The Black Scorpion (1957) Online

Another stop motion classic from the atomic age. Giant scorpions awakened by volcanoes menace Mexico. You think a swarm of giant scorpions is bad, wait until you see the biggest and baddest of the bunch...The Black Scorpion!!

Willis O'Brien (the effects genius from King Kong) gets more than alittle help from Pete Peterson animating these arachnid monstrosities in all their stop-motion glory.

The effects were very well done, but unfortunately the transparent matte shots of the Black Scorpion entering Mexico City are terrible. Almost to the point where it ruins the movie. As is the constant (once or twice would be enough) close up of the scorpions face (which is a drooling animated prop). It would have been wonderful to see the Black Scorpion trashing buildings and attacking people in the city rather than a poor matte shot of the scorpion running through the streets.

Still overall a very enjoyable flick. The acting was actually pretty good compared to most of the genre films from the time.

The best scene from this film (hands down) was the descent into the underground lair of the scorpions, which also features not only a giant freaky worm, but a huge freaky looking trapdoor spider as well! The spider and worm prop were from the famous deleted "bottom of the ravine" scene from King Kong. So this is as close as you're going to get to reliving that infamous lost scene. Other great sequences include two scorpions battling the giant worm in a fight to the death, the scorpions swarming over and attacking a train at night, the Black Scorpion slaughtering the smaller scorpions, and the climatic fight between the Black Scorpion and the Mexican military in a soccer stadium.

I miss these kind of movies!

One of the better Fifties science fiction entries is The Black Scorpion or scorpions to be precise. These creatures got released during a volcanic eruption and started wreaking havoc in the area around Mexico City.

Of all the monsters created by the special effects guys including the great Ray Harryhausen, the ugliest, meanest, nastiest creatures ever brought to the screen were these scorpions. They are ugly as sin, emit an obnoxious drool when on the prowl and make a noise guaranteed to scare any kid or kid at heart out of his comfortable movie seat. And they are one of the few creatures which are not either from outer space or caused by radioactivity.

When the scorpions start doing their thing, scientists Richard Denning and Carlos Rivas are in the area as is ranch owner Mara Corday. In between trying to figure out how to combat the scorpions, a little romance gets going between Denning and Corday. And there's a cute little kid around played by Mario Navarro who gets in all kinds of trouble tagging along with the scientists.

But you can mute the romance and get into the action. I guarantee you will like the scene inside the volcano where Denning, Rivas, and little Mario have to deal not only with the scorpions, but with giant earthworms and spiders. And the final battle in the Mexico City soccer stadium between the scorpion and the scientists and Mexican army is a tingler.

Black Scorpion, is another semi classic, 50s giant monster movie. It should have been called the scorpions that ate Mexico. If you enjoy other movies from the 50s that feature giant insects or other huge monsters wreaking havoc on mankind, you will also like Black Scorpion. You do have to keep in mind that this was made in 1957. Don't be looking for the thrills you can get from the special effects in today's horror movies. The movie has to be viewed within the context of the time it was released. For it's time, the special effects were great. This was truly a scary movie for it's time and continues to be exciting today. I found this to be a very entertaining movie and recommend it to anyone who enjoys the giant monsters of the 50s and early 60s. Enjoy.

From out of the desert come giant scorpions, destroying houses, ravaging vehicles and slaughtering innocents! It's Them! all over again, but with better and more vicious monsters that, coincidentally, sound exactly like Them!'s giant ants.

The Black Scorpion is a typical 1950s giant monster movie, and you have to love the period and the genre to appreciate the film. I happen to love the period and the genre, and I also love stop-motion animation, so The Black Scorpion really presses my buttons.

The animation supervisor is Willis (King Kong) O'Brien, with the actual effects work done by Pete Peterson. You can see more of Peterson's work on the DVD. We not only get scorpions by the handful, we get other animated creepy-crawlies as well. Lots of effects work in this one!

The story is by-the-numbers but Richard Denning gives his usual stalwart performance. The DVD sports some nice Harryhausen extras, too. If you like this kind of thing, you'll LOVE The Black Scorpion.

SPOILER ALERT A volcanic eruption and earthquake in Mexico ravages the countryside and opens a fizzure into a subterranean world. When citizens turn up missing it's discovered that huge scorpions the size of tanker trucks are coming out of the hole and preying on the locals. An American and a Mexican scientist team up with a lady rancher to investigate and try to stop the killings, taking a perilous trip down into the bowels of the earth, where they witness battles to the death between oversized spiders, clawed worms, and scorpions. They seal the fizzure opening, but then find that several of the giant scorpions have escaped and are making their way towards Mexico City, devouring anything they come across. They attack a commuter train and peel the cars apart like bananas to eat the humans inside, but this is where the largest of them, a black 100-footer, turns on its smaller brethren and kills them all. The lone black scorpion goes on to the city where it engages in a violent battle with the Mexican Army's tanks and helicopters in the city's Colisseum before being electrocuted. As a big fan of Willis O'brien and Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion animation work, I was impressed with this low-budget monster flick as a youngster and remain so to this day. I found it on VHS a couple of years ago and was pleased to see it released on DVD recently (along with Harryhausen's "Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" and "Valley of Gwangi"). The budget for this movie is bare-bones and the acting and story dull, but the effects are incredible! O'Brien pulled out all the stops here and I've seen nothing in the genre more effective. The scenes in the cavern where the monster insects prey on each other and the human interlopers would raise the hair on anyone, and the attack on the train is absolutely nightmarish. The final battle between the black scorpion and the mechanized army is a tour de force, though the miniscule budget is glimpsed here and in a couple of other shots in the use of looped reels, repeated for padding. But if you're a fan of this stuff BUY IT. You won't be disappointed. Trivia Detail: I read in a review of the DVD release recently that O'Brien made use here of the spider models filmed in the "lost" cavern floor sequence in "King Kong" which was then edited out for being too scary.

This little gem from Warner Brothers is actually a pretty good movie for it's time and genre. The basis of the story is that 2 scientists, one American, one Mexican, head to Mexico to study an erupting volcano. What they find however, is nest underground of huge scorpions that are terrorizing Mexico City. The special effects are good for the era, the scorpion drools and makes scary sounds. The acting is so-so, Richard Denning overacts at times, and the relationship with the ever lovely and B movie horror queen Mara Corday, is not well developed, and the little Mexican boy "Juanito" is nothing short of annoying. But overall the story works helped by the great special effects and the good storyline. A fun movie to watch on a rainy Saturday night.

When you watch films like this, you must put aside your ideas of what are or are not good special effects......if we compare all older movies with present films with modern technology, we would write off classics like "King Kong" and "Lost World" because they don't look like "Jurassic Park". Times change, computer generated effects are "in" and we sometimes forget that people like Willis O'Brien were pioneers in the fx field, working with little but their imagination and creativity. So enjoy this typical 50's Big Bug entry for what it is. I have seen it a number of times and have a little soft spot in my heart (not my head!) for it. It is full of those actors that were popping up all the time during the 50's as second leads or in "B" films. The cavern scene with the worms and scorpions is pretty damn good but that little brat Juanito needed to be scorpion bait from the beginning! Probably the funniest thing in the film is the reaction of the military men in the stadium when one of their own gets electrocuted because someone forgot to turn off the power....they just blow it off and go on. It's a fun film......just enjoy it and don't think too much.

