"Moments of Genius" may be an overly enthusiastic summary for this 1957 B flick. I admit to a love for and fascination with this movie that few other Corman movies have ever elicited. My early memories of seeing this as a kid on the Saturday horror showcase remain vivid to this day, 45 years later, and certain of it aspects have not worn out their welcome at all.
Among its strengths are Paul Birch (playing "Paul Johnson") speaking with a carefully worked out accent, which uses a cadence and intonation that is quite unique and very effective. His dialog is written in an oddly stilted English that makes him sound highly educated but obviously foreign to the planet. (When his chauffeur honks the car horn, Johnson barks at him "Jeremy! I have ordered you not to sound the warning horn or make any high decibel noises while near me!") Birch matches this with a kind of physicality that is stiff but not at all ungainly. The bat/umbrella/cuttlefish thing is one of my favorite B movie props! The two final scenes are particularly effective as "Johnson" is fleeing the police, attempting to get them to look at his eyes. And the very last moment of the movie has stayed with me these many years as a singularly creepy conclusion.
It is well known that Paul Birch and Corman had a sour relationship that devolved into fisticuffs and led to Birch leaving the movie before it was finished. Birch complained that the large contact lenses or scleral shells that created his white eyes were very painful and that he could only stand to have them in for a couple of minutes at a time. No wonder his fuse was a bit short!
There are many ridiculous plot holes. Much of the acting is simply awful. But compared to its partner film "Attack of the Crab Monster" Not Of This Earth is relatively refined and watchable.
Among its strengths are Paul Birch (playing "Paul Johnson") speaking with a carefully worked out accent, which uses a cadence and intonation that is quite unique and very effective. His dialog is written in an oddly stilted English that makes him sound highly educated but obviously foreign to the planet. (When his chauffeur honks the car horn, Johnson barks at him "Jeremy! I have ordered you not to sound the warning horn or make any high decibel noises while near me!") Birch matches this with a kind of physicality that is stiff but not at all ungainly. The bat/umbrella/cuttlefish thing is one of my favorite B movie props! The two final scenes are particularly effective as "Johnson" is fleeing the police, attempting to get them to look at his eyes. And the very last moment of the movie has stayed with me these many years as a singularly creepy conclusion.
It is well known that Paul Birch and Corman had a sour relationship that devolved into fisticuffs and led to Birch leaving the movie before it was finished. Birch complained that the large contact lenses or scleral shells that created his white eyes were very painful and that he could only stand to have them in for a couple of minutes at a time. No wonder his fuse was a bit short!
There are many ridiculous plot holes. Much of the acting is simply awful. But compared to its partner film "Attack of the Crab Monster" Not Of This Earth is relatively refined and watchable.