Fiend Without a Face
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| Fiend Without a Face | |
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| Directed by | Arthur Crabtree |
| Produced by | John Croydon |
| Written by | Herbert J. Leder |
| Starring | Marshall Thompson Kynaston Reeves Michael Balfour Kim Parker |
| Music by | Buxton Orr |
| Cinematography | Lionel Banes |
| Editing by | R.Q. McNaughton |
| Distributed by | Criterion (Region 1 DVD) |
| Release date(s) |  3 July 1958, December 1958 |
| Running time | 77 min. |
| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Fiend Without a Face is a 1958 British black-and-white science fiction film directed by Arthur Crabtree. It tells the story of mysterious deaths at the hands of an invisible monster that steals human brains. The film was based upon an Amelia Reynolds Long short story entitled "The Thought Monster" which was originally published in 1930 in Weird Tales magazine.[1][2]
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[edit] Synopsis
The film is set on an American airbase in rural Manitoba, Canada. Mysterious deaths begin to occur in the small town near the base, and postmortems reveal that the victims' brains have disappeared. The locals become convinced that fallout from radiation at the base is causing the deaths. But Jeff Cummings, an air force major, becomes suspicious of Professor Walgate, a British scientist who is experimenting with telekinetics. It is eventually revealed that Walgate has succeeded in developing telekinesis, but that the nuclear experiments at the nearby base have enhanced it beyond his intentions, creating a new, invisible form of life which has grown in intelligence and escaped his laboratory. The film climaxes with an attack on an isolated house by the brains of the monster's victims, which have acquired lives of their own. Cummings saves the day by blowing up the airbase's nuclear power plant, thereby destroying the monster.
[edit] Production
The film was shot in England. The Canadian setting was chosen because it enhanced the film's appeal to American audiences, while still being easy to replicate in English locations. The producers used primarily expatriate American and Canadian actors working in the UK, plus a few British actors dubbed by Americans.[1]
Screenwriter Herbert J. Leder was originally intended to direct the film, but as an American was unable to obtain a British work permit. Arthur Crabtree was hired instead.[1]
[edit] Cast
- Marshall Thompson as Maj. Jeff Cummings
- Kynaston Reeves as Prof. R. E. Walgate
- Michael Balfour as Sgt. Kasper
- Kim Parker as Barbara Griselle
[edit] References in other media
The Fiend Without a Face appeared as one of the aliens in Area 52 in Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
Futurama's Brainspawn also seem to be inspired by them to a certain extent
The surfabilly side-project band of Brent Hinds (guitarist of Atlantan metal band Mastodon) is named after this film.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Richard Gordon and Tom Weaver, commentary on the Criterion Collection DVD.
- ^ Amelia Reynolds Long http://amelialong.tripod.com/
[edit] External links
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