Way above average giant insect thriller, mainly due to the awesome special effects of Willis O'Brien ("King Kong" - 1933). Three set-pieces are superb: the first appearance, rather unexpectedly, of heroine Mara Corday talking to telephone linemen, who soon are under attack, then the train wreck which is terrifying and bizarre, and the final confrontation in the stadium, featuring grand editing and surprising touches. Mexico setting works well, music and sound effects are exemplary, sub-Earth sequence featuring more creatures is eerie. Title refers to the largest creature in the climax, budgetary limitations revealing a black traveling matte, still mystical, with fascinating zoom-in camera shots. Some have faulted the scorpion's "drooling" close-ups, but I find them bone-chilling. Even the main titles are innovative - alternating flashing white/black letters on white/black backgrounds, set to gripping soundtrack. Defects: some poorly-executed process shots, and the leading actors, Corday, Richard Denning, and Carlos Rivas, are hammy and unsubtle and a Corday-Denning romance occurs too late in the script, especially after all the mayhem.

A volcano erupts and spits up these scorpions that are huge and prehistoric. This is the premise for The Black Scorpion, a 50's sci-fi/giant bug film. As cheesy 50's films go, this one is entertaining, if not a little slow in places. The Mexican landscape looks authentic and the scorpions themselves are pretty good when left in the hands of Willis O'Brien. But the close-ups of the creatures are a bit overused, almost to the point of becoming annoying. The scorpions kill each other off until one giant one is left to wreak his vengeance(and whet his appetite) in Mexico City. The best scene is the one when scientist Richard Denning(and his incredibly boring assistant Carlos Rivas, and annoying stow-a-way Juanito) are lowered into a giant cavern and the realm of Willis O'Brien's wonderful stop-motion animation. The rest of the film is rather predictable but still entertaining, and Mara Corday is at least pleasant to the eye as she must have had her clothing painted onto her.

Giant scorpions are unearthed by an earthquake and threaten to attack New Mexico. By the numbers script, but the acting is (surprisingly) good...it's just that the script is VERY dull. And when the giant scorpions (and worms and spiders) are on screen the movie is fantastic. These creatures look terrifying (the close ups of the scorpions' face are not pleasant) and the stop motion animation is superb. So...dull except when the monsters are on screen. Worth seeing for monster fans.

I picked up the DVD during my phase of "I must own everything associated with Ray Harryhausen". Seeing his involvement listed on the back of the DVD, combined with the $6.99 price tag and the wonderful cover art made this one a no-brainer.

From the very first few minutes, it is very apparent that they are going for the same look and feel of the 1954 big bug classic "Them!" using the same dusty surroundings and a run-down house that looks eerily similar to the one used in that film. We do have to wait a pretty long time before being treated to our first sighting of the titular bugs, and they look wonderful thanks to FX pioneer Willis O'Brien. My only complaints are that the screeching/groaning noises that they make are the same in tone and length every time they are on screen. Being from Ohio, and unfamiliar with the machinations of an angry scorpion, perhaps I am unqualified to comment on the realism of these effects. Another small problem I have with the presentation of the scorpions, especially "big daddy", is that they always cut to the same close-up stock footage, no matter where the action is situated nor if it is day or night. Other than that, the effects are wonderful, especially the stop-motion chases and the shadows of the pincers chasing after their human prey. Great stuff.

The acting isn't too bad, although it is underplayed a bit too much for my taste. If you're truly in peril, you probably shouldn't be quite as interested in sharing a cocktail with the locals, even if the lead actress is as hubba-hubba worthy as this one.

All in all, this is truly one for your collection, especially if you're a deadly-bug-a-holic like me. I still prefer "Them!" but this one still sits proudly on my shelf.

A 1950's film with a good title and of course a huge creature that brings terror to humans. Not only one scorpion but many of them adds to the excitement in this film. The visual pictures of the scorpions fighting each other and walking around in a deep cavern will give anyone with a fear of scorpions a nightmare. This picture was not only scary at times but funny also. Set in Mexico City for the final battle what made it funny were all the public announcements in English as well as the telephone operator speaking English was stretching the creditability. In the deep cavern, a little boy named Juanito was truly a kid that you wished the scorpions would eat. He was a stowaway and when asked why he did it, his answer was enough for any logic minded person to slap him, "I wanted to help." Another funny scene was when the military man had shot the weapon and missed the throat of the huge black scorpion, so he was pulling the weapon and cable back in to try again and forgetting to tell the generator operator to shut off the 600,000 volts of electricity in the weapon. He got the shock of his life. The scorpion sting is so deadly and after viewing this film you will understand why!

