Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman

Starring:Daryl Hannah, Daniel Baldwin, William Windom, Frances Fisher, Cristi Conaway, Paul Benedict, O'Neal Compton, Victoria Haas, Lewis Arquette, Kye Benson, Xander Berkeley, Linda Bisesti, Hamilton Camp, Ben Cleaveland, Richard Edson, George Gerdes, Dru Mouser, Stephen Rowe, Edmund L. Shaff, Hilary Shepard
Director: Christopher Guest
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Product Type: DVD

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Featuring three enjoyably "awful" movies from 1958-59, Cult Camp Classics, Vol. 1: Sci-Fi Thrillers turns nuclear radiation into cause for celebration, especially if you enjoy movies with extra cheese. With the Cold War in full swing and society's worries blamed on the threat of nuclear annihilation, sci-fi buffs (like future filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, and John Landis) could see a new monster movie almost every week. Many of them came from Allied Artists, the low-budget B-movie production company (formerly Monogram) that rose from the ghetto of "poverty row" distribution to produce countless exploitation thrillers between 1946 and 1979. The '50s saw the rise of nuclear monster thrillers, and Allied popularized the trend with its own menagerie of giant, irradiated creatures. The key to Allied's success was its crowd-pleasing combination of exploitable ingredients, and what better way to combine sci-fi, sex, and horror than to unleash a towering babe with an attitude problem? That's exactly what Allied did with Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, a now-classic campfest in which a spurned wife (Allison Hayes) is irradiated by a glowing alien space-ball, grows to a height of (you guessed it), and exacts revenge upon her cheating husband (William Hudson). A year before she bared her shapely backside as Playboy's Playmate of the Month for July 1959, Yvette Vickers costars as Hudson's scheming mistress, giving the film an extra boost of sex appeal. With bargain-priced effects including a giant floppy-fingered hand, hilarious process shots, and cheesy models destroyed by the world's biggest bitch (for whom it is still possible to feel some sympathetic compassion), the movie's not as good as its celebrated poster (which now adorns movie-geek T-shirts around the world), but it's still a lot of fun.

The Giant Behemoth was director Eugene Lourie's obvious attempt to capitalize on his 1953 hit The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, starring a gigantic paleosaurus rising from the Atlantic with a bad case of atomic radiation. London is the monster's eventual stomping ground, but the lumbering lizard is camera-shy for nearly an hour; you can imagine Beaver Cleaver and his pals groaning through seemingly endless scenes of talky exposition, anxiously awaiting the climactic stop-motion creature effects supervised by the legendary Willis (King Kong) O'Brien. Scoring much higher on the camp-o-meter, and far more entertaining, is the cult classic Queen of Outer Space, which borrows props and costumes from Forbidden Planet, Flight to Mars and World Without End for its outrageously kitschy plot about manly astronauts who crash-land on Venus and discover an underground society of mini-skirted space-babes. Unfortunately the disfigured Venusian queen (Laurie Mitchell) is a man-hater supreme, so the spectacularly costumed Zsa Zsa Gabor (as a Venusian scientist, no less) leads a revolution against her. With a screenplay by Twilight Zone veteran Charles Beaumont and a story credited (almost incredibly) to legendary playwright/screenwriter Ben Hecht (who surely never suspected his idea would eventually yield this movie), Queen of Outer Space is exactly what you'd expect it to be: So bad it's good, and more than worthy of inclusion in this irresistibly priced triple-feature set. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
Three feature-length commentaries accompany the sci-fi thrillers in Cult Camp Classics, Vol. 1. Two of the commentaries are hosted by Tom Weaver, a noted authority on sci-fi and horror films whose historical acumen is more casual than academic: While sharing the commentary on Queen of Outer Space with the film's titular star Laurie Mitchell (who became a mainstay at fan conventions at Weaver's invitation), Weaver fails to explain how the production came to use props and costumes from the classic Forbidden Planet, and that's a glaring oversight. He compensates as an amiable interviewer with the equally good-natured Mitchell, and it's a treat to hear them enthusiastically reading unfilmed scenes from the film's original screenplay. For the commentary on Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, Weaver is joined by the film's comely costar Yvette Vickers (another regular at sci-fi conventions), and their combined anecdotes provide an adequate oral history of this camp-classic production. Star Wars veterans and special-effects masters Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett provide the loose-and-lazy commentary on The Giant Behemoth, which consists mostly of Muren making sarcastic jokes about the film's glacial pacing. It's hardly the authoritative commentary that some fans might've hoped for, but Muren and Tippett are well-versed in special-effects history (Muren even owns the original stop-motion Behemoth creature model), and they share an infectious enthusiasm for the films that inspired them to excel in their profession. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Extremely Fun Boxset.......2007-06-30

If you like 50's sci-fi, this set is a must have. Nice widescreen, anamorphic prints of all 3 films--50 Foot Woman and Giant Behemoth are b& w, Queen of Outer Space is in glorious Cinemascope color!

The Giant Behemoth is another solid 50's stop-motion effect giant monster movie, in the vein of Beast from 20,0000 Fathoms, The Black Scorpion and others. Very enjoyable.

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is actually not as campily bad as it's usually hyped. The special effects are occasionally lackluster and do add a comedy element, but the acting, dialogue, cinematography and score are all decent. Pretty standard, fun 50's sci-fi.

Queen of Outer Space--now this is the camp classic! From this movie, I learned that the only women who don't welcome overt sexual harassment from leering, agressive men are the ones who are too hideously disfigured to be the object of said advances! Imagine Forbidden Planet, with all the cool special effects and engaging plot themes removed and replaced with lots of scantily-clad alien beauties and 50's era "battle of the sexes" dialogue--on the planet Venus, of course! Botchino! Botchino!

All in all, a very fun set for fans of 50's sci-fi.

Outstanding treatment of 3 sci-fi camp classics.......2007-06-27

This three-pack is an interesting collection of B features that are typical of what was churned out pretty regularly by some of the lesser studios that were capitalizing on the sci-fi films that were popular during the 1950's. These B pictures often came out campy, and these three are a best-of-breed collection that make for great fun. Like Dr. Johnny Fever whose DJ career took a plunge after he said the word "booger" on the air until he eventually landed at low-rent WKRP, you have to wonder how some of the talent involved in these productions wound up in this position. You've got bad directors gone worse, special effects artists going the way of Ed Wood, and girls gone wild - all the makings of some great cheesy fun. What is so great about this pack is that Warner Home Video cleaned up the video and audio on these films quite nicely, and even put commentary tracks on these films. Not even James Cagney merited a commentary track in his Signature Collection! The films and their features are as follows:

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
A great case of camp and sci-fi meeting a love triangle. Poor little rich girl Nancy Archer has been drinking heavily since she found out her husband has been cheating on her, and it has recently caused her to do a stretch in an asylum - there was no such thing as substance abuse clinics back then. When Nancy drives off angrily into the desert one night she has an encounter with a very big alien who infects her with his largesse. Now we have a very big girl with one bad attitude on our hands intent on taking the nearby town apart to find her husband. I used to see this one on the UHF channels late at night back in the early 70's when I was babysitting. Great fun.
DVD Special Features:
Commentary by Yvette Vickers and film historian Tom Weaver
Subtitles: English & French (feature film only)

The Giant Behemoth (1958)
Here's another movie where metabolism has been altered, this time by science and radioactive fallout. This was one of the later giant creature movies of the 1950's, and it hasn't been as fondly remembered as its forerunner "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", but it is still great fun. This time a giant brachiosaurus, greatly enlarged due to improperly dumped radioactive material, emerges from the sea and is intent on destroying London. The poverty row budget shows in this one in spite of the presence of some skilled technicians that had worked on King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Wires are often clearly visible, as is footage of one car being destroyed by the giant beast being used repeatedly in the movie as though they are different events.
DVD Special Features:
Commentary by veteran special effects creators Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett (The Academy Award winning visual effects and dinosaur supervisors of "Jurassic Park" provide insight into this ground-breaking stop-motion monster.)
Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English & French (Feature Film Only)

