Saturday, June 1, 2013

THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (1959) movie review


Monster of Piedras Blancas, The (1959) d. Berwick, Irvin (USA)

With screenwriter H. Haile Chace aking more than a few cues from a certain inhabitant from the Black Lagoon down the way, this amusing low-budget creature feature takes place in an oceanside village suddenly menaced by a scaly biped with a taste for human blood and lighthouse keeper John Harmon's sexy daughter Jeanne Carmen.


Following the '50s monster playbook, we don’t see much of the beastie until more than halfway through the film, but once 'Ol Dogfish Face finally steps into the light, creature designer Jack Kevan’s results are none-too-shabby. (If it seems like you’ve seen those claws that lovingly fondle Carmen’s abandoned garments before, it’s probably because you have: they were also used in 1956’s The Mole People.)


No new ground is broken here, but for fans of “guy-in-a-suit” monster flicks, this one will certainly serve the turn. Trivia: Pete Dunn plays both suitor Eddie and the titular White Rock Terror.)

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