The Unknown Terror (1957)
A woman leads an expedition into a remote jungle to find her long-lost brother, but instead finds a mad scientist who has created a fungus monster that feeds on the local inhabitants.
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Simply A Masterpiece
Fresh and Exciting
Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
As others have noted, this is not great, but not terrible. There is something about it that just makes it fun to watch. I, too, remember it from my youth on Dr. Shock (a Philly-based horror movie show).I recently scored a DVD copy of the film and thoroughly enjoyed it after a 35 year hiatus. I still enjoyed it.It's one of those movies in which you can see that they spent some money on it, made sure to use real actors who were decent, write a decent script, and make sure they used good sets and locations.Also, like others, the main thing I remember is the fungus. Oozing down cave walls, looking a bit like bath bubbles with an attitude! Fun stuff.
I remember seeing this as a kid on local TV and being somewhat put out by the fact that you never got a clear look at the infected natives (probably for good reasons) and that the killer fungus monster at the finale was obviously tons of soap suds mixed in with a little dry ice fog. Oddly enough it stuck with me and soon I was putting shampoo in my hair and screaming "The fungus,the fungus!" Still,the leads all do a good straight faced job and the script doesn't contain the amount of Ed Wood style howlers you'd expect it to.As far as I know this is also the last horror film to present calypso singer Sir Lancelot who had appeared in the Val Lewton Films I walked with a Zombie and Curse Of The Cat People. The song "You Got To Suffer To Be Born Again is a mix of genius and absurdity. Highly recommended to anyone who likes old B movies.
Only recently have movie makers started to make movies like this again. This movie was one of the hidden gems of science fiction. The plot was basic, with interesting characters, and an exciting story line. One outstanding feature was that the hero was actually disabled. Try getting a script like that past producers in the 70's through the 90's! And he was very likable, dignified character. A team, your basic hero, the girl, and the preppy glory seeking antagonist, search for the girl's brother in a remote cave, and find a few surprises. The monster fungus is scary by any day's standards, due to proper directing techniques. The film works. And it leaves you with a sense of excitement and enjoyment. It is a truly fun movie.
Spoilers are here.I saw this film for the first time a few days ago. After having seen it cited for "Best Use Of Soap Suds in a Horror Film" just after I bought it, I was a little afraid I had wasted my money. Glad to report it is decent, even if it still has its problems. ( They use the same shots over and over again in the climax, and everything just splutters to a halt at the end as if no one had thought that far ahead when they began filming.) BUT FOR A WHILE, the atmosphere is good, evocative of something very juicy-bad about to happen. The character actor Paul Richards, a well-known face from literally countless TV shows of the 60s, has a nice role.