10. GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER 1972...Easily the most disturbing of all Godzilla films. This played with "Frogs" in 1972 as part of and "Ecological Horror" double bill. For some reason this always stuck with me and as a kid if was a mind bending experience.
9. QUATERMASS 2 1956...The sequel to "The Quatermass Xperiment" finds aliens coming to Earth and growing huge monsters to take over. Brian Donlevy does his usual great job as Professor Quatermass.
8. FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH 1967...Third and final installment of the Quatermass trilogy has Andrew Keir in the Prof. role. Here he discovers a buried spaceship in London is more danger to the human race than anything else he has ever encountered. Beautiful Barbara Shelley co-stars. Also known as "Five Million Years To Earth".
7. THEM 1954...Giant ants suddenly appear on the New Mexico desert. I was introduced to this when I was 7 on TV and my mom let me stay home from school to watch it on the morning movie!! An all time classic of the 50's.
6. INVISIBLE INVADERS 1959...Invisible aliens from space inhabit bodies of the dead in this classic film that I first saw at age 8 and it reminded me so of "Night Of The Living Dead". John Agar and Jean Byron star.
5. TARANTULA 1955...Another giant insect movie. John Agar and gorgeous Mara Corday star in this Universal gem about a giant spider on the loose. I saw this for the first time when I was 8 on KHQ Creature Features. One of my fondest memories.
4. ROBOT MONSTER 1953... Never have I had so much fun with a movie!! Aliens who look like gorillas in diving helmets from the planet Ro-Man have wiped out all life on Earth except for 7 people (8 if you count the woman seen watching the filming in certain scenes). It wasn't until 1984 that I got to see this classic, and this movie along with "Target Earth" forged a friendship that I had with a gentleman named John Fredriksen for 30 years. It's one of my all time favorites for very sentimental reasons. John and I used to enact scenes from this film in public and people thought we were crazy. John died in 2014 from brain cancer, but oh the memories I have of the times we would drive people crazy. Good times..and to me anyway an unforgettable insane movie. Great Guidance lives forever!!!
3. THE THING 1951...Mesmerizing film from a child's point of view and it's the same from a man my age. I saw this when I was about 9 on KSTW TV from, I believe, Seattle. Since that first viewing it has been a favorite. Scientists and military men fight amongst themselves as well as fighting a terrifying invader from space. Some scenes were filmed in Glacier National Park. This was what nightmares were made of when I was a child.
2. DAY THE WORLD ENDED 1956...Once again KHQ from Spokane, Washington and their Q-6 Creature Features introduced me to this film and it has remained with me for over 45 years!! Seven people fight for survival after a nuclear war. Roger Corman directed this classic starring lovely Lori Nelson and Richard Denning. The monster is one of the best Paul Blaisdell creations ever!! Best line..."Radek ate him!! The savaging ghoul!!"
1. THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT 1956...The first introduction to America of a very popular British character named Bernard Quatermass, here played by Brian Donlevy. An astronaut is sent into space and comes back with his body inhabited by an alien force that is slowly changing him into a very bizarre monster. Yep, this is another I saw when I was about 11 and in my opinion I have seen no other sci-fi film better than this. Nor will I ever.
And that is that. My 10 favorite sci-fi films listed in order of my preference. One more list to go which will be my Top 10 Horror Films. If you're so inclined, send me some of your lists.
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