ." Dabbs Greer plays Eric Royce. Although it is an early sci-fi movie, when seen through the sleepy eyes of a youngster, at the Drive-In theaters of the day, it's nothing less than a Classic. Fun for anyone with a yearning to be frightened by a space monster. ****

I rented this title from the video store only on the bases that it was noted as being the inspiration for ALIEN. Not expecting much I sat down and waited for bad special effects, corny dialog and and a nice nap in front of the TV. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I was enjoying this film! At once I was confronted not by bad rubber monsters but a lurking unseen "something". We do get to see plenty of the monster a little later but what horror elements that are lost are made up for by suspense, drama and fantastic dialog and interplay between the ill-fated crew!

It's the future, 1973, and the first manned expedition to Mars is marooned. When a rescue team finally reach the stricken ship they find only one survivor; the leader, Col. Edward Carruthers. He claims that an alien life form killed his crew but this is met with scepticism as Carruthers tells the story.......

Pretty much forgotten until Ridley Scott's enormously successful Alien in 1979 caused ripples on account of plot similarity, It! The Terror from Beyond Space now rightfully sits with the best of the sci-fi schlockers from the 50s. Sure it's hokey and the old man in the rubber suit issue is hardly the work of cinematic genius, but its science heart and its claustrophobic construction more than make up for budgetary restrictions. Set on board a classic V-2 vertical type rocket ship, Edward L. Cahn's film benefits from having Jerome Bixby on pen duties. Bixby's credentials boasts the likes of Star Trek, The Twilight Zone and Fantastic Voyage, so the writing here was in good hands. For sure it's not exactly breaking new ground with its basic plot, but it has a little more to offer than at first seems.

As for the titular creature itself? Well it proudly displays all of the limitations of its bargain-basement budget. Played by Ray "Crash" Corrigan, it's a lumbering, grunting piggy type alien that we get to see too much of during the second half of the movie. But with Kenneth Peach's toned down black & white photography at work, the creature remains a potent character as it stalks its prey around the metallic interiors of the ship. The cast are the usual assemblage of B movie performers, with Marshall Thompson and Shirley Patterson putting in a good shift. While Grant Whytock in the editing department deserves a mention for keeping the film free of pointless filler.

A taut and creepy little shocker that is a must see for anyone interested in the glorious days of the sci-fi schlocker and creaky creature feature. 8/10

It! The Terror From Beyond Space is not nearly a perfect movie, but it is fun and should be on the list of everyone who collects horror and sci-fi movies from this era. There are some holes in the script (dialogue heard earlier in the film is repeated when the spaceship's crew needs to make noise to cover other crew members on a mission to attempt to kill the creature, etc.) and some of the dialogue is wooden, but the actors seem to do a fine job with what they were given to work with. Shirley Patterson (AKA Shawn Smith in movies The Land Unknown, and World Without End) does a fine job, and Ann Doran does a very fine job playing the wife of another crew member (Dabbs Greer.) The male cast members were given the more wooden dialogue. It is very easy to rip apart these oldie horror and sci-fi thrillers, but they were made in another era, and they were made to be enjoyed. It! The Terror From Beyond Space is as easily enjoyable in this day in age as it was when it was made. It's a fun and imaginative thriller that features one of the ugliest creatures from that era!

IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE!

For a low-budget sci-fi chiller, this is truly a very scary movie! Ray "CRASH" Corrigan, better known for his cowboy roles, is the man in the monster getup. Corrigan plays the role to the hilt, running around killing the spaceship's crew members, growling and breaking through steel doors. nothing seemed to be able to stop IT! The crew used grenades, bullets, gas bombs (They worked in King Kong). The crew even tried exposing IT! to the spaceships atomic core, all to no avail. Only one crewman was able to fend off IT! with a blow torch.

The movie was filmed in black and white, this makes for excellent lighting and scenery to lend to the chilling effects of the classic space monster movie.

I recommend this movie for any sci-fi or monster movie fan!

The effects are cheap, the acting is B grade, and the writing could be a lot better. Still, I have to admit I enjoyed this film. It's probably the worst monster costume ever (I'm pretty sure the person in the suit is adjusting his mask on camera) but it's still kind of exciting. I was heavily invested in the story and I wanted to know what would happen next. Although some of the effects and sets are very homemade, there is still some camera work and trick photography that is pretty impressive, especially considering the time it was made. I love watching sci/fi films that predate our landing on the moon. The science and technology is far off enough to be fiction but there are some things here that actually exist today (one of the most common being the sliding door). This is a classic alien thriller.