Thanks for the memories!

Sadly Over-hyped

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Glen Manning performs an act of courage and what does he get. Exposure to Plutonium makes him a freak of nature, a man fifty feet tall, but the radiation affects his brain. Of course, this brings in the scientists who want to do things to him, as well as those who wish to destroy him as he goes on a rampage. These may be the worst special effects ever. At times we can see through the giant to the mountains and trees behind. This is also a love story and a story of hopelessness. He is made a freak, like the guy in "The Incredible Shrinking Man." The love of his life is willing to do what she can out of compassion and recognition of his cruel fate. The final scene is pretty good. There are some very touching scenes as well.

This film is low-tech and low-budget and that means that few modern viewers will sit through it, which is too bad. Although modest, this movie is earnest and interesting, and is reflects some of the darker realities of its time.The opening sequence shows a military officer getting caught within the radius of a nuclear explosion and taking a full hit of radioactivity. Fans of classic comic books will note that virtuoso cartoonist Jack Kirby borrowed heavily from this sequence in 1962, to create the 1st and best origin story for The Incredible Hulk, but there is a greater significance.The history of the Cold War is quickly being forgotten and re-written, but it is a fact that in the first decade of that period there were numerous documented experiments where U.S. troops were routinely used as guinea pigs in atomic tests and other experiments.In at least one spectacular incident, hundreds of troops were stationed at the border of a blast area, and then ordered to march directly toward the billowing mushroom cloud so as to gage the capacities of soldiers in an atomic war; we know of this incident because, among other documentation, it was filmed by the military.U.S. troops were also given LSD, unbeknownst to them, and there were many personnel who were either injured or killed testing the multitude of new vehicles and equipment introduced in this period.Our tragic hero, the unfortunate Col. Glen Manning is a kind of surrogate for these men.In addition, there is an interesting little scene early in the film, when Col. Manning is unconscious after getting irradiated. In a delirium, he recalls an incident in the Korean War, when he faced a surprise attack by an enemy troop, and had to resort to hand-to-hand conflict. Baby-faced actor Glen Lanaghan shows a genuine horror, as he must personally impale another man or meet this fate himself.We know now that such experiences often induce PTSD. It is my opinion that later on in the picture, when Col. Manning is running amok in Vegas, he is, partly, experiencing the symptoms of PTSD.While this film was obviously a schlock horror film of the typical variety, it also reflects the concerns of its society and creators, perhaps in ways they did not even consciously intend.Just as King Kong represents the crucifixion of the American Male Libido, the Amazing Colossal Man represents the blood sacrifice of the American Male Conscience.

Pretty good B sci-fi from the 50s. Glenn Langan stars as an Army lieutenant who gets caught in an atomic blast. Having no refrigerator to hide in, he suffers the full brunt of the explosion. Amazingly, it doesn't kill him. Even his burned skin regenerates after only a day. But the good news ends there, as this miraculous healing process doesn't stop. Soon, he's twenty feet tall, with no signs of stopping. His fiancée, Cathy Downs, watches in horror, and William Hudson and Larry Thor try desperately to find a cure. For a while, this film seems pretty good, with the protagonist going through an existential crisis that is easy to sympathize with. Unfortunately, as it goes on, it turns into a very rote monster movie with very cruddy special effects. It's not bad for what it is - I'm sure kids were happy to see the talking stop and see the shooting start - but for a while it almost seemed like it might become the companion piece to the contemporaneous The Incredible Shrinking Man, which provided both thrills and intellect.

*Spoiler/plot- 1957, A US Army major is part of the early Atomic bomb tests with Army personnel close to ground Zero. The Major is in the trenches waiting for the bomb to be set off. And he heroically leaves the apparent safety of his trench to rescue a crashed airplane pilot. He is irradiated with plutonium fallout. As a result, his body grows immensely large but his pumping heart stays normal size. This will cause him pain and his eventual death. His fiancée stays with him to watch helplessly to the many ways the Army goes about helping the giant Major and trying to reverse his radiation exposure.*Special Stars- Glenn Langan, Cathy Downs *Theme- Sometimes good things done by good people are not rewarded.*Trivia/location/goofs- Rocky scenes filmed at Chatsworth California Iverson Movie Ranch. Has some vintage scenes dealing with 50's Las Vegas. The film did so well in box office ticket sales that a year later another 'spin' of this plot idea was rushed into drive-ins. It's name was: "The War of the Colossal Beast". It did well also. Hoover dam was the site of his high fall to end this film. The film ends with the giant falling to his death.*Emotion- An enjoyable but rather silly for sci-fi B-Movie viewers. Hilarious for some of the cliques dialog, unintentionally comedic plot scenes and bad acting by supporting players. Another Bert Gordon spectacular on film. Another atomic era motivated film theme. This was one of the best drive-in movie of pot-boiler films for the 50's masses. This presents the 60-foot mutant man. He is the product of of an atomic accident. A luminous cloud irradiates him and his entire body system. Can be easy seen as a descendant of other earlier classical themes of overly large main characters. Such ludicrous collection of other kinds of these ideas with 'King Kong' being the foremost. The fifties were rampant with large insects, lizards and humans. That was the staple of Roger Corman ten day production films for years. They were money makers. The end of the film is a 'Debbie Downer' or a "buzz-kill'. It's one of the best Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes.