"Fiend Without a Face" (1958)

British B-monster slapdickery. It appears at first that it might be a more reasonably intelligent entry in the '50s sci-fi canon, but the novelty and effort dissipate after about twenty minutes. The climax isn't bad -- it's surprisingly gory for its time, and its influence can be seen in both The Birds and Night of the Living Dead. Still, this isn't much; one wonders what the hell the guys at Criterion saw in it.

Grade: C+