I just saw this for the first time and was blown away by how good it was! As far as monster movies from the 50's go, this is one of the best, if not THE best. Why is it so good?

1. The monsters are fantastic and you see them a lot. This isn't one of those cheapies where you have to imagine what the monster is doing off-screen. If I want to imagine, I can go lie down in bed, close my eyes, and imagine a whole universe - plus, it's cheaper than buying a DVD. When I spend my hard-earned dough on a monster flick, I want to see monsters! This one did not disappoint.

2. The details in this movie put it in a class above the rest. For example, every time the geologists would get near the volcano, we see them in an other-worldly environment where smoke pours from the barren earth - no life or vegetation. Also, the scenes at the bottom of the cave are surreal and primordial, which supports the fact that these giant scorpions are a remnant of a time before memory.

3. How about the fact that they actually use real Mexicans in a movie about Mexico! I know it sounds like a no-brainer, but these old movies always have white people playing the part of locals. (Yeah, I know - the voice of the police chief on the radio sounds like Gary Owens instead of Speedy Gonzales, that's why I rated 8 instead of 9.)

4. The close-up of the drooling, slathering, slobbering scorpion is one of the greatest shots in the history of cinema. You just know he can smell that delicious human flesh and he can't control himself. Plus, that scene at the train wreck where one of the scorpions has a human in its claw and the others come over and try to rip it out while the guy is screaming is pretty horrifying.

Is this film perfect? No, of course not, but when you compare it to other films in this genre and time period, it stands head and shoulders above the rest. If you like animated, moving, flesh eating monsters, then you need to watch this one!

Hugely underrated and often ignored fifties' monster flick. In Mexico, giant scorpions are freed from their subterranean imprisonment by volcanic activity and ravage the countryside, after which an American geologist (Richard Denning, a favorite actor in the genre of fifties' creature features) must work with the Mexican armed forces to destroy them before they rampage through Mexico City. The plot of course is not the most important ingredient here, the fabulously animated stop motion creatures are, vividly brought to life by effects pioneer Willis O'Brien in one of his last features. Though he never relived the fame and success of King Kong (1933), this movie at least provides a similar amount of adventurous excitement and monster fun as that masterpiece did, while the animation is almost on par with its famous predecessor. The movie's most thrilling sequences include huge scorpions wrecking a train and an excursion into the underground realm of the beasts which is also populated by various other beasts (including some of King Kong's 'lost spider pit' leftovers!). Often maligned as just another silly forgetful B-movie of the drive-in days, this movie deserves more love and respect, at least from stop motion enthusiasts.

The only "Big Bug" movie of the fifties to use stop-motion animation (supervised by King Kong's Willis O'Brien). All the others opted for real insects or large caricatures with varying results.

Once things get going, there are a goodly amount of monster scenes that range from outstanding and atmospheric to cheap and superficial. The non effects remainder of the movie is typical tripe with a rather lacking love interest and a little boy who intrudes incessantly.

The Mexican locale is used to effect with some creepy sets and landmark inclusions. Of course the real star is the title character and assorted crawlers . They don't disappoint. The middle staging of the descent underground and the train wreck sequence are remarkable and the finale, while a bit contrived, is done with low-budget luminosity.

Categorically the film stands ahead of its contemporaries and is an overlooked work that while restricted by its production, can stand proudly as a unique undertaking that looks quite classy and is different enough to elevate the movie to cult status. Mostly ignored by casual purveyors of the Sci-Fi pictures of the era.

