25 | Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)

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THE GOOD

Roger Corman knows when to lean into and pull back from the campiness. Relative to the barebones budget, the creature effects are surprisingly good. Some fun body horror adds to the thrills. Effective underwater cinematography.

What elevates the film above any other run-of-the-mill giant radioactive kaiju flick is the twist that these crabs are telepathic; eating humans and absorbing their consciousness for communication. Yeah. You read that right.

THE BAD

Unclear at times just how many crabs there are and how many have been killed. Crab roars sound like some sort of wounded mammal - hardly crustacean like and quite jarring.

THE DOWNRIGHT CAMPY

The science mumbo jumbo in this flick is priceless:

"That means that the crab can eat his victim's brain, absorbing his mind intact and working."

"It's as good a theory as any other to explain what's happened... Once they were men; now they are land crabs."

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Some antiquated moments but overall great. Stands the test of time thanks to Corman's self-awareness and ability to maximize campy and horror on a threadbare budget.

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