Queen of Outer Space (1958)
This campy outer space movie has a captain and his crew landing on a planet where men are not allowed. However, not all of the residents of the planet are happy about this edict. Thus it comes down to the man-hating queen versus the planet's leading scientist (Zsa Zsa Gabor). To add to the suspense, like Marvin Martian, Queen Yllana wants to blow up the earth. Everyone in this film seems to know they are starring in a campy production and they are just having fun with it. This movie actually borrowed its sets, costumes, and special effects from "Flight To Mars", "Forbidden Planet", and "World Without End", and has a screenplay by the renowned Ben Hecht of all people.
DVD Special Features:
Commentary by Laurie Mitchell and film historian Tom Weaver
Theatrical Trailer
Subtitles: English & French (feature film only)

Good to see these films again.......2007-06-26

Prints for these films look fine, and it's good to see such modest movies cleaned up and given the DVD treatment, though some purists will question the minor letterboxing on "50 ft. Woman" and "Behemoth". Yvette Vickers commentary on "50 ft. Woman" is a treat. She remembers the film well and speaks fondly of it and of her time spent making the movie. Be aware though: the advertisements say the trailer for "Woman" is on the DVD, but for some reason it isn't. Strange: probably an oversight. "Behemoth" looks sharp and clear, but Dennis Muren and Phil Tippet's commentary does a great disservice. They clearly don't respect the film at all, and spend much of their time insulting it, even mocking it, before wrapping up with "well, I guess now we know why they never made a sequel to this movie." Wish they'd had some affection for the film, or had at least familiarized themselves with it before offering such caustic feedback. By the ninth or tenth time they say, "Ray Harryhausen would have done this SO MUCH better" the novelty wears thin, and one wonders what Harryhausen himself might have said about the movie. "Queen of Outer Space" has the novelty of color, and the surprising pedigree of a Ben Hecht screen story. Kudos to Warner Bros. for putting these films out, and yes, the "Behemoth" disc has the often cut ferryboat scene, for those who are interested. Too bad about the shoddy "Behemoth" commentary, but fans should enjoy thoroughly these long-awaited B movies.

These are not real movies............2007-06-23

real Movies have great casting and scripts to work with. None of these B-movies have any of that. They are not even scary. They are just so badly made and it;s no wonder that few if any of these actors ever found work again.

What a bargain!.......2007-06-08

If you enjoy 1950s campy B movies, then I don't see you going wrong here with this first set. For details just search each of the movie titles and you see each movie alone runs almost as much as this set and you will see from the reviews they are all kind of legends as far as the genre goes. They actually are some of the best of that period of B movies. I know I like all three of these in this set. I can say I compare the "50 ft Woman" to the "War of the Colossal Beast" and "The Giant Behemoth" to "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms". The last one with Zsa Zsa Gabor on the planet of women is not to be missed if nothing more than to see how far we had plunged into skimpily clad women with bad lines in B class SciFi moviedom. Hmmm does B stand for bad? Well even if it does these movies are entertaining for most fans of science fiction.

The first two movies in the set are black and white movies but they look like they have been gone over and cleaned up. "Queen of Outer Space" is in color and very clear and sharp. I got my set a few days ago so my wife and I watched the first two in the set a couple nights ago and the third last night. All the DVDs are sharp and clear. Each had a commentary available by someone in the movie. "Does anyone know if the costumes, sets, and music for "Queen of Outer Space" was done by people that later worked on "Star Trek"? The mens uniforms and radios definitely looked like they came from the "Forbidden Planet" wardrobe. I'm definitely glad I got this set.

Average customer rating:

ROMP HOUSE
FEISTY FIFTIES FEMME FLAILS THRU FIFTY FOOT FREAKOUT!
One Star schlock = cult classic: It's so bad, it's good!!!!!
Loads of fun..
Don' t take it too seriously!

Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman
Starring: Allison Hayes , William Hudson , Yvette Vickers , Roy Gordon , and George Douglas
Director: Nathan Juran
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OHZJFK
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Description

Nancy Archer has had an alien encounter and it's left her 50 ft. tall! Now she sees the men in her life from a new angle--looking down on them--and it's time to fight back! Director: Nathan Juran Starring: Allison Hayes, Yvette Vickers, William Hudson

Customer Reviews:

ROMP HOUSE.......2007-07-04

You can see through her. She doesn't quite get to 50ft in some scenes, while in others she's taller than the title promises (a bonus there). On the cover she has auburn hair, on the back, she's a blond and in the film, its dark. She drinks too much, loves too hard, has too much money for her own good and always falls for the wrong man - she is the 50ft WOMAN and she is on the ATTACK, but only in the last few moments of the film... as for the rest... it's a tale of a woman hooked on sour mash and her man, who's looking for fresh grapes.

Love hurts. ATTACK OF THE 50FT WOMAN is a cautionary tale of what happens when aliens meddle in romance and what path of destruction a 50ft woman will leave in her wake trying to right the wrongs done to her. It's a campy, well shot, well performed, sketchy effects cocktail that is sure to leave you calling for another round, but at a mere 66 mins, closing time comes too early for this classy little film. ATTACK is a lot of fun, and more serious than you first realize, and honestly seems like two different films grafted together, yet neither completes (or compliments) the other very well. But, you don't really notice it too much as the film hurtles along from one idea to the next until the end.

Commentary is included with Tom Weaver and Yvette Vickers (HONEY PARKER), and Yvette brings much of her experience both on ATTACK and on her acting career to the table, while Weaver brings a copy of her original script (with her handwritten notes), and some solid background information on the production - but, unlike other commentaries where Weaver is alone, he does not relate the full story, instead he interviews Vickers for information and insight. It's good, it's funny, and you do learn a lot, but I did miss the rapid fire delivery and depth of backstory that Weaver has brought to other commentaries.

ATTACK is a smart film. The title and suggestive, yet inaccurate, poster art may turn some people away, but for the brave, and for the fans, ATTACK is a must have, and no collection would be complete without it.

FEISTY FIFTIES FEMME FLAILS THRU FIFTY FOOT FREAKOUT!.......2007-06-13

Jeez, can't a guy spend an enjoyable evening quietly two-timing his wife in a seedy dive without her giant rubber hand smashing through the ceiling to stub out his worthless life like a stale cigarette? Well ... apparently not. At least, that is the disquieting possibility explored in Attack Of The 50 Foot Woman, a grade-Z sci-fi classic from the 50's. Brimming with bargain basement effects, cardboard characters, and cheese whiz dialog, it is completely wonderful in its awfulness - or awful in its wonderfulness, if you prefer. It's certainly a giant rubber hand slap across the kisser to anyone who thought that the Donna Reed decade was all about female conformance and passivity. Hah! This dreckathon gamely puts paid to those stereotypes, what with an oversized Allison Hayes, nursing an outsized anti-hubby grudge, ripping the roofs off Hicksville to exact a super-family-sized spousal payback. Yes, it's the battle of the sexes waged on a giant scale - or a fifty-foot scale, anyway. Make sure you see it with someone you love ... it's the perfect couples movie!

One Star schlock = cult classic: It's so bad, it's good!!!!!.......2007-05-02

Like a previous writer, I grew up in suburban New York (Darien, CT.) watching Chiller Theatre every Saturday night with my older brother: The Cyclops, Frankenstein's Daughter, The Hideous Sun Demon, Plan 9 from Outer Space and this classic, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

I love this film, because it represents a time when kids and teens were easier to please with regard to movies. I remember being facsinated by the giant alien - who looks like a bald gladiator, picking up the sheriff's car with his hand and throwing it down on the ground. For a five year old in 1961, that was scary. All those movies on Chiller Theatre (on WPIX Ch. 11, New York)were scary, and my brother and I always looked forward to watching these movies every Saturday night at 8:30-10:00.(Yes, I was allowed to stay awake until 10pm on Saturdays, just to watch Chiller Theatre.) You have to appreciate the 50's sci-fi mentality to enjoy this film. Special effects are cheesy, but then, who cares? This stuff s all about nostalgia and growing up in a simpler, more innocent time.

