It! The Terror from Beyond Space

Directed by: Edward L. Cahn
Distributed by: United Artists

Written by Nick McCann

60/100

Most “Alien” superfans know how much Ridley Scott and his writers cited this film as the primary influence for that groundbreaking endeavor. The truth is that it inspired quite a few stories. Instances like this are why it can be so valuable to watch older films and trace back the roots of cinema. It may not lead to the best movie, but the education is nice.

“It! The Terror From Beyond Space” is one of the more cut-and-dry genre films of the era. It wastes no time launching the spaceship and saying there’s something not human on board. Though there is a notion that a whole beginning act is missing, the story does carry on fine where it starts. What confounds me is the lack of attention to detail. Usually, a 1950s sci-fi film would be all about the exposition and little bits. Here, in a setting where you’d think science and logic would matter, it becomes fairly illogical (explosions and gunfire in a pressurized rocket ship? Really?) But hey, JFK didn’t declare we’d land on the moon yet, so the heck with it.

The cast presents the audience with the usual assortment of archetypes found in the decade. No one has much going for them, and they seldom get moments to stand out from the pack. Marshall Thompson probably holds the most intrigue, accused of killing some crew and having to earn back his crew’s trust, proving the alien’s existence. As the titular monster, Ray Corrigan also gets the job done, waving claws around and dogpiling actors. The rest of the players grab attention only when making notably foolish decisions, no doubt influencing the choices made by future horror ensembles.

For its limited space and resources, the film has a good enough look to it. Although each deck of the ship can look the same after a while. Action scenes have some exciting special effects and variety for the limited space to work with. The ship is a pretty traditional-looking rocket, and the verticality of the set design consequently makes it suitably cramped. It does call into question how the alien has so many places to hide however. While on the alien, it doesn’t look anything too special, even in an era of men in rubber suits.

Here is a case where the originator was outshined by what it influenced. For its time, “It! The Terror From Beyond Space” is a good monster movie of its time with its unique concept separating it from its contemporaries, flaws and all. At its heart is a concept of human isolation with a creature from beyond that has influenced hundreds of films–if not thousands. As filmmaking has progressed, older approaches like this tend to be forgotten. So, while not the greatest film, it’s still worth viewing to deepen one’s connection to film history.

“It! The Terror from Beyond Space” Trailer

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