By the late 1950s, filmmakers must have been running out of insects that they could mutate and transform into giant monsters. Audiences had already been treated to such fare as "Them" (giant ants), "Tarantula" (spiders), "The Monster From Green Hell" (wasps), "The Beginning of the End" (grasshoppers), "The Deadly Mantis" (praying mantises), et al. All of which, I suppose, left scorpions. Hence, "The Black Scorpion," in which a Mexican volcano belches forth a slew of the title nasties to terrorize the countryside. This film, a poor man's "Them" but still better than some of the others just named, features impressive stop motion FX from master Willis "King Kong" O'Brien (although close-ups of the scorpions' slavering countenances are pretty ridiculous looking), realistic-looking shots of a countryside shadowed by that smoldering volcano, and a formulaic 1950s monster script. It also boasts three exceptional scenes: a descent into the subterranean lair where the scorpions and other giant creepy-crawlies dwell; a scorpion attack on a speeding railway car; and the final battle, in a sports arena, between the last surviving arachnid and the Mexican army. Mara Corday, who also starred in "Tarantula," here adds some nice eye candy, and '50s sci-fi stalwart Richard Denning is his usual sturdy self. All in all, not a bad time killer...and, on this DVD incarnation, with some nifty extras, too.

Willis O'Brien's stop motion monsters run the gamut from great(the title creatures) to stupid (the worm like creatures). This is one of the middle of the road giant monster films that would be completely forgotten if it didn't have cool monsters. The plot has a volcano erupting and allowing some long hidden giant beasties to get free. Its nothing you haven't seen before but the cast gives it a try despite the lack luster script. Ultimately its all the effects and for the most part O'Brien delivers. There are a few dumb looking monsters and there are times when O'Brien's technique prove to be inferior to Harryhausen's since the marriage of monster to people produces a flat looking picture (look at the sequences in the cave) but for the most part he comes through. And yet again I have to say the cut away shots of the scorpion faces are very silly after the second time we see them.

This is a very basic "meat and potatoes" monster film. It seems to be inspired by the giant grasshoppers/locusts in the minor classic "The Beginning Of The End", only with giant scorpions instead of hoppers. Or maybe by the giant ants from "Them". The whole movie just reeks of some Mexican producer seeing a movie like those two and saying, "Hey, we could do one of those!! Only with something even scarier, like, er..."

One thing that distinguishes "Black Scorpion" is that the special effects are quite ambitious. (Although "Them" had much more atmosphere). Instead of laughable process shots (hoppers swarming an obvious picture postcard, etc), "Scorpion" features stop-motion animation of the sort later used by Harryhausen in movies like "Clash Of The Titans". We all basically watch monster movies for the special effects for the featured monster, so I think you could argue that "Black Scorpion" ups the ante somewhat from the original. Indeed, there is a scene with giant scorpions swarming over the derailed cars of a passenger train that is actually pretty chilling even now, and the final showdown with scorpion vs tanks and helicopters, is almost worth the time spent getting to the end.

The cast is attractive and likable enough, except for an annoying little kid who obviously exists for no other reason than to endanger himself so the adults can rescue him. The screenplay changes things up a bit by offering two male leads - I couldn't tell who was supposed to be the alpha male for a while, until the blond American started romancing the lead actress, at which point the Hispanic guy seemed to get demoted to comedy sidekick. The writers surprised me, though, because I then expected the Latin fellow to get eaten once he was proved to be expendable...but instead, he made it all the way to the end of the film, and even got a few of the better lines.

Verdict? I wasn't especially impressed by "Black Scorpion". The 2nd rate derivative screenplay was too predictable and by-the-numbers; decent stop motion effects were undercut by laughable, ridiculous closeups of the 'drooling' scorpion that looked like a rubber theater mask made by talented seventh graders. The dubbing didn't suck nearly as badly as is usually the case with this kind of import, but the voice acting was still nothing to get excited about. And the whole thing just kind of plodded along without picking up any momentum. (One thing you could say about "Beginning Of The End" is that it did pick up steam near the end).

