(1956)
Overall: MEH
This early directorial effort from Roger Corman during his prolific, 1950's period is typical of his productions. Which is to say low on budget, low on plot, and high on unintended laughability. Though he is joined by a recognizable cast for this round, (Lee Van Cleef and Peter "Ever seen a grown man naked?" Graves in the leads), their dialog is so dumb that it is borderline insulting, as is the script by Lou Rusoff and Charles B. Griffith, both frequent Corman collaborators. Cleef in particular comes off as an absolute moron who stubbornly continues to help an alien lifeform that is trying to take over the world, only changing his mind once his buddy says something at the very end that makes him pull a "Well I never thought of it like that" turn. This is after most of the movie is spent with people going back to his house over and over again to reason with him, including his wife who does nothing else for the entire movie. Visual effects wise, they could not be less special with rubber alien bats being thrown around and the title monster looking as bad if not worse than the most embarrassing Doctor Who creations. Pure schlock to be sure.
(1957)
Overall: MEH
More goofy nonsense from the tightly-budgeted Allied Artists that once again brings together producer/director Roger Corman and screenwriter Charles B. Griffith, (the latter who also requested directing a small handful of underwater scenes), Attack of the Crab Monsters delivers on its title the same way any other mega-cheap, drive-in B-movie would. It is barely over an hour long, the characters are unremarkable enough to forget their names the whole way through, the monsters are hilariously rinky-dink, and it is all a mildly amusing waste of time. The sound design of the crab monsters themselves is somewhat effective, coming off like a slightly distorted extreme metal scream, but the creatures are also able to consume their victim's brains and then talk as them across long distances and through random objects. They do this for reasons that are of no importance so why they also need to sound like scary monstrosities in the first place is anybody's guess. As is to be expected, the script is half-baked enough so the pacing ultimately suffers as there is very little to show the audience besides a couple of scientists talking in a lab, walking into caves and getting killed, swimming a bit, arguing with the crab things, and then repeating the cycle until "The End" flashes on the screen.
(1959)
Overall: GOOD
After being given a measly budget of $50,000 from American International Pictures to make a horror movie, Roger Corman and screenwriter Charles B. Griffith technically delivered one with A Bucket of Blood. Shot in five days, the film equally serves as a send-up of beatnik culture while at the same time fulfilling a gruesome murder quota. The results certainly are not scary, but they are as funny as intended and Griffith's simple script cleverly lampoons its subject matter. Likewise, Corman shoots the handful of macabre elements in a straightforward manner that along with the performances which take the material seriously, makes for an effectively dark and comedic result that surprisingly steers clear of pure camp. The lack of funds available are noticeable, but also forgiving since the story does not require any truly elaborate set pieces and it all cruises by without feeling remotely rushed. As he was wont to do, Corman would utilize these sets for an even cheaper and even faster-made follow-up with The Little Shop of Horrors, which even more impressively would improve upon the already working, black comedy formula set up here.
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