Daily Archives: February 11, 2019

Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1966)

Zontar: The Thing from Venus
Directed by Larry Buchanan
Written by Hilman Taylor and Larry Buchanan
1966USA
Azalea Pictures
First viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] Keith Ritchie: The world is full of facts.[/box]

This grade Z TV movie is an absolute hoot from its absurdly expository dialogue to its ridiculous creature.

Rocket scientist Keith Ritchie has invented a way of communicating with Venus via laser beams.  Venusian Zontar has Ritchie convinced that he is on his way to save Earthlings from themselves and initiate a new age of world peace.  Zontar plans to establish control by sending drones to take over the bodies and minds of community leaders.  Too late, Keith begins to doubt the benevolence of his monster buddy’s plans.  John Agar appears as an elder scientist.

 

American International Pictures commissioned schlockmeister Larry Buchanan to remake Roger Corman’s It Conquered the World (1956) to fill out a TV package deal and this little gem was the result  The tiny budget is evident in every shot.  The actors labor with dialogue that might have come from a Popular Science magazine or is so silly you can only laugh.  And laugh you will if you approach this very lame movie in the right frame of mind.  No riff track necessary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljebRPefzRU