Invasion of the Saucer Men is a 1957 American science fiction horror comedy feature film directed by Edward L. Cahn.
The movie stars Steve Terrell and Gloria Castillo and personally produced by James H. Nicholson for his American International Pictures (AIP). The film’s working title was the rather blander Spacemen Saturday Night. It was released in the UK as Invasion of the Hell Creatures.
The screenplay by Robert J Gurney Jr and Al Martin was based on the 1955 short story “The Cosmic Frame” by Paul W. Fairman and the distinctive alien monsters were designed by Paul Blaisdell. The film was released in the USA as a double feature with I Was a Teenage Werewolf.
In 1966, the film was remade in colour by trash auteur Larry Buchanan as The Eye Creatures.
Plot:
A spaceship lands in the woods. A teenage couple, Johnny Carter (Steve Terrell) and Joan Haydon (Gloria Castillo), driving down lover’s lane without headlights, accidentally run down one of the aliens. Joe Gruen (Frank Gorshin) a drunken opportunist, comes across the alien’s corpse. He plans to keep the body in his fridge, but the aliens arrive and kill him by injecting alcohol into his veins via their hypodermic fingernails.
Having reported their close encounter to the police, Johnny and Joan return with the Sheriff, only to find Joe’s body in place of the alien. The police plan to charge them with manslaughter. Meanwhile the dead alien’s hand detaches itself, grows an eye, and runs amok…
Reviews:
“Invasion of the Saucer Men is almost painful to watch when it’s trying to be funny, but nothing short of hilarious when it’s trying to genuinely scare its audience. There’s no better example of this than the super-shitty rubber aliens, courtesy of the inimitable Paul Blaisdell; even if this movie were a completely unbearable turd, it would still be worth watching for those monsters.” 1000 Misspent Hours… and Counting
” … Invasion of the Saucer Men is an enjoyable time waster. Everyone involved seemed to understand that they were making a bad film, and the film has a lighthearted, jokey atmosphere that makes it more engaging than many better-made 50’s sci-fi flicks.” Booze Movies
” … if you look at the poster for this (or most films for that matter) and think that it accurately shows what is going to happen in the movie, you had better prepare for massive disappointment. If, on the other hand, you go into the movie expecting something fun and kitsch, you’re in for a little treat with Invasion of the Saucer-Men.” The Midnight Monster Show
” …although the movie attempts to send up the conventions of the genre, it ends up as being unintentionally funny in its own right.” Alan Frank, The Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Handbook, Batsford, 1982
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Cast and characters:
- Steven Terrell … Johnny Carter (as Steve Terrell)
- Gloria Castillo … Joan Hayden
- Frank Gorshin … Joe Gruen
- Raymond Hatton … Farmer Larkin
- Lyn Osborn … Artie Burns
- Russ Bender … Doctor
- Douglas Henderson … Lt. Wilkins, USAF
- Sam Buffington … Col. Ambrose – USAF
- Jason Johnson … Detective
- Don Shelton … City Attorney Hayden
- Scott Peters … USAF Sergeant with Bullhorn
- Jan Englund … Diner Waitress
- Kelly Thordsen … Sgt. Bruce
- Bob Einer … Soda Jerk
- Pat Lawler … Irene (as Patti Lawler)
- Calvin Booth … Paul – Best Man
- Ed Nelson … Tom
- Roy Darmour … Sgt. Gordon
- Audrey Conti … Bobby’s Girl
- James Bridges … Bobby (as Jim Bridges)
- Jimmy Pickford … Duke
- Joan Dupuis … Liz
- Buddy Mason … Policeman
- Orv Mohler … Duke’s Friend
- Angelo Rossitto … Saucer Man (as Angelo Rossito)
- Floyd Hugh Dixon … Saucer Man (as Floyd Dixon)
- Dean Neville … Saucer Man
- Edward Gibbons … Saucer Man (as Edward Peter Gibbons)
- Paul Blaisdell … Saucer Man (uncredited)
- Bob Burns … Saucer Man (uncredited)
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