Still, it is a decent effort,. It's certainly much, much better than the 'remixed' crap K. Gordon Murray shoveled at us about this time.

One aside - this was covered by MST3000 in their first season (pre Kevin Murphy) and it is obvious that the writers hadn't hit their stride yet. The riffs are mildly funny, enough for a chuckle here and there,and enough to keep you coming back for more. But the writers and actors hadn't reached the level of drollery and whimsy they would achieve once Mike Nelson became the head writer and Murphy assumed the role of "Tom Servo". At that point, the folks at "Bad Brains" stopped trying to impress us with their "bachelor of arts" degrees and settled down to make some serious "funny". Still, as a taste of things to come, their coverage of "Black Scorpion" is worth seeking out to see...once, anyway.

"The Black Scorpion" features great stop-motion effects by the master, Willis O'Brien (unfortunately marred by the frequent injection of a vastly inferior scorpion face close-up that rarely matches the action on screen). The movies starts a bit slow but really gets interesting when the intrepid geologists (and the annoying kid) descend into a cave full of giant worms and arthropods (and possibly a pterodactyl?). One scene that always stood out for me as a kid was the Darwin-award winning death of the heroic major (last words: "I won't miss this time …aaahhhhh" as he picks up the electrified harpoon). Beyond the excellent (at times) effects, the acting and script are pretty typical for the genre's characters (the hero-scientist, the gorgeous but superfluous dame, the old professor who explains things, etc) and do their job in setting up the action sequences. Some of the goofs just add to the charm of the film (you have to wonder if leaving the "Lionel Lines" logo visible on the doomed train was an inside joke) and there is a lot of discussion on IMDb and other sites about possible connections between scenes in this film and the legendary lost spider footage from King Kong (1933), making "The Black Scorpion" a must-see for buffs and historians. All in all: a worthy entry in the giant bug cycle of movies that crawled into theatres in the mid to late '50s.

Well, this movie had a black scorpion in it, but it had more than that. It had multiple black scorpions! Oh, they were giant too. I think the worst thing about this is probably the pacing. After about an hour, it looked like they were going to just stop it. There were too many boring moments but I will admit that the stop motion effects are quite good. I'm not even into stop motion that much. It helps that we get some good close ups of the scorpions showing off the practical effects. Wait, does stop motion count as practical effects? It doesn't seem to hold up well.

I was disappointed the scorpion didn't appear at first, but to be fair, most of the movie did in fact feature it. I didn't know there would be other giant creepy crawlies in this film. It was hard to even recognize that worm. Well, realize it was a worm is what I mean. It would have worked better if it was trimmed by a half hour. Then again, that wouldn't have been enough for a full length movie. As a cheesy little 1950's sci-fi movie, it's just mediocre. I remain impressed by how it looks with the designs. **1/2

Volcanic activity in Mexico frees an enormous variety of scorpion from entombment in the Earth. The beasts proceed to terrorize the locals, and it's up to macho geologists Hank Scott (Richard Denning) and Arturo Ramos (Carlos Rivas) to help save the day. Naturally, Hank also has to spend whatever spare moment he's got romancing rancher Teresa Alvarez (Mara Corday).

You're assured a reasonably good time with 1950s genre perennials Denning ("Creature from the Black Lagoon") and Corday ("Tarantula") as the stars, and with Willis O'Brien of "King Kong" fame doing the stop motion animation of the creatures. Now, granted, it's slow to start, tends to get dialogue heavy at times, and the romantic subplot also helps slow down the pace while the movie should be building to a peak. But "The Black Scorpion" hits its stride at the beginning of the middle third, once the creatures make their appearance. If you're anything like this viewer, you'll be laughing with appreciation every time they make an appearance. (Especially when they're shown in close-up. I, for one, wasn't aware that scorpions drooled this much.) The highlight has to be the big set piece when Hank and Arturo descend into the scorpions' lair and encounter not just the arachnids, but a tentacled worm that was originally intended for use in the "ravine bottom" sequence in "King Kong". Some of the special effects are dodgy, but that doesn't apply to O'Briens' work, which is impressive as always.

Denning, Rivas, and Corday are engaging leads who receive capable support from supporting players Mario Navarro (as the annoying tag along kid Juanito), Carlos Muzquiz (as Dr. Velazco), Pedro Galvan as Father Delgado, and Arturo Martinez as Major Cosio. Navarro is appealing, but he's required to play a kid who only succeeds at putting himself in harms' way in his attempts to "help".

Not among the best "giant creepy crawlie" features of the 1950s, but it's still pretty good fun, with an appropriately rousing finale.

Seven out of 10.

Edward Ludwig directed this science fiction horror thriller that stars Richard Denning as American geologist Hank Scott, who is recruited by the Mexican authorities when an earthquake unleashes a horde of giant scorpions upon the Mexican countryside, causing havoc and destruction as they threaten to overrun the nearby city, then the world. Good model F/X on display, with some harrowing attack scenes(including a vivid cavern sequence), but there is no story or character involvement at all, with the plot being overly familiar and uninspired. A pity, because the film pushed the violence boundaries for its time, but the film just comes up short, and has been strangely forgotten. Basically a rehash of the much superior "Them!"

Alpha male Hank Scott (Richard Denning) is a geologist studying a large volcanic eruption in Mexico. Like most 'red blooded' scientist males of this era, he is suitably wolfish towards women. In this case though, he meets Teresa Alvarez (Mara Corday), who is no pushover. She can ride, shoot and run a ranch, and when she wants a man she gets him on her terms. I enjoy watching the interplay between these two.

Most of the other characters tend to just clutter up the screen - Hank's companion scientist has little to do but be a sidekick, and the 'great' Dr. Velazco is an awkward mid-movie addition. The little kid is cute, but cute little kids are so over-used in 50s movies. He gets annoying fast. Every time I watch the film I keep rooting for that underground spider...but it never quite catches up to the kid. In my dreams though, the outcome is very different. Bwaah hah hah hah.

One of the best things about watching 50s B movies is the science, or the absurd lack thereof. In this film, the scientists are very lax. In several situations Hank acts as if he could care less about geology (he is much more interested in Teresa). And how is it that two geologists explore a giant underground grotto and don't even consider that it might link up with nearby and well-known caverns? Later the two geologists learn about the proximity of the grotto to caverns under Mexico City and and are shown...a map! Duh. Why didn't they think of studying a map before now? Ah, those wacky geologists, always chasing after women and forgetting about basic scientific procedure. But the local scientists are hardly more dedicated or professional. Heck they down test tube shots of tequila in the lab during coffee breaks.

The monsters are the showpiece of the film and they do not disappoint. The creatures are awesome and the stop motion action makes them look really creepy. They move fast and attack swiftly. Very cool. I love the close ups of the drooling creature - how did they make it look fabulous and goofy and scary at the same time? The painted-in scorpion rampaging through the city is not at the same level of quality as the stop motion creatures, but it certainly does not ruin the movie for me. And how about that grotto sequence! By far the very best part of the movie, and as good as it gets in the 50s.

All in all, an excellent giant bug monster movie, one of the best. I think most people consider "Them!" to be the better movie, and they are surely correct. But personally, I think this movie is more fun.

Prehistoric giant scorpions are terrorizing the Mexican countryside. It's up to scientist Richard Denning to put a stop to them. An enjoyable 'giant bug' movie from a decade that specialized in them. It's not one of my favorites of this particular horror subgenre but it is fun. The highlights of the film are the stop-motion special effects created by Willis O'Brien and sexy Mara Corday as the rancher Richard Denning immediately falls for (who can blame him?). For his part, Denning does fine in another of those cardboard hero roles that were common in 1950s sci-fi and horror films. The supporting cast of mostly Mexican actors adds some flavor to things. The amazing stop-motion effects are what most people will love about this one. It's definitely worth a look if you're a fan of 1950s sci-fi and horror. A little slow-going early on but never dull.

