Having watched The Deadly Mantis, 1957, I'm getting an overwhelming sense of Kaiju again. Have you seen it?
Despite its lower place in the 1950's creature feature rankings, I enjoyed Mantis a lot.
Like many fine B-movies it begins in the Antarctic and the woken monster then takes its business straight to the States.
Deadly M goes to Washington.
It scales the Monument and crushes vehicles as seen here. But are they toys?
Its progress to an American city reminded me of the MUTO in Godzilla.
Having escaped from the nuclear dump it stomped across the land to meet Honolulu's elevated train and its larger mate decided to play the tables in Las Vegas.
I must say I adore the MOTU, perhaps my fave Kaiju. Do you?
Just a thought, can an American monster like the Deadly Mantis be classed as Kaiju?
I have not seen The Deadly Manis, but it looks like a fun movie.
ReplyDeleteFujimi of Japan do a Praying Manis kit. Back in the 1970s Fundimensions did a Colossal Manis monster kit, with the Manis trampling a city - a mix of plastic parts and a cardboard backdrop. Released in Britain by Airfix, and later by AMT/Ertl.
I would say the vehicles are indeed toys. Look at the over-turned truck - the big box between the rear wheels suggests a friction or wind-up motor, and the catch on the open door appears very toy-like. Some of the vehicles could also be kits.
I love old 1950s monster movies.
ReplyDeleteI love bugs.
I love mantisis.
I love the sound effect they used for the mantis in flight.
I love Henry Mancini's music.
I *want* to love "The Deadly Mantis". But,... I just can't.
It really needed more scenes with the Mantis. I can't put my finger on it, but it really just isn't a good movie.
It feels like what would have been the best action scene in the film happens off camera and is described by 2 actors who were walk ons. Like they planned to show the mantis landing in New York City and making it's way to the Holland Tunnel, but they ran out of budget and had to have a cop describe it verbally to a drunk newspaper reporter.
The best scene in the movie is where it lands on the Washington Monument in Washington, DC. They used a real mantis on a small model of the monument.
Here's the Trailer
https://youtu.be/0gcn0_V3zv8
My wife pointed out that it was probably a failure of the Mantis Marionette. It was just too clumsy. You can see it barely moving in the trailer.
DeleteThe Marionette in "The Giant Claw" was worse (though more lively) but "The Giant Claw" was laughable, and that made it more fun as a movie.
I agree the limitations of the Mantis puppet really reduced it's believabilty. Well spotted with the toy details, Paul! I was impressed that the car in the forground has impact cracks all over the windscreen. Some modelmaker had to etch those in, probably with an X-Acto knife! If this miniature scene had been lit in today's chiroscuro style, it would have been quite convincing, but I guess they had to bash the light in, to keep up the depth of field in a very shallow set.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, the Giant Claw miniature effects are risible, but one sequence stands out for me. They use an off the shelf Lionel style toy train, yet when it emerges from a tunnel, it looks real sized! Put that down to the fact that although crippled by a low budget, the VFX Director was actually Ralph Hammaras, whose better works include Last Days of Pompei and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea!
So it wasn't just Century 21 using contemporary toys in their productions! It had been done before!
ReplyDelete