It Conquered the World/Review

Some celebrity deaths come and go like many other passings in this world. But then there are those few instances where your heart shatters the moment your hero goes calling back to the afterlife. The noble tragic losses I can think of that really brought me to tears are David Bowie, Gilbert Gottfried, Kevin Conroy (Batman) and most unfortunately Roger Corman. A week before he died, a part of me was scared that we might lose him considering we lost icons like Ted V. Mikels and David Emge. But for all the cruelty that life throws our way, in the end Roger’s legacy will be forever. That’s why we’ll remember many of the great films he left behind in his 98 years on Earth. One of them being our film of the day - “It Conquered the World”.

Ol’ Angel Eyes himself, Lee Van Cleef stars as a bitter, misanthropic scientist named Tom Anderson. He receives contact from an unearthly being who shares similar sentiments against society in general. Only this alien from Venus secretly wants to take over the world, using Tommy boy as an emotional guinea pig. The Venusian strips the Earth of all it’s electrical power, forcing b-character Dr. Paul Nelson to travel via bicycle. Soon enough the alien pops out some bats to assimilate some slaves to it’s agenda. Can the tides be turnt for Clef to give humanity a second chance?

One thing to remember is that this is pre-Poe Roger Corman; specifically his 50’s sci-fi era. Back when he was pumping flicks like Day the World Ended, Attack of the Crab Monsters and Not of This Earth. While Corman’s gothic films are masterpieces without a doubt, the same could also be said for some of his out-of-this-world movies. From The Wasp Woman still being eerily relevant in the age of Jeffree Star and Kylie Jenner to the tragic spiral of madness that is “X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes”. The point being is that Corman is like a giant buffet where no matter what you’ll find, it’s guaranteed that you’ll leave satisfied.

Especially with “It Conquered the World”, specifically with it’s star, Lee Van Cleef. Watching his performance is the key to why this man engrossed audiences in the Dollars trilogy plus Escape From New York. The man commands attention while adding a streak of sympathy to his cause. Little things like his head being down when he tries to explain his position give a nuanced look into his sadness. Or when he tries to reassure his wife that he still loves her even when he’s practically sold his soul to the beast.

Speaking of the wife, Claire, it piggybacks into another thing I like about the movie: the dialogue. While Charles B Griffith (Little Shop of Horrors, Death Race 2000) does some uncredited work, this show mainly belongs to Lou Rusoff. That’s right; the guy that was put in charge for the U.S. release of Mario Bava’s Black Sunday. Between the two of them, they were pretty good at nailing lines that are simple, but convey the emotions well. Some of my favorites of theirs include but not limited to…

TOM: “The whole world is sick, man. It always has been.”

JOAN: “Misery loves company, but that’s carrying too far.”

CLAIRE: “I’ll stand by you, Tom. Not because I’m your wife, but because I love you.”

These bits all convey the heavy burdens that all these folks carry. All the more better that they’re summed up in one line rather than a whole essay’s worth unlike some movies today. No they saved that for the end when Tom talks about man and how he should look within himself for the answers. Some people may find this to be cheesy, but that’s the kind of movie I love. Which is fascinating it leads into my next point.

A lot of the naysayers like to goof on the special effects here which I’m more neutral to here. Now I can sort of understand when it comes to the monster itself for it kinda looks like a balloon here. My god, even the Robot Monster at the least was somewhat convincing three years before. However I do admire the bats used for the speed and editing helps to create a strange mysterious aura to them. This is definitely true when they stab their victims in the neck for the assimilation.

If I have one more minor criticism, it’s bits of the pace in the second act. Some seconds could’ve been cut to help make the movie go a bit. Luckily it picks up a bit in the third act and things start to get interesting again. It goes to show that even with a length under 70 minutes, you still need to pack the bones up with prime meat. So I think the word “serviceable” is pretty appropriate right here.

While it may be slow in the middle, “It Conquered the World” is still an interesting little gem. The story is pretty cool, it’s equipped with nice dialogue and we’re treated to Lee Van Cleef being awesome as usual. Oh and I forgot to mention That Guy Dick Miller being funny here is a treat that I’ll always treasure. Still doesn’t take away from the fact that life sucks even bigger now that Roger Corman is no longer on this planet. He may be gone, but that man ain’t never gonna be forgotton. No way…

I give it 4 roses that I left on Roger’s grave out of 5 - check it out

Ken Hegarty is a contributor to the Grindhouse Cinema Database. You can find a list of his reviews HERE.