Loads of fun.........2007-04-26

Why is it that some movies that aren't that good fun to watch??Some hold up and some don't.I must admit,I love this movie,even though I expected to see what was on the poster,but maybe they didn't have the budget.First off,you have to ask one simple question:How does she fit in that house when she's big?? Are her arms and legs sticking out of the windows or what?The truth is that it doesn't matter.Just have fun with it and enjoy!I could see MST3K riffing on this and maybe you will,if you decide to purchase this.If not,don't take it seriously and enjoy it for what it is..Allison Hayes was a great B movie actress who died too young,so check out her other films,too,like THE UNDEAD or THE GUNSLINGER.Just to name a few..This is NOT serious sci-fi,but who cares?? It's a fun movie..check it out!

Don' t take it too seriously!.......2005-12-19

If you have nothing to do, the weather is rainy and cold and there is nothing to watch or even read in your home, come for this amazing and grotesque characterization. It is delirious portrait of fantastic humor, if I may use this term.

Average customer rating:

Attack of the 50 ft woman
Attack of the 50 Ft. PMS Woman
Good movie
Has a charming attraction with a meaningful message
Ain't spandex great?

Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman
Starring: Daryl Hannah , Daniel Baldwin , William Windom , Frances Fisher , and Cristi Conaway
Director: Christopher Guest
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Description

Nancy Archer has had an alien encounter and it?s left her 50 ft. tall! Now she sees the men in her life from a new angle - looking down on them - and it?s time to fight back.

Customer Reviews:

Attack of the 50 ft woman.......2007-01-20

Good movie,my wife wanted it but I also thought it was entertaining.

Attack of the 50 Ft. PMS Woman.......2007-01-11

Not as good as the original but at least it is in color! This was not one of Daryl Hannah's finest moment. Some of the special effects were laughable especially the miniaturization of the city. Over all, the cast wasn't that good. However, if remakes of old classics are your bag this might be for you. Now we wait for the Wasp Woman to be remade!

Good movie.......2006-11-04

This is a interesting movie. It has a feminist message, and it can make you think a little bit. I do not liked the end of the movie however; If Harry does not love her (the 50ft woman), there is no reason to kidnap him. He does not deserve a 'happy end', but to force him to do something that he does not want to do... well I think that it is not the right thing to do.

Has a charming attraction with a meaningful message.......2006-03-29

A woman is frustrated with many important aspects of her life. Her own father and her husband don't care for her and she's seems to be lost in life until a window of opportunity comes from outer space. She experiences a ray of light from a spaceship that changes her life to be more the person she wants to be. But there happens to be a dangerous side effect, she grows to be 50 feet tall. She uses her new found power to discipline the people that did her wrong, particularly her unfaithful husband. I enjoyed the special effects, especially when the giant is roaming the town's buildings with hoards of screaming people in the streets. This is a remake from the 1958 original of the same name.

Ain't spandex great?.......2004-11-04

This is an HBO remake of the original 50's 50 footer. Naturally there had to be some adjustments for the new era. However it still captures the thrills and chills. You may also marvel at the spandex clothing that stretches for ever (rats.)

Nancy (the little woman) does not have quite the devoted husband. Here life is not quite ideal. Soon a chance encounter with aliens (the space type) leaves her feeling bigger about the situation. 50 foot bigger. Now it is Nancy's turn for a little revenge. The ending is a little unnerving.

Be sure to see Daryl in just as serious of a role in "High spirits" (1998)

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