The Flame Barrier (1958)

Must See Movie...

Absolutely Brilliant!

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

This movie has virtually disappeared from the face of the Earth. Of those who saw it on late night TV in the 1960's, who can forget the look of terror frozen on the scientist who had been"absorbed" by the radioactive crystalline goo? You who are too young to remember, it will seem like nothing. But for those vintage enough to remember, that scene must be seared in the back of your eye sockets. And how did a satellite crash through a jungle, skid hard enough to leave a scorched gouge, and then somehow wedge itself down into the bottom of a cave anyway?You are in for a real treat. This classic can now be found on the Internet Archive (www.Archive.org). Please remember to tip your waitress . . .https://archive.org/details/TheFlameBarrier1958_20170708

This was actually a well made movie with good production values, nice location filming and some good acting but it totally loses it's momentum in the script department. You will think you are watching a jungle exploration flick with a lot of bickering for most of the film. There a a few scattered special effects here and there but most of the 'action' takes place at the end with a very abrupt ending that demonstrates the poor scriptwork.Not bad by any means but definitely a 'B minus' flick.The are actually some other 50's sci-if you should see before this one: First Man into Space - Caltiki the Immortal Monster (goriest 50's sci-fi yet) - Space Master X-7(in widescreen 2:35 if you can find it!) - Night the World Exploded

This film was first released in 1958 to fill the bottom half of a double bill with the much superior RETURN OF DRACULA. I have an original poster for this double bill hanging in my living room. I first saw this film as a kid on T.V. in the mid sixties. It was frequently shown on "Supernatural Theater." It was one of my favorites when I was a kid. However, viewing the film as an adult, without eyes dimmed by nostalgia, THE FLAME BARRIER is just what it is; a quickly made thriller to back up a much superior film to fill a "shock" double bill. On the plus side: I will admit the film does have a few good shocks. One character suddenly burns to death and turns into a skeleton (for reasons that that are never adequately explained) and the shot of the dead scientist body embedded in protoplasmic mass are pretty effective. The cast is good and the direction involving enough that you forget half the film consists of the cast cutting through brush. However, the script has the feel of having been written very quickly. The film wraps up leaving the viewer with more loose ends than an old dish rag. When the explorers find the satellite and protoplasmic mass, they also find the monkey that was sent up in satellite still alive. Why did the protoplasmic mass not devour it or destroy it with its radiation when the monkey was in the satellite with it? As the previous reviewer here pointed out, this blob stays in one place and much of the plot depends on this. Yet, before the cast even encounters the blob, they encounter charred skeletons, a blood soaked Indian village, and then there is the Indian guide who was never near the blob encased satellite, who suffers from radiation burns and then mysteriously burns up down to a skeleton. Perhaps the satellite brought something else back with it that the adventurers didn't encounter? Perhaps more likely this film was rushed into production before the writers had time for a re-write to tie up all the loose ends.

Blob movies became suddenly quite fashionable in the late fifties; this lesser-known entry offers a few unique twists. Unlike the slipping, sliding blobs of other films, this one doesn't move, apparently content to remain stationary while digesting its first two victims, a space ship and its single human occupant. It does, however, have the ability to project a forcefield which instantly disintegrates any would-be rescuers who come too close. Anyway, this film is professionally made and acted, and has its share of suspenseful sequences. And the image of the man encased in the protoplasm, his face frozen in an agonized silent scream, is a horrific one.