Tag Archives: The Incredible Shrinking Man

Friday Night At The Home Drive-In: Dr. Cyclops (1940)

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Poster for Dr. Cyclops (1940)#FridayNightAtTheHomeDriveIn……………… Dr. Cyclops (1940) Dr. Cyclops (1940) Dr. Cyclops Dr. Dr. Cyclops (1940) by by #ErnestBSchoedsack w/#AlbertDekker

“Diabolical dictator…devastating discoverer of the most frightening invention in the history of civilized man! He reduces men and women, as normal as you, to the size of dolls…and holds their 14 inches of quivering humanity within his dreaded grasp. Never before such a picture. Never before such thrills….”

#Horror #SciFi
#NotQuiteClassicCinema

Dr. Cyclops (1940) is another movie that I probably saw on Not Quite Classic Theatre when I was young. It was a show, or rather a time slot during which the TV station would air old B-movies – particularly black and white monster movies from the 1940s and ’50s. I remember watching Dr. Cyclops on TV back around that time. I can’t say for sure it was on Not Quite Classic Theatre – but I think it’s very likely. 

I don’t remember it as being one of my favourites from the era (either my era of watching Not Quite Classic Theatre or the 1940s). As a result, I never bothered to watch it again over the years. Last friday, I decided that it was time to remind myself what this film was all about.

According the IMDb, Dr. Cyclops was the first science fiction film to be shot in three-color Technicolor. Cool. It also featured some pretty state of the art special effects. The director, Ernest B. Schoedsack, had worked as a director (uncredited) on King Kong (1933) – which was one of my favourites as a child – as well as Son of Kong (1933). So he was no stranger to movies about large monsters menacing tiny people. Some of the techniques that had been used to make King Kong so impressive can be seen in Dr. Cyclops.

When watching Dr. Cyclops, one can’t help but think of The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) – another #NotQuiteClassicCinema classic from my childhood. The Incredible Shrinking Man is probably the superior film, but credit must be given to Dr. Cyclops for pre-dating it by 17 years. 

Albert Dekker stars as Dr Cyclops, or rather, Dr. Thorkel. He is a somewhat mad scientist was has figured out a way to shrink animals – and people – down to about 14 inches. Dekker was in over hundred movies and TV shows during his lifetime, but he is most remembered for Dr. Cyclops.

In all honestly, Dr. Cyclops is nowhere near as good as King Kong, or The Incredible Shrinking Man or even Tod Browning’s The Devil Doll (1936), which deals with similar ideas. Still, it’s a pretty fun example of  #NotQuiteClassicCinema  that has a few brilliant moments in it. The scene in which Dr Thorkel holds a 14 inch  Dr. Bulfinch in his hand is one of my favourites. 

Those who enjoy movies about large animals or people menacing small animals or people should consider adding Dr. Cyclops (1940) to their next #FridayNightAtTheHomeDriveIn.

Friday Night At The Home Drive-In: The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve known about The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). I remember seeing pictures in books and magazines, like Famous Monsters, when I was a kid. I also remember seeing clips from the movie on TV programmes about the history of horror, or monster movies, or something like that. There were certain movies that seemed to get featured a lot, and this was one of them. I’m not sure when exactly I saw the entire movie for the first time, but I would have been young. It seems quite possible that I would have seen it for a second time on that legendary show of my youth, Not Quite Classic Theatre. I certainly saw other films by the same director, Jack Arnold, like Monster on the Campus (1958) and probably Tarantula (1955), And it seems like most of the movies I remember from the show were made and/or released by Universal Pictures. This suggests to me that the TV station bought a package of films to show on Not Quite Classic Theatre, and it would make sense for The Incredible Shrinking Man to have been among them, as it was made by Universal in the same era as all of the others.

Regardless, I definitely saw The Incredible Shrinking Man several times over the years. The last time I recall seeing it, prior to last Friday, was in an actual movie theatre. Back in the 1990s, it was shown as a midnight movie (I think) at my local Cinematheque. I recall going with a friend or two from University, and that it was great to see it on a big (ish) screen.

Watching The Incredible Shrinking Man now, for the first time in years, it struck me that it is a thinking person’s Science Fiction film. Yes, it features suspenseful scenes of a man being menaced by “giant” creatures, such as a cat and a spider, and in that way it is similar to other 1950s monster movies like Tarantula and The Deadly Mantis (1957). However, The Incredible Shrinking Man is really a very different kind of movie. It’s much more serious minded and philosophical than many of the others – and for what it’s worth, it gets a higher rating on the IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.  Much of the credit for this can go to the intelligent script by Richard Matheson, which was based on his own novel. I would also say that The Incredible Shrinking Man is a tad darker than most of the other films. It deals with the psychological horror of its character’s predicament, and does not offer any false happy endings. 

Apparently, the studio wanted a happier ending, but both Jack Arnold and Richard Matheson disagreed. They did a test screening, and although many of the audience members were unhappy with the somewhat downbeat (and perhaps ambiguous) ending of the film, The Incredible Shrinking Man was released with its original ending intact. This may be one reason why its reputation has only improved over the years. 

As a child, I loved the action sequences and the visual delights of a tiny man fighting to survive in a giant world. As an adult, I appreciate the darker, and more psychological aspects of the film. It’s closer to a certified classic than many examples of #NotQuiteClassicCinema, and by all accounts, it’s a great movie. But in all honesty, it’s probably less fun than movies like Tarantula and The Deadly Mantis. So if you’re looking for a good time, filled with laughs and light-hearted chills, you might want to give one of those other monsters a call…

But when you’re in the mood to confront the existential angst lurking in the dark corners of your soul, The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) may just be the perfect companion for a pensive and rewarding #FridayNightAtTheHomeDriveIn.