The Creature with the Atom Brain - Need I say more?

Yes, you read that right! The Creature with the Atom Brain. And I’m not talking about Donald Trump (The Creature with the Atom Hands), but an American B-horror movie from 1958. I like watching old movies; you immediately feel like a historian at work, with all the past’s curiosities for you to explore. The Creature with the Atom-Brain introduces one of the first zombie movies that cannot be attributed to the exotic voodoo occultism à la White Zombie from 1932, but rather reanimates the Frankenstein tale with nuclear power and gangsters and takes place in small town America. However, these scifi zombies stay true to the slavery theme as they are mind-controlled. Only in the 60s would the anti-authoritarian zombie be unleashed on humanity.

A creature with an atom brain.

In 1958, however, gangster boss Frank Buchanan and a Nazi scientist ally to unleash revenge upon their enemies by resurrecting and mind-bending some recently deceased subjects. Because of their high level of radiance, these clumsy assassins leave luminescent fingerprints at the houses of their unsuspecting victims. They are bulletproof, they are obedient, and they come with supernatural strength. Frankly, I could watch these atomic gorillas breaking through windows and bending people’s spines all day long.

Zombies don't care much for windows.

The mysterious murders soon lead to investigations. Most handsome Dr. Chet Walker (Richard Denning, 1914-1988), who has a provokingly perfect family, soon discovers that there is more to the murders than your usual mafia crime. As he and his friend Police Captain Harris get closer to the core of the matter, things start getting dangerous for them, too.

The Nazi scientist instructing a creature while gangster boss Buchanan is watching.

Naturally, the idea of nuclear powered zombies is quite absurd, but it really doesn’t hurt the movie. What does, however, is the amount of explaining the movie does. It would have been sufficient to show the lab, but they go as far as to show the gangster and his minion put on radiation suits that are hardly airtight and give us a bit of a lengthy tour. However, this is excusable, as well as the Nazi scientist who, of course, was then less of a cliché than it is today (surprisingly, he even shows a bit of conscience by the end).

 

Dr. Chet Walker (center) traces unusual chemicals in the blood of a creature.

What to make of the movie overall? The special effects are convincing enough, the story makes enough sense, the concept is very consistent (only the title is flawed as it suggests that there is only one monster) and there even is a bit of action and suspense, which is not a given with many old movies. The flimsy premise and highly idealized depiction of family life were to be expected from a movie this old, but do not distract from the action. The Creature with the Atom Brain is worth a peek – especially for zombie fans and anyone curious what a Late-50’s scifi/horror movie looks like!

The City of Lost Children - Steampunk Madness

Voilà! Today’s topic is a very strange movie. The City of Lost Children (La Cité des Enfants Perdus, 1995) introduces us to a place where everyone is an orphan, a freakish mutant or a Gestapo officer. So, take a deep breath.

I wonder what's for dinner.

The movie is set in a dark steampunk world, where a mad scientist named Krank (German for sick) has created an apparatus to steal people's dreams in order to fill his own dreamless nights with meaning. Unfortunately for him, the stolen dreams turn into nightmares, and a migraine ridden brain in a water tank advises him to analyze his tears to find out what is wrong with him apart from the obvious fact that he converses with a migraine ridden brain in a water tank. Unable to find a solution to his problem, his dwarfish minions despatch fat-faced, Gestapo-like cronies to kidnap children for him in the sole hope to find a naive subject whose dreams will stay nice and pure, even after being kidnapped.

 

A fool's quest

Ron Perlman, the redheaded giant whom some may know from the movie adaptation of Umberto Eco’s The Name of The Rose, or otherwise as Hellboy, makes an appearance as a kind-hearted fool called One. As he witnesses Krank’s men deporting his little brother, he starts a desperate search during which he stumbles upon a thieves’ guild consisting of orphans and two twisted witches who appear to be conjoined twins.

This picture says it all: This movie indulges in its own weirdness.

As you might imagine, the movie is not entirely devoid of humour, but it mostly relies on the utter strangeness of the characters and environment. The shots are incredibly beautiful and very atmospheric, a melancholic, sepia-toned world, populated with freaks. Daniel Emilfork, who plays Krank, showcases a great variation of facial “expressionism”, shifting from child-like innocence to desperation and greed.

The movie’s plot is not incredibly demanding and clearly relies on the viewer’s willingness to get immersed in its deeply atmospheric and grotesquely humorous universe. The only sane-minded people in this corrupted city seem to be the children. Miette (Judith Vittet), who agrees to help One in his quest, is particularly sarcastic, which makes the movie all the more enjoyable.

Odd couple: Miette and One.

Is The City of Lost Children worth watching? It depends. As mentioned before, the movie demands a certain attitude and open-mindedness from the viewer. Many scenes have a twisted beauty to them, comparable to Dellamorte, Dellamore (1994). I recommend this highly aesthetical movie to anyone who wants to experience something out of the ordinary. 

 

Trailer.