Plot: What’s it about?
A team of scientists has been dispatched to the jungles of Africa, to investigate some unusual events. It seems some strange things have happened and some natives have disappeared, so these folks were sent to figure it all out. The truth about these events is quite odd, as a test rocket crashed into the jungle and afterwards, the place just hasn’t been the same. You see, the rocket held some experimental materials and when it all came down, it caused an undesired reaction, to say the least. A swarm of wasps was altered by some materials, which turned them into massive insects with sour dispositions, bad news indeed. Of course, the wasps are behind all the bad events and yes, they do love to eat the locals, which explains a lot. Can the band of scientists manage to solve the issue soon, or will these insane, giant wasps soon take control of the world?
Are you a fan of those movies where insects turn sour and attack people? If so, then Monster from Green Hell is a flick you’ll want to see, especially if you love 1950s sci/fi pictures. As you’d expect, the killer insects provide the main thrills and the rest is downhill, but come on, what else would you want? I was a little let down that the wasps weren’t given more screen time, but I suppose budget needs and what not took their toll. The wasps are fun to watch however, especially the ones that seem to be happy just crawling around, as opposed to flying, like normal wasps. I think the bad wasp special effects add to the fun however, like I am sure many of you do as well. The cast here isn’t that impressive, but when head to head to poorly devised mutant wasps, who could manage to push out a solid performance? If you’re a fan of 1950s bad movies or just love killer wasps, then this release is more than recommended.
I don’t think the performance in this flick are that good, but I do think they add some humor, which never hurts in a picture like this one. The least offensive turn comes from Jim Davis, but rest assured, his work provides plenty of chances to giggle, believe me. Davis wasn’t a bad actor per se, but when you have material like he does here, there isn’t much you can do with it. I suppose he elevates it at times, but most of the time, he seems mired in the bad dialogue and terrible performances from the other actors. I do think Davis was a solid character performer however, so I urge you not to judge him by his work here, that simply wouldn’t be fair. You can also see Davis in such films as Dracula vs. Frankenstein, The Parallax View, El Dorado, and Satan’s Triangle. The cast also includes Barbara Turner (Wink of an Eye, Two-Gun Lady), Robert Griffin (I Was A Teenage Werewolf, Slaves of Babylon), and Vladimir Sokoloff (The Magnificent Seven, Mr. Sardonicus).
Video: How does it look?
Monster from Green Hell is presented in a full frame transfer, which seems to be an acceptable aspect ratio. I think given the fact that this is a low budget picture from the ’50s, this transfer is very good and provides a more than suitable image. I could see some debris and damage on the print at times, but it looked cleaner than expected, so I was pleased. The black & white image looks very sharp here, with no contrast problems to speak of. I think this is a very solid visual treatment and as such, both fans and first timers should be satisfied.
Audio: How does it sound?
The roars of the jungle have never sounded so…mono before. But that’s fine in this case, as this track sounds clean and pleasant, with no real complaints to speak of. I heard little distortion or hiss, which releases from this time often have, so that was a solid start to it all. The music and sound effects (the stock footage animals sound terrific!) come across well, while dialogue is crisp and always easy to understand. This is a basic mono track and little else, but that is enough in this case, so I’m not going to be harsh.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer. I don’t usually discuss menus often, but I loved the ones used here, very cool indeed.
