Directed by Jack Arnold,
written by Richard Matheson and Richard Alan Simmons based on the novel by
Richard Matheson
starring Grant Williams,
Randy Stuart and April Kent
1957
A man begins to shrink
after he comes into contact with a mysterious radioactive cloud at sea. He
becomes a national story as he continues to shrink, until he’s living in a
doll’s house within his own house, which he shares with his concerned wife.
Eventually he finds himself small enough to battle the family cat, before
ending up in the basement in a desperate battle against a spider.
This flick was directed
by Jack Arnold, probably the most prolific director of the latter half of the
Universal horror cycle, responsible for most of the best of these sci-fi flicks
(and a few stinkers). The special effects here are second to none, making our
hero blend realistically with his settings whether he’s half his original
height, or smaller than a spider. The movie exploits its own premise
thoroughly, going to great pains to envision what the vast world of a normal
suburban house would look like to a tiny man. It turns the trek across the
basement into a journey worthy of the LORD OF THE RINGS.
Most interestingly,
though, is the philosophical tone the movie takes. Many 50s sci-fi flicks
affected a quasi-intellectual air, but most of that just led to boredom. This
time around, there’s a real existential dilemma at hand, and the main
character’s inner monologue fleshes it out in a believable and meaningful way.
Spoilers: the most insanely unique part of this movie is the fact that it does
not lead to a happy ending in which our hero regains his original height.
Instead, he continues to shrink until he is infinitesimally small, waxing
philosophical about the state of the universe and his place in it. It’s both
existential and transcendental at the same time, which is an unusual and
welcome departure for a Universal horror flick of this late era.
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