IMDb RATING
6.1/10
4.9K
YOUR RATING
A scientist's thoughts materialize as an army of invisible brain-shaped monsters (complete with spinal-cord tails!) who terrorize an American military base in this nightmarish chiller.A scientist's thoughts materialize as an army of invisible brain-shaped monsters (complete with spinal-cord tails!) who terrorize an American military base in this nightmarish chiller.A scientist's thoughts materialize as an army of invisible brain-shaped monsters (complete with spinal-cord tails!) who terrorize an American military base in this nightmarish chiller.
Terry Kilburn
- Capt. Chester
- (as Terence Kilburn)
E. Kerrigan Prescott
- Atomic Engineer
- (as Kerrigan Prescott)
Meadows White
- Ben Adams
- (as R. Meadows White)
Sheldon Allan
- Sentry
- (uncredited)
Alexander Archdale
- Minister
- (uncredited)
Eddie Boyce
- Jacques Griselle
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn an interview, star Marshall Thompson recalled that director Arthur Crabtree didn't really want to direct the film--he thought sci-fi was "beneath" him--and often didn't show up for work. Eventually, according to Thompson, Crabtree walked off the picture, and Thompson himself finished directing it.
- GoofsAnyone who has been in the military for any army knows that while on guard duty, you can never leave your post for any reason until properly relieved. No military guard would leave their post to look in the woods for a disturbance.
- Quotes
Prof. R. E. Walgate: What have I unleashed?
- Alternate versionsOriginal UK cinema prints were cut by the BBFC to heavily reduce sounds and shots of gore from the climactic destruction of the creatures. The version shown by BBC as part of the Moviedrome season was the same cut cinema print, and this was later issued on UK DVD in 2003 on the 2 Entertain label.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Aweful Movies with Deadly Earnest: Fiend Without a Face (1973)
Featured review
brain stem cell research
A fringe scientist involved with mind over matter experiments unwittingly unleashes a horde of horrible, invisible, brain-sucking
whatchamacallits in this 1958 thriller that isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. Although Canadian sci-fi films are usually an oxymoron, this one is at least entertaining, even though it makes use of the standard fifties cause celebre: atomic radiation. As a payoff for the audience, we finally get to see the "fiends" when the power from the conveniently nearby nuclear reactor is cranked up to reveal them as. . .brains. With brain stems. And antennae. And some surprisingly good stop-motion animation. Marshall Thompson, that staple of fifties B movies, does yeoman duty in this film by not only starring in it, but actually taking over the reins of director when the "real" director Arthur Crabtree showed up on Day 1 and refused to direct! It seems that Crabtree angrily told the producers "I don't do monster movies" and walked off the set, whereupon Thompson, to his credit, stepped up to the plate. Crabtree came back, a few days later, and the rest, as they say, is history.
All in all, "Fiend without a Face" may not be in the same league as, say, "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", but it's not really all that bad, either. Make a big bowl of popcorn, or get some decent pizza, and enjoy.
whatchamacallits in this 1958 thriller that isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. Although Canadian sci-fi films are usually an oxymoron, this one is at least entertaining, even though it makes use of the standard fifties cause celebre: atomic radiation. As a payoff for the audience, we finally get to see the "fiends" when the power from the conveniently nearby nuclear reactor is cranked up to reveal them as. . .brains. With brain stems. And antennae. And some surprisingly good stop-motion animation. Marshall Thompson, that staple of fifties B movies, does yeoman duty in this film by not only starring in it, but actually taking over the reins of director when the "real" director Arthur Crabtree showed up on Day 1 and refused to direct! It seems that Crabtree angrily told the producers "I don't do monster movies" and walked off the set, whereupon Thompson, to his credit, stepped up to the plate. Crabtree came back, a few days later, and the rest, as they say, is history.
All in all, "Fiend without a Face" may not be in the same league as, say, "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", but it's not really all that bad, either. Make a big bowl of popcorn, or get some decent pizza, and enjoy.
helpful•252
- march9hare
- Nov 7, 2004
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Ungeheuer ohne Gesicht
- Filming locations
- Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK(forest scenes)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £50,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 14 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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