The Black Scorpion (1957) is an awesome 50's Sci-Fi Film with Top Rate Effects Supervised by Willis O'Brien (The Lost World '25, King Kong '33). Top notch Stop-Motion Animation some of the best I have seen done by grip turned animator Pete Petetson & his first film was some of the Stop-Motion on the original "Mighty Joe Young" (1949). Which was near the end the animation he did. I have read 2 other comments they say "Them!" (1954) & "Tarantula" (1955) are far better films I don't agree with that simply because neither of them match the special effects that were used in The Black Scorpion. I mean Them! they were like large Prop Ants controlled by crew members on the side off set so u can't see. You are already limited there with how much the ants can move which makes that not the greatest technique but Them! did win an Oscar for best Special Effects good effects just not as good as Stop-Motion Animation Special Effects. Now Tarantula (1955) more movement since most scenes of that film used a real Tarantula magnified on screen to look 100 Feet Tall. Some scenes actually used a large scale prop Tarantula with movable limbs. On the close up scenes of the eyes gazing through the house window at a Pajama Clad Mara Corday that was the large prop Tarantula. Also the inside shots of the Tarantula ripping the house apart on the inside shots that was the Large Prop Tarantula as well. The outside shots were of course the real Tarantula magnified. Which I know how they did that if you really know Tarantulas it was actually in a struggle with another animal or insect on the scene of it pounced upon the house & destroying it. All Brilliantly done too. So with a real Tarantula & Large Prop Tarantula you are limited to what u can do. Now with Stop-Motion u are not limited u can have the creature or creatures do whatever u want by moving them one frame at a time. And if u only move them so much each time the animation can look very smooth & not jerky cause I have seen some jerky shitty animation & this is some of the best I have seen. So I think "The Black Scorpion" (1957) is a better 50's Atomic Sci-Fi Thriller Giant Creature Feature then Them! & Tarantula. Because of the spectacular Stop-Motion Effects done by Willis O'Brien & Pete Peterson. Any fan of Stop-Motion & fans of Effects used for older Sci-Fi Films would know Stop-Motion was the best just like CGI is for those types of films now. Even in a computerized world I pick Stop-Motion over CGI. The acting & cast is also a par over the usual in this film. Great acting from the stars Richard Denning & Mara Corday both recognized for B Sci-Fi Films of the 1950's Corday was also leading lady in (Tarantula '55 & The Giant Claw '57.) My favorite scenes in the film are probably #1 when the 50 Foot Scorpions dislodge the train from the tracks & devour humans like they are flies. Then the 100 Foot Black Scorpion comes fights then kills them. My other favorite scene would have to be at the end in The Stadium when the Black Scorpion is fighting the military with the tanks, guns & helicopters. How they finally hit that soft spot under the throat with the electric cable how it keeps on fighting & getting back up I thought when I first saw the film it was awesome it was like the thing was never gonna die. So I give this film an 8 It is the second best 50's Giant Monster Movie. The best I think is "It Came From Beneath The Sea" (1955) of course because of Master Ray Harryhausen's ground breaking Stop-Motion Animation Work in that. The Octopus had so much character in It Came. More so then any of the scorpions in Black. But still The Black Scorpion is awesome! I don't care how much better Them! & Tarantula did in the Theaters then The Black Scorpion. Also what the critics say means nothing. I like The Black Scorpion better then both those films. The only film from that period similar that I think is better is "It Came From Beneath The Sea" (1955)The Master Of Stop-Motion Animation Ray Harryhausen obviously is the reason which I already stated. So any Stop-Motion Fan or Fans of 50's Giant Monster Sci-Fiers should check it out.