B-movies on Blu-ray: Strippers, flying saucers and sea monsters
Michael Bay might want every movie to cost $300m, but there are some truly hilarious movies that cost less than a sandwich to make and will keep you entertained for hours
Get ready to scream: aliens are coming, creatures from the sea are going to eat us all and there are zombie strippers on the loose. Joyous B-movie action rocked up at the Crave offices on Friday afternoon to whoops of joy, an immediate abandonment of work and a rush to the Blu-ray player. What? It was Friday, cut us some slack.
It Came From Beneath the Sea and Earth vs The Flying Saucers are both B-movie classics from the mid-50s. Originally shot in black and white, with special effects from the legendary Ray Harryhausen, they've been colourised and re-released in glorious 1080p. There are even 5.1-channel Dolby TrueHD soundtracks to feed your home cinema gear.
These days people expect more from their movies than a few jerky special effects, but that's mainly the fault of Michael Bay, who puts style squarely in front of substance every time he starts the cameras rolling. But these movies are a beautiful illustration of how to make a delightful film without costing more than a ham sandwich.
Both movies feature some wonderful extras, including a short documentary about the colourisation of a black-and-white movie, plus interviews with those involved in both the original production and the remastering process. Even the box for It Came From The Sea is thrilling, featuring words like 'havoc', 'chaos' and 'destruction', and a liberal sprinkling of exclamation marks.
There's the option of watching Flying Saucers or It Came in the new artificial colour or in the original black and white, so purists should be reasonably happy. That said, the colourisation process works pretty well, and the movies genuinely do benefit from the new 1080p transfer.
If you want your thrills a little more risqué, perhaps you'll be interested in the 18-rated Zombie Strippers, featuring adult movie star Jenna Jameson. A desperate need for new soldiers has led scientists to re-animate the dead. Luckily, there are some women with large chests around to help, with a strip club perilously close to the army research facility. Chaos and nudity ensue and the film's climax (sorry) will defy plausibility, as well as biological fact.
Both It Came From The Sea and Earth vs The Flying Saucers are rated U (for mild peril -- Crave's favourite kind of peril, we might add) and cost around £12. Zombie Strippers is an 18 (for sexualised nudity and strong violence) and costs about £18. -Ian Morris