Phantom From Space

This film is a nostalgia trip for me. I saw only the last half-hour of this baby about 38 years ago, and it's haunted me ever since. FINALLY, I have my own copy! Yay!
I loved the repetitve use of the same hallway scenes inside the observatory/laboratory, the woody station wagon going over the same stretch of road, etc. The seemingly endless "scientific" discussions are a riot, but some of special effects are fairly good, considering the miniscule budget this production labored under. Trivia Note: The Space Phantom's helmet is the same one used by George Barrows (the guy in the gorilla suit)in ROBOT MONSTER, except in this film it's worn backwards! Amazing improvisation, eh? Score yourself a double feature with this film and KILLERS FROM SPACE and you'll never be the same.

This film starts off slow with the typical news reporter/government/police threesome (which seems to be the focus of many atomic era sci-fi flicks) chasing after the phantom from space. But if you can hold out for the first twenty minutes or so you will find yourself watching a very cool movie! Three things that really grabbed my attention were: 1. The awesome spacesuit worn by the invader 2. The always fascinating invisibility effects 3. the payoff at the end when you see what the alien REALLY looks like! Great special effects for the low budget. Thanks to Alpha, these neat little lost gems can now be obtained for a few bucks! Highly recommend for fans of the genre.