It begins like a film you might think you've seen before, but then turns into fresh territory and offers many small surprises, in a film that begs for the viewer to do some of the detective work, then surprises again. The score falls somewhere between a Leone and a Hitchcock picture, which is saying something since the writer/director wrote the score. All the performances make sense by the end and there is a satisfying climax. I agree with the viewer who said this reminds of Jacob's Ladder but it's not the same story either. Rewarding for a thoughtful Indie film lover.
Reviews
4 Reviews
The H-Man
(1958)
Green blob from Japan melts men in sensational style
22 August 2004
The early Toho Japanese imports took themselves seriously and so did American kids, who flocked to see THE H-MAN, RODAN, THE MYSTERIANS, and BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (despite the dubbed dialogue) during this period.
In my town, the first 50 customers at the box office received an "H-Man" premium -- to this day I don't know what that item was -- green Silly Putty?
An action figure?
The H-Man "himself" was a green (in some cases blue -- the Eastmancolor prints I've seen to date leave some doubt, but he looked green in the "previews" in 1958) blob that ran under its own power through sewer grates, up walls, and under doors to attack people by running up their bodies and melting them down inside their clothes, leaving nothing but a mystery. In fact, the plot is superficially a mystery/crime drama with some silly and cursory science behind the H-Man, but as these films go, THE H-MAN was a minor sensation -- the movie was not too long, dark and moody, with plenty of reasonably convincing effects to recommend it. This was "The Blob" without the teenagers, and the scenes of people dissolving were fairly sensational and pretty scary for its day -- folks being deflated like balloons and melted into puddles of suds.
The theater in my town announced the coming attraction in the lobby by featuring an "actual H-Man victim" on display -- which was a toupee lying on top of a crumpled man's suit, with a pair of shoes underneath. Crude, but effective...
In my town, the first 50 customers at the box office received an "H-Man" premium -- to this day I don't know what that item was -- green Silly Putty?
An action figure?
The H-Man "himself" was a green (in some cases blue -- the Eastmancolor prints I've seen to date leave some doubt, but he looked green in the "previews" in 1958) blob that ran under its own power through sewer grates, up walls, and under doors to attack people by running up their bodies and melting them down inside their clothes, leaving nothing but a mystery. In fact, the plot is superficially a mystery/crime drama with some silly and cursory science behind the H-Man, but as these films go, THE H-MAN was a minor sensation -- the movie was not too long, dark and moody, with plenty of reasonably convincing effects to recommend it. This was "The Blob" without the teenagers, and the scenes of people dissolving were fairly sensational and pretty scary for its day -- folks being deflated like balloons and melted into puddles of suds.
The theater in my town announced the coming attraction in the lobby by featuring an "actual H-Man victim" on display -- which was a toupee lying on top of a crumpled man's suit, with a pair of shoes underneath. Crude, but effective...
X-15
(1961)
Early Bronson film re experimental rocketplane into space
2 July 2004
From the late 50s, this early Charles Bronson starrer dramatized the real-life development of the rocket-powered X-15 experimental aircraft, which was launched from the belly of a B-52 bomber and was flown by test pilots to high speeds and high altitude in an effort to touch the edge of space.
The X-15 was a successful part of the development program that also included precursors like the X-1 and the Stiletto, and later produced pilots for NASA and technology used in early space shuttle concepts.
I saw the film more than once on its initial run, and it seems to me this was sometimes double-billed with the somewhat similar air power goings-on of Karl Maulden's BOMBERS B-52.
The X-15 was a successful part of the development program that also included precursors like the X-1 and the Stiletto, and later produced pilots for NASA and technology used in early space shuttle concepts.
I saw the film more than once on its initial run, and it seems to me this was sometimes double-billed with the somewhat similar air power goings-on of Karl Maulden's BOMBERS B-52.
Bombers B-52
(1957)
Popular 50s air power drama with Natalie Wood
2 July 2004
This was a popular and often-run feature in the late 50s which had the advantage of a good cast in Karl Malden, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., and Natalie Wood.
"Flight" was very popular science in the 50s and the subject matter produced many films with big stars (Jimmy Stewart played in more than one of these, "Strategic Air Command" and "Spirit of St. Louis" to name a couple).
"Bombers B-52" and "X-15" (with Charles Bronson) shared double bills in my neighborhood on more than one occasion, as these films were likely to draw in a good crowd of young and enthusiastic boys who were probably building the plastic model kits at home as well.
"Flight" was very popular science in the 50s and the subject matter produced many films with big stars (Jimmy Stewart played in more than one of these, "Strategic Air Command" and "Spirit of St. Louis" to name a couple).
"Bombers B-52" and "X-15" (with Charles Bronson) shared double bills in my neighborhood on more than one occasion, as these films were likely to draw in a good crowd of young and enthusiastic boys who were probably building the plastic model kits at home as well.
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