GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN (1958)
Label: The Film Detective
Release Date: January 19th 2021
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Not Rated
Duration: 77 Minutes
Duration: 77 Minutes
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Richard E. Cunha
Cast: Ed Kemmer, Sally Fraser, Buddy Baer, Morris Ankrum, Billy Dix, Bob Steele
In the mountain town of Pine Top, California the locals have become increasingly alarmed by a spate of brutal killings that have left both animals and locals torn to pieces. The opening scene features the town folks curiously peeking under a blanket covering the most recent victim in the bed of a truck, we don't see it but their faces tell the whole story, it's gruesome. Also arriving in the area we have a trio of weekend adventurers lead by archeologist Dr. Cleveland (Morris Ankrum, Invaders From Mars), who has brought along his attractive daughter Janet (Sally Fraser, It Conquered The World) and his younger colleague Wayne Brooks (Ed Kemmer, Earth vs The Spider). Armed with a metal detector and shovels the archeologists are in search of artifacts of a giant 500-year-old Spanish conquistador named Vargas who legend tells travelled through the area and met his fate. They do manage to uncover skeletal remains of a conquistador wearing armor in an area known as the Devil’s Crag, which the locals say is cursed.
The town's top-cop Sherriff Parker (Bob Steele, The Big Sleep) sets his sights on a local vagrant called 'Indian Joe' (Billy Dix, She Devil) for the string of murders, but later turns his eye turns towards newcomer Brooks after Indian Joe is found brutally murdered in his cabin. Obviously to any horror film fan the true culprit is the, played by the 6' 6" prizefighter turned b-movie actor Buddy Baer (Snow White and the Three Stooges), who has been re-animated by a bolt of lighting during a storm. The violent ancient adventurer emerging from the leaf covered mud in remarkably good shape looking none the worse for wear, aside for some muddy looking hair and beard. The hulking conquistador then sets about terrorizing the town, leaving behind a trail of pulverized corpses.
This was debut feature film from industrial trade filmmaker turned b-movie director Richard E. Cunha, a guy who churned out three more of these low-rent horror flicks that very same year, which is mighty impressive. I have not seen any of these other movies yet, (She Demons, Missile to the Moon, and Frankenstein's Daughter, all made in 1958), but after enjoying this goofy slice of killer-conquistador mayhem, I am looking to see them all!
Notably, the killer conquistador make-up FX are done by Universal make-up legend Jack Piece (The Wolf Man) who at this point in his career after being let go by Universal was working on a ton of b-movie productions, and what we get here is sort of cheap looking but still effective. The hulking armor-clad conquistador makes for an imposing if not altogether frightening figure, with mud caked into his beard and hair and armed with an axe. It's a very modestly made monster-flick, but for fans of cheapie z-grade cinema there's plenty to love about Giant from the Unknown.
Audio/Video: Giant from the Unknown (1958) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from The Film Detective as part of a series of collaborations with The Wade Williams Collection, TFD recently having issued the arthouse Manson murder platter The Other Side of Madness (1971) on Blu-ray. The film is presented in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1 widescreen, it's a pleasing looking B&W image that has mostly solid contrast and decent black levels. There is a tiny bit age-related print damage but for the most part it looks terrific with pleasing amounts of fine detail in close-ups of clothing and facial features. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono with optional English subtitles. The audio sounds fine, it's a mostly dialogue driven film and the score from Albert Glasser (Earth vs The Spider) sounds terrific.
Extras kick-off with a pair of audio commentaries, the first
is a very humorous and joyful appreciation with author/historian Tom Weaver who gets into the earlier versions for the film on home video, info about the cast and crew, and even commenting on a certain actor wo might have had a sever case of hemorrhoids. Peppered throughout are recorded interview snippets with both director Richard E. Cunha and producer Arthur A. Jacobs. The second commentary comes from co-star Gary Crutcher who gives a personal recounting of making his acting debut and what that was like, some of which is repeated on the interview with him on the disc.
We also get a pair of brand new featurettes produced by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures, the first features author/film historian C. Courtney Joyner who gives a wonderful appreciation to cowboy actor Bob Steele who plays the sheriff in the film. Joyner traces the star's career from appearing in Monogram westerns that were directed by his father and on through to his many supporting roles in notable westerns where he found his niche, including memorable roles in Of Mice and Men as the mean-spirited Curly, and as the cold-blooded killer in The Big Sleep, as well as his work in b-movies and TV in the 1950, making note or his strong work ethic and how he was in demand because he brought serious audience recognition to all of his roles because he had been in so many movies and TV shows throughout his career.
We also get a 14-minute interview with actor/screenwriter Gary Crutcher who gets begins with his early non-PC career in a travelling minstrel show, moving to Cuba for a spell before ending up in New York where his career stalled out, and then getting on a Greyhound to Los Angeles. In L.A. he got stage work before lucking into a role on the Giant from the Unknown, after lying about being able to drive a car. He lays on the praise for director Richard E. Cunha whom he says was a genius at lighting night scenes and never shot more than two takes of a scene. This was Crutcher's first film role and he says he was quite nervous about it, touching on the shooting locations , and of how shooting in the snow in the mountains made for a rough but fun shoot. He also very briefly touches on working at an executive at various movie studios later in life, and how that was quite a bit more profitable then acting in b-movies.
The single-disc release arrives in a black keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork featuring the vibrant green hued original movie poster artwork, which is replicated on the Blu-ray disc on on the front-cover of the booklet inside, the spine has some nice shelf appeal with a yellow stylized logo on a green background. The 12-page illustrated booklet features writing of the production of the film from Tom Weaver which neatly details the shooting of the film in the Big Bear area of California and interiors and pick-up shots done on a Hollywood sound stage, plus it details some technical and weather related issues that head to be overcome. The images inside include some cool behind-the scenes shot of Buddy Baer having his make-up applied by Jack Pierce and holding co-star Sally Fraser over his head!
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Author/Historian Tom Weaver and guests
- Audio Commentary with Co-star Gary Crutcher
- You're a B-Movie Star, Charlie Brown, an all-new interview with actor/screenwriter Gary Crutcher (14 min) HD
- The Man With A Badge: Bob Steele in the 1950s, an all-new interview with author/film historian C. Courtney Joyner (10 min) HD
- Theatrical Trailer (2 min) HD
- 12-Page Collector's Booklet with still gallery and liner notes by Writer/Author Tom Weaver
- Audio Commentary with Author/Historian Tom Weaver and guests
- Audio Commentary with Co-star Gary Crutcher
- You're a B-Movie Star, Charlie Brown, an all-new interview with actor/screenwriter Gary Crutcher (14 min) HD
- The Man With A Badge: Bob Steele in the 1950s, an all-new interview with author/film historian C. Courtney Joyner (10 min) HD
- Theatrical Trailer (2 min) HD
- 12-Page Collector's Booklet with still gallery and liner notes by Writer/Author Tom Weaver
Giant from the Unknown (1958) is a fun bit of black and white
schlock from a bygone era, coming from a time when anyone with an ounce of half-assed inspiration and two dimes to rub together could make a movie; good, bad, schlocky or otherwise, and then get it on a double-bill at the local theater or drive-in. The Film Detective do solid work resurrecting this flick on Blu-ray with some fantastic extras and solid A/V presentation. This release comes highly recommended for lover's of b-movie cheese, cheap looking monster mayhem, and questionable regional filmmaking. The Film Detective have had a solid run of vintage b-movie and cult-cinema on Blu-ray lately, I am looking forward to what they dig up next!
More screenshots from the Blu-ray:
