The Colossus of New York (1958)

That was an excellent one.

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

I watched this movie when it first came out in 1958 when I was a young boy all of nine years of age. This film, along with "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" with Michael Landon as the Werewolf, "I Was A Teenage Frankenstein", "The Blob" starring Steve McQueen and "The Fly" featuring Vincent Price are all horror movies that I would consider to be worthy of enshrinement in the'Horror Movie Hall of Fame' if there were such a place. I would also like to say that all of these movies scared the living 'bee-gee-bees'out of me when I watched them! In fact, my younger brother fled the theater at one point during "I Was A Teenage Frankenstein" (probably the scene when the 'dead' teenager sat upright when the mad doctor's fiancé pulled open the morgue reefer) To this day I don't think he's ever watched the movie to completion. There were a large number of other excellent horror movies made during the late 50's and 60's that I remember, but this handful really stick out in my mind. All that being said, I would much rather watch any or all of these classics today than watch some of the films that are being made nowadays. Don't get me wrong, there have been many, many outstanding horror movies to come out since these films were released, but for my money, give me'the good old days' of horror movies. Just saying.

Plot-- Brilliant research scientist Jerry Spensser (Martin) dies before completing his revolutionary work in food production. His equally brilliant father (Kruger) keeps portions of him alive by transferring his brain to a huge mechanical robot whose behavior is sometimes glaringly unpredictable. Meanwhile, family and friends get involved like it or not. Tepid sci-fi, that's well produced and well acted within the confines. Trouble is the monster looks more giant than colossus and not very fearsome. It also looks like the scripter was reaching for a philosophical sub-text about the importance of a soul, which of course the Colossus doesn't have. In short, having only a brain but no soul, means he can think, but without moral considerations. Ironically, however, the climax appears to question this separation. Shrewdly, the script doesn't hit us over the head with the sub-text. On the other hand, the screenplay and direction fail to generate needed suspense. In short, the movie is too talky. Making the monster's behavior more unpredictable would have generated more drama. Then too, staging is sometimes erratic, like when the UN crowd stands implausibly around while getting zapped by the monster. Thus, the scene fails to impart a needed sense of fear to viewers.Something should be said about producer William Alland, an executive position too often overlooked in movies. Considering his prolific output in the 50's, it's surprising how many good sci-fi's he collaborated on—This Island Earth (1955), It Came From Outer Space (1953), Tarantula (1955), among others. Unfortunately, this effort doesn't reach that rank, but neither is it 1950's sci-fi dreck. In short, the results are middling, at best.

BRIEF BLU-RAY REVIEW:Seriously, I was totally blown away with the picture quality of this Blu-ray, especially for it's age. Whomever was in charge of the Restoration should be Canonized... Some scenes were so vivid and detailed, that you genuinely felt that you could just step right onto the set!Anyway, concerning the movie itself; do you notice how many reviews of this film (and as of now, there are only a total of about 25) MANY people use the terms 'Atmospheric', 'Eerie', 'Creepy', etc... Well, I have to add my complete agreement with that. Most of the Sci Fi films of that decade could be quite hokey in their low-budgetedness (?) But, there was just something to this one which carried a much heavier weight and mood than most. I don't know exactly what it was, but there was an unusual 'earnestness' or 'gravitas' that somehow created a much stronger atmosphere and very serious mood for the film. I mean, even with it's very low budget and fairly common theme, there was just some magical element in the direction, acting, and especially the bloody MOOD of the dang thing that conveyed a LOT more impact than the sum of it's familiar parts can quite explain.I REALLY like Ross Martin, who plays the son. Another early reviewer mentioned his love and appreciation of the 'Wild, Wild, West' series; I fully agree (not to mention his Oscar worthy turn in the excellent movie, 'EXPERIMENT IN TERROR') I had never seen this film before; and to be honest, I was fully expecting a REAL corny 1950's Sci Fi film. But, there was just SOMETHING that kept me riveted to the screen and much more emotionally involved than I EVER would have expected with a film of this nature and from this time period.So, there you have it... I mean, it's no 'FORBIDDEN PLANET' or 'THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL' (original ONLY, PLEASE!) But, I would say that IF by chance you can kind of 'Tune In' to the unusual 'resonance' of this film, you should definitely enjoy it more than the usual Sci Fi movie of the time.

****SPOILERS***** Very outdated in the special effects department but very up to date in the timeless debate of faith and theology versus science and technology. "Colossus of New York" brings up the questions about the human soul, for those billions of us who believe it exists, that goes well beyond modern science. Can a brain as advanced and dedicated that it is to the ending of suffering in the world and human as it was in life be the same in death? Or in the case of being without a body and soul a brain will only think logically without feeling and without the soul's goodness and humanity. that in many cases is not logical and will only respect the law of the jungle: survival of the fittest and destruction of the lame sick and unproductive.Brilliant scientist Dr. Jaremy Spensser, Ross Martin, who just came back to New York from Stockholm after receiving the International Peace Prize for his work in growing frost resistant plants that is to provide the world with an unlimited food supply. Getting off the plane and meeting his family Jaremy is suddenly killed by a runaway truck at the airport.Jaremy's father the imminent brain surgeon Dr. William Spensser, Otto Kruger, can't accept his son's death. With the help of his other son automotive engineer Dr. Henry Spensser, John Baragary, Dr. Spensser has Jaremy's brain removed and puts it into a tropical fish tank for the time being. Henry construct a eight foot Colossus for the brain to work out of but what both William & Henry totally forgot was that for the brain to be as effective, as the good kind and feeling person that Jaremy was, in death as it was in life it would need what only God can provide for it: A SOUL.Even though Henry was hesitant in going along with it,saving Jeramy's brain, he gave into his fathers William's mad. In the end it led to him being killed by the mad Colossus. The movie has been compared to "Frankenstein" but unlike the Frankenstein monster which had the brain of a murder the Colossus in the movie had the brain of a brilliant and kind human being, Jaremy Spensser. Like in both stories they didn't have a soul and that's what made all the difference. The ending of the movie the Colossus went to the UN and killed about a dozen scientists and policemen, with some kind of killer ray, at a conference for peace in the world. Later with the Colossus, who was really Jaremy, was shut down by his son Billy, Charles Herbert, and thus being destroyed was a bit ridicules. Even the Colossus' ability to see into the future, when he saw in a vision a sea disaster, wasn't all that convincing. Later we see both William and Henry watching the TV where they see stock footage of the sinking of the Andrea Doria after it collided with the US ship Stockholm. The Colossus calls the ship in his vision The Viking! That seen and the Colossus' fortune telling ability was never really explained and was totally unnecessary to be put in the story. The main plot of the movie about the human soul as well as the heart and how it makes the difference in all of us when it comes to being a good kind and understanding human beings, instead of a cold calculating and unfeeling machine, was right on target. Like the song says, with a few minor changes, "Without a Soul You Don't Have Anything".