The Colossus of New York

The Colossus of New York is a classic film from the 1950s, but unfortunately more in the negative sense of the word. There's very little originality here, and even though the monster is beautifully clumsy and awkward, it alone cannot save the film. This is a film for die-hard fans of 1950s sci-fi and horror movies, and it probably won't appeal much to others. It lacks the right energy and isn't suspenseful either. (2014.05.11)

What elevates this film above the sci-fi B-movies of the Golden Age of the 1950s is its remarkable soundtrack, penned by Van Cleave, which stands out from all those uniform symphonic products in the genre-related films of the era. Exclusively accompanied by piano, using at times discordant elements and occasionally deep, fateful notes, sometimes straight out of George Gershwin's works, he creates a very unsettling atmosphere in this Frankensteinian tale. In the first two thirds, the story of a scientist who fits the brain of his slain genius son into a 2 metre-tall robot (which looks like Kryton from Red Dwarf) would deserve a 4*. It's confidently directed, narratively restrained (no B-movie tropes or bad special effects), even asking some of the eternal philosophical questions that Frankenstein movies have always asked. But from the first kill (the robot whips deadly rays from its blinking eyes), the film makes it clear that we are in B-movie waters, and the final carnage in the United Nations building, where the victims stand idly by like a flock of sheep, is comically inept. Still, a satisfying 3*, for the great atmosphere and the not-so-futile screenplay (though of course it's just a modern take on Mary Shelley's novel). (2013.03.11)