The War of the Worlds (1953)

The War of the Worlds (1953)

[8] The War of the Worlds, based on H.G. Wells classic sci-fi novel, hits the ground running with Martians invading the world! We experience the invasion through an ensemble of characters in a quaint California community where one of the…
It Came from Outer Space (1953)

It Came from Outer Space (1953)

[6] Richard Carlson (Creature from the Black Lagoon) stars as an amateur astronomer who sees a spaceship crash in the Arizona desert. He tries to tell the community about it, but no one believes him -- especially after the crater…
Godzilla (1954)

Godzilla (1954)

[7] Underwater hydrogen bomb testing awakens a prehistoric monster from the depths of the ocean in this Japanese classic that launched a mighty franchise still active today. Godzilla is a lot like King Kong or the Universal Monster Movies in…
Village of the Damned (1960)

Village of the Damned (1960)

[7] One day in an English village, everyone drops unconscious for several hours. People outside the village discover the phenomenon and investigate. When they step inside the perimeter, they, too, fall unconscious. The terrifying mystery resolves as quickly as it…
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

[8] Philip Kaufman enhances the creepiness and desperation in this superior retelling of the classic tale of alien menace and paranoia. The terrific cast includes Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Brooke Adams, and Leonard Nimoy. Ben Burtt provides the…
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

[4] Aliens in flying saucers contact a scientist about their plan to enslave all the humans of Earth! This atomic age flick is slow going until the last ten minutes, when effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen gets to destroy Washington D.C.…
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

[7] The residents of a small California town are slowly being replaced by otherworldly "pod people" and it's up to Kevin McCarthy and Carolyn Jones to warn the rest of the world about the invasion. This original film version is…
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

[5] This monster romp was the first solo effort by effects wizard Ray Harryhausen. All the stop-motion animation has the usual Harryhausen charm, including a famous scene where the dinosaur rages down Wall Street and chomps on a policeman. Unfortunately,…
Them! (1954)

Them! (1954)

[6] Often regarded the best of the atomic age 'giant critter' flicks, Them! is best in the beginning, during two police officers' discovery of a little girl roaming the desert in a catatonic state. Looking for her family, they come…
Matinee (1992)

Matinee (1992)

[7] John Goodman stars as a schlock filmmaker previewing his latest atomic horror flick during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The script by Charlie Haas draws clunky parallels between the real life threat of nuclear destruction and the…