Fiend Without A Face (1958)

Directed by Arthur Crabtree
Written by Herbert J. Leder and Amelia Reynolds Long

Rated PG for smoking and monster violence.

"Fiend Without a Face" is yet another classic B-horror film available to view online for free at AMCTV.com. Watch it for yourself here.

"Fiend Without a Face" stars Marshall Thompson as Major Jeff Cummings, an Air Force investigator stationed out of an experimental Air Force base on the US/Canada border that uses atomic power to boost radar signals. The locals have been complaining that the jets flying by overhead have affected the livestock on their farms. The cows aren't giving as much milk as before, and the locals blame the Air Force base and atomic fallout for their troubles.

Things get worse for Major Cummings when Griselle, a local farmer, is found dead with an expression of pure horror on his face. The townsfolk at first suspect some kind of fatal atomic poisoning, but are stumped when they learn that the dead farmer's brain and spinal column have been sucked out of his body through two small holes in the back of his head, a medical impossibility.

Major Cummings is called to investigate the death, both to solve the crime and to prove to the townsfolk that the Air Force isn't responsible. He questions Griselle's lovely sister, Barbara (played by the sensual Kim Parker), who works as a secretary for the reclusive Professor Walgate. Jeff and Barbara are clearly attracted to one another, but are initially put off by their first impressions of one another. Barbara clearly identifies more with the townfolk (many of whom are calling for the Air Force Base to be permanently shut down) and only grudgingly allows the sexy Air Force Major to charm her. In one particularly hot scene, Jeff arrives at Barbara's house when she's in the shower, surprising her. I know she's probably very old or dead now, but I can't help being very turned on by coy Kim Parker in a towel. So cute!

As Jeff and Barbara investigate, more mysterious deaths crop up. In one instance, a man is left alive, but completely brain-dead. The townsfolk become more paranoid and begin to roam the streets with guns, looking for the killer. What they don't know is that the killer isn't atomic fallout or some American Air Force officer gone on a blood-thirsty rampage, but invisible creatures of pure thought created by Professor Walgate, who used the Air Force's atomic power as fuel for his depraved experiments. The creatures take over the atomic plant, making it impossible for the Air Force to cut off their source of power. When they boost the power to danger levels, the creatures become visible.

Perhaps the films' greatest success is the brain-creatures themselves. Insect-like, fast, and brain-sucking, these stop-motion creatures are rather terrifying even today. The animation effects used to make them move are very well done, and when they're killed, they explode with spurts of blood that Tarantino would be proud of. I believe the brain creatures from "Fiend Without a Face" are direct cinematic ascendants of the face-huggers from the "Alien" series.

The film's conclusion is violent, bloody, and explosive. Cummings finds a very scientifically unsound way to shut down the power plant (don't try this at home), but will he execute his plan in time to save Barbara and the other survivors?

I give "Fiend Without a Face" an 8/10. It's a little slow-moving at times, but strong performances, great special effects, an explosive finale and Kim Parker in a towel make this a must-see for fans of B-movies. This film was obviously made on a relatively small budget, but manages to get a lot of "bang" for it's buck. A spirited, funny cult classic for monster movie fans. Watch it for free right here:














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