I Had Forgotten How Sad A Film This Is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        I had not seen 1958's "War Of The Colossal Beast," since I was a child, and its emotional impact did  not resonate with me, then.  But this time, decades later,  it sure did,  girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Both this, and its 1957 predecessor, "The Amazing Colossal Man," are character studies of  a man,  Glenn Manning, who has, through no fault of his own, suffered from a military accident that should have left him dead, and, as he comes to conclude, might have been best if  it had.  At the end of  the first  film, Glenn is shot, and drops 700 feet off Boulder Dam.  He is presumed dead.  But when gold rang at the box office, AIP knew he had to resurrected.

                                           Hence, "War Of The Colossal Beast."  Glenn is even worse off than before.  His fiance, Carol, in the first film, has ditched him, replaced by his concerned sister, Joyce.  His face is horribly disfigured, after the fall, and his mind is not clear, going in and out of reality.

                                              Which is where the sadness comes in.  Glenn relives the experiences that have made him what he is.  He knows he will never be the same again.  In the last scene, there are several surprises--he calls out his sister's name, in both recognition and farewell, when, suddenly (just like in "How To Make A Monster") the film turns into color, and he committs suicide by electrocution.  I am telling you, darlings,  I almost cried real tears!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This man suffered such torment.

                                                   Now,  if this sounds vaguely familiar, do not be surprised.  This is the same way 1958's "Attack Of The  Fifty-Foot Woman" ends.  However, from  the start, that film  is  going entirely for camp, so when  Allison Hayes clutches Harry, her philandering husband, played by William Hudson, it is more a woman  scorned getting revenge, followed by the campy end line, "Well, she finally did  it....she finally got Harry all  to herself."  This film was  released a month before "Beast,' so I have to wonder if the similarity is more than coincidental.  The difference is in tone.   'Woman' has one  coming off a laugh riot; 'Beast' has one empathizing with Manning's torment, and, in tandem with its predecessor,  contains  an underlying anti-war message.  AIP was on the cheap, but their insights were sometimes not off  the mark.

                                                     I am  glad I saw this again, but I would not want to see it once more--too  depressing. I am sure Joan Didion laps  it up!

                                                      Thank heaven Svengoolie is  showing a humorous horror film, this coming Saturday!  You will have to wait for that post to find out what it is.

                                                        Cheers, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!