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Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Touches You

As Good As It Gets

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

PHANTOM FROM SPACE is one of those fun and campy science fiction features of the 1950s. This one has a low budget but doesn't let that get in the way of the storyline, which is a revamp of THE INVISIBLE MAN albeit with a science fiction twist. An ambiguous alien visits the Earth and is completely invisible; only a dog has the power to sense his presence. A bunch of scientists and heroic types eventually figure out what's going on and it all leads to a big climax. This film has cheesy but fun special effects sequences, a repetitive storyline, and some wooden line delivery, but it's all good fun.

An alien (Dick Sands) comes to Earth only to be met with hostility. While it is tracked by a "communications team" and assorted others, it makes its way through L.A., inadvertently causing a fair bit of damage. The hook is that once its special space suit is removed, it is invisible to the human eye.One does ultimately take some pity on this creature, which does not go out of its way to invite trouble. People react the way they do because of their own ignorance and fear. The phantom even tries to communicate with Barbara Randall (Noreen Nash), assistant to a scientist (Rudolph Anders).Produced & directed by W. Lee Wilder ("The Snow Creature"), this extremely modest production had some potential in its premise, but it's never as much fun as one might like. Due to the limitations of the budget, it just doesn't have that much good Phantom action. The invisibility effects actually are better than expected, though. The story, such as it is, largely consists of the human protagonists conversing about the creature, or fussing over its seemingly indestructible suit, etc.The cast is rather nondescript, but that doesn't mean that the actors are necessarily all that bad. Nash is appealing, Harry Landers is a jut jawed hero, Jack Daly is amusingly annoying as a pushy reporter, James Seay is fine as Major Andrews, and it's nice to see Michael Mark ("Frankenstein", "The Wasp Woman") in a small role as a watchman.If you're fond of old black & white B pictures, like this viewer, you'll be sure to derive some pleasure from this one.Five out of 10.

W. Lee Wilder directs this 72 minute sci-fi flick. The special effects are par for this genre of 1953. A UFO is tracked from Alaska to its crash landing in the vicinity of Santa Monica, California. Authorities search for the unknown with the best equipment available. A mysterious alien(Dick Sands)is discovered in a spacesuit that it sheds to avoid capture...it is invisible; but it needs the spacesuit to protect itself from our toxic atmosphere. The invisible menace has already killed making it dangerous; but is in danger itself because it must find the spacesuit the authorities have in a lab for studying. Also in the cast: Ted Cooper, Tom Daily, Lela Nelson and Harry Landers.

Of course as the movie is available in many, mostly, pretty poor copies some people will react that it's awful etc. You have to be able to see past, or get lucky and get a good copy, to really judge and enjoy the movie. If you are part of that sad crowd that is intent on calling every film you don't like or which wasn't made yesterday with your favorite star "the worst film ever made" then you shouldn't bother with this film. And you'll miss out on something with some unique qualities if not total slickness. The director of photography went on to shoot a number of John Wayne movies, so obviously there is at least some talent and skill involved with this little movie.The first 3rd of the movie with the space man running around in his spacesuit and being chased has a few goofy moments. Then once he leaves his suit the movie get quite good. It's modest in scale so matches it's budget and there are some nice fx. Really the writing(and if you check out the writer credits you'll see they ended up writing DUKES OF HAZARD) is that saves the day. The "alien" isn't treated as a monster and some legit problems of being on another world drive the story forward. The alien retains menace though our world's environment is a much a menace to him/it as it is to us.You suspect that this will get resolved and the Alien will be able to speak English or start sucking blood or be revealed to be some kind of stand in for a communist threat (which happened frequently in all types of films form this era) but no they don't sell out the movie or the alien that way and the ending is pretty memorable.Some slop or budget limits can be expected but Billy Wilder's brother makes a legit Sci Fi effort here that moves along quickly and leaves good impression.