Monster on the Campus

source: Monster on the Campus

Trailer—Monster on the Campus

Monster on the Campus

One of my all-time favorite low-budget directors was Jack Arnold- and MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS is one of the (many) reasons why. How many genuinely good "budget" films can be credited to a single director? If we're talking Atomic Age directors, precious few. Yet Arnold helmed many of the very best (including THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, and THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN). Add to that list MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS. While the budgetary shortcomings may sometimes be in evidence (the monster of the title looks not unlike the cheesy title character in TROG, a Joan Crawford fright film that scared the daylights out of me in a darkened theater when I was a kid), Arnold's capable direction never flags and there are some downright creepy goings-on here. Recommended viewing for fright film fans.

No doubt not the best from director Jack Arnold, but very watchable. A college professor(Arthur Franz) nicks his hand on the teeth of a prehistoric fish and turns into a murderous man/beast. Parts of this movie can be very chilling and then a few moments later you want to shout "That's pretty funny". Watch this in tandem with one of Arnold's better flicks TARANTULA and you will have a fun and thrilling evening. Franz gives a great performance compared to the rest of the cast that includes: Joanna Moore, Nancy Walters, Whit Bissell and pretty boy Troy Donahue.

The blood of a primitive fish exposed to gamma rays causes a benign research professor (Arthur Franz) to regress to an ape-like, bloodthirsty prehistoric hominid. I cannot believe how daft Professor Blake is. He does not realize that all the evidence points to one man for the murders, and he even knows how, but fails to recognize it. I am also sort of surprised how light this film is given the subject matter -- a deranged killer is loose on campus and no one seems too terribly upset. I liked the idea of the de-evolution blood. Even if it made a dog wear fake teeth. And even if the professor's name is Donald Blake, which means that he was also the Norse god Thor...

This was Jack Arnold's last monster movie and I rather enjoyed it. It is a typical 50's monster movie. Blood from a dead Coelacanth turns Arthur Franz (Invaders From Mars) into a murderous prehistoric ape man. It also turns a dragon fly into a giant and a friendly German Shepard dog into a savage sabre tooth wolf. This happens each time something or someone comes into contact with the fish's blood. Franz is killed by police at the end in the ape man suit. He finished up killing 3 people. As well as Arthur Franz, this movie stars another 50's sci fi regular Whit Bissell (The Lost Continent, I was A Teenage Frankenstein) and Troy Donahue. All play good parts. As a college student myself, I have not yet seen this sort of thing happen at my college! This movie is a must for 50's sci fi fans. Great stuff. Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

Although this film reportedly wasn't one of director Jack Arnold's favorites, I personally have enjoyed it very much through many viewings. The story is a Jekyll-Hyde variation, but it offers real suspense and some genuine scares from a director that knows how. The only (minor) disappointment is the creature's makeup (not seen 'til near the end), which unfortunately is revealed to us in a brightly-lit room; makeups like this are more effective when glimpsed fleetingly in the dark. That small quibble aside, this film offers lots of scary fun for those in the mood. (The same can be said of Arnold's earlier films for the same studio, "It Came From Outer Space" (1953) and "Tarantula" (1955).

If you're a 50's "B" movie fan like I am, this is a gem. I saw this film back when i was a kid, something like 1962 or so, and it hasn't been on T.V. in years. I have a VHS copy of it but would love to find it on DVD sometime in the future. When a caveman throws a hatchet and it hits a cop square in the face, it leaves an impression on you when you're 10 years old. Of course, by today's standards, it looks kinda hokey, but you have to keep in mind that movies like this one "pioneered" this type of movie. I wouldn't trade a 50's "B" flick for all the new garbage in the world. Like, what could measure up to movies such as the transparency of "The Amazing Colossal Man" and "War Of The Colossal Beast?" Ah yes, those were the days. Back when sci-fi movies didn't have to be VULGAR to be entertaining. The special effects didn't even have to be good - we STILL loved it! I sure wish the Time Tunnel was a reality - I'd go back there in a new york second!

Monster on the Campus (1958) *** (out of 4) Entertaining Universal Sci-Fi about a college scientist who turns into a monster after his blood is mixed with that of a prehistoric fish. I've been wanting to see this for quite some time but never got around to buying the VHS since it was released just as I was jumping on the DVD format. The wait was certainly worth it even though the film isn't really anything other than your typical Jekyll and Hyde story. The film goes by at a very quick pace and the monster looks great, although it's a shame we only get to see him twice. I was somewhat shocked at the rather violent third death scene. The film also contains one of the dumbest girlfriends in sci-fi history.