Black Scorpion, The

Rating: ***/*****, or 7/10

Hugely underrated and often ignored fifties' monster flick. In Mexico, giant scorpions are freed from their subterranean imprisonment by volcanic activity and ravage the countryside, after which an American geologist (Richard Denning, a favourite actor in the genre of fifties' creature features) must work with the Mexican armed forces to destroy them before they rampage through Mexico City. The plot of course is not the most important ingredient here, the fabulously animated stop motion creatures are, vividly brought to life by effects pioneer Willis O'Brien in one of his last features. Though he never relived the fame and success of King Kong (1933), this movie at least provides a similar amount of adventurous excitement and monster fun as that masterpiece did, while the animation is almost on par with its famous predecessor. The movie's most thrilling sequences include huge scorpions wrecking a train and an excursion into the underground realm of the beasts which is also populated by various other beasts (including some of King Kong's 'lost spider pit' leftovers!). Often maligned as just another silly forgetful B-movie of the drive-in days, this movie deserves more love and respect, at least from stop motion enthusiasts.

Starring: Richard Denning, Mara Corday, Carlos Rivas

Directed by Edward Ludwig

USA: Amex Productions, 1957