Ahhhh. The only thing better than posting on the blog is having someone else blog for me. We're having a guest blogger today; my boss David is going to talk about a movie he just saw. So with no further ado, I bring you "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (the movie, not the boss).Yesterday was a day off. Besides catching up on things around the house, it was a chance to watch The Incredible Shrinking Man, a classic sci-fi movie from 1957. I haven’t watched this in years, decades probably. Getting the DVD from Search Ohio brought the pleasant anticipation of once again enjoying a childhood favorite. If you’ve never seen it, here’s the story:
After being exposed to pesticides and radiation, Scott Carey begins to shrink. The finest medical minds, of 1957 at least, are at a loss and can only briefly halt the process. Reduced to living in a doll house, he is attacked and almost eaten by a cat, played by the very famous “Orangey,” feline star of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Falling into his basement, our hero battles and defeats a giant spider then contemplates the subatomic realms into which he will descend.
So, is it any good? If not in the same league as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Forbidden Planet (1956), or Invasion of the Body Snatchers (also 1956), it’s still enjoyable both for the treatment of the story and for the oversize sets. Yes, the special effects show their age and a good editor would have helped, but who doesn’t like seeing a guy get eaten (almost) by a housecat or a giant spider? Especially when he talks so much.
Film buffs and critics tend to read quite a bit into this movie. Is it really about the individual’s existential torments when faced with 1950’s conformity and affluence? I couldn’t tell you. Sit back, have some popcorn, and don’t worry if the doll house symbolizes diminishing masculine potency in the face of nascent feminism. It’s not great art, it’s a fun B-movie.
After being exposed to pesticides and radiation, Scott Carey begins to shrink. The finest medical minds, of 1957 at least, are at a loss and can only briefly halt the process. Reduced to living in a doll house, he is attacked and almost eaten by a cat, played by the very famous “Orangey,” feline star of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Falling into his basement, our hero battles and defeats a giant spider then contemplates the subatomic realms into which he will descend.
So, is it any good? If not in the same league as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Forbidden Planet (1956), or Invasion of the Body Snatchers (also 1956), it’s still enjoyable both for the treatment of the story and for the oversize sets. Yes, the special effects show their age and a good editor would have helped, but who doesn’t like seeing a guy get eaten (almost) by a housecat or a giant spider? Especially when he talks so much.
Film buffs and critics tend to read quite a bit into this movie. Is it really about the individual’s existential torments when faced with 1950’s conformity and affluence? I couldn’t tell you. Sit back, have some popcorn, and don’t worry if the doll house symbolizes diminishing masculine potency in the face of nascent feminism. It’s not great art, it’s a fun B-movie.
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