Monday, April 30, 2012

THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS / Howco Productions - 1957

It's Monster Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. Our offering is a flick that I actually saw at the time. If you don't remember or even know, this classic fifties sci-fi story's about a criminal brain, Gor, from the distant planet Arous who assumes the body of scientist Steve March after arriving on Earth. Through him, Gor begins to control the world by threatening destruction to any country that challenges his domination. Another brain shows up, Val, who has come to take Gor back to Arous for his punishment. That nice window card there is still part of my poster collection.

Eegah!! has dug this soundclip up from his pit, sooo, push the big red 'GO' button next to the destruct button, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here's some sounds from... THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS!

Such disrespect!.. In order to use this sci-fi pulp in the shot, they tore the name off in what looks like a quick solution 2 seconds before rolling! That's Robert Fuller as Steve's assistant, Dan, reading scary lines from a story. That gag was used a number of times in fifties monster flicks.

At Bronson Canyon, Steve and Dan find high levels of radiation in a newly created cave!

Back at home, Gor exits Steve's body to get some rest. Notice the placement of girlfriend Sally's picture.

Notice this juicy shot of Sally as she takes a bite of her food!

Notice how Steve rips her blouse in a fit of lust! Dude, this is 1957!! A year later, there were more strong sexual statements (especially for the time) made in I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE. Thomas Browne Henry plays Sally's father.

When Gor is occupying Steve's body, he can be a real sleazeball. John does a pretty convincing job as Gor.

We get to see one of the dead bodies recovered from a plane crash after Steve blew it out of the air with sheer mental power.

The Sheriff accuses him of murdering his assistant, so, Steve roasts him like a marshmallow!

When he explodes an atomic bomb in front of a group of officials from around the world, he shows them how useless it would be to oppose him! As the hopelessness sinks in, Steve laughs maniacally. Pretty creepy.

Luckily, Steve sees the important note Sally has left for him!

It's rough and tumble play before Steve finally puts an ax into Gor's vulnerable spot, the Fissure of Tony Orlando!..

Now that Gor ist kaput, Val leaves the body of George the dog and heads back to planet Arous. Good-bye, everbloody!

Ready for this?.. To celebrate the month of May, Tabonga will be posting only Mexican Monster Movies!!

3 comments:

Exeter said...

WoW!
One of my favorites!
I've even got a "Brain from Planet Arous" T-shirt!

warewolfboy said...

there's a colourised version by Color systems technologies for "attack of the killer b movies'.

Anonymous said...

Oh gawd, how I love this film! It was the very first sci-fi "b-movie" that I saw on the old console RCA teevee, back in 1963 on the first airing of the famed Chiller Theater in Pittsburgh, PA.

This is just about the ideal low-budget sci-fi thriller-on-a-shoestring, and though I sadly never got to meet John Agar, I did briefly correspond with the film's producer, Jacques Marquette, back around 1990. My reason for writing was mostly to thank him for this film, one of about a dozen such letters to people responsible in one way or another for making my most-loved sci-fi flicks. He seemed surprised and delighted by my letter.

Upon getting my first VCR around 1980, my first Beta tape purchase was BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS from Admit One Video in Canada. I wish I still had that damned Beta videocassette, just as a souvenir keepsake on the old bookshelf!

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