From Zombos Closet

JM Cozzoli

A horror and movie fan with a blog. Scary.

Pressbook: Invisible Invaders (1959)

One of those movies that's unforgettable for its rough edges as well as its influence. Dead people rising up, possessed by aliens intent on destroying the world. The shambling ghouls are said to have influenced George Romero. And the setpiece with people trapped in a military bunker, besieged by the walking dead, and their experimentation on one captured animated-dead individual to find a way to stop them all, is familiar to anyone who has seen Day of the Dead (1985). 

Invisible invaders pressbook

Mexican Lobby Card:
Devil Girl from Mars (1954)

Some very thoughtful movies came out of the 1950s science fiction cycle. Some of the others involved sexy alien women with dominatrix attitudes and big ray guns, lusting after earth men. Or, we went to them instead as Earthian astronauts, lusting after exotic alien women (oddly, all dressing the same way in tight fitting clothes) on distant planets. Take your pick, it was still fun.

devil girl from mars mexican lobby card

Santa in Summer

So? What did you think he did all year round? Ever since UPS and Amazon moved in on his home turf the poor stiff's gone to the birds. Not even the Bumble can cheer him up these days. On a more positive note, Halloween's still going strong for the Pumpkin King. 

Santa claus feeding pidgeons

Santa claus feeding pidgeons

Mexican Lobby Card:
The Colossus of New York (1958)

An often overlooked science fiction movie, The Colossus of New York brings together themes we still struggle with, such as social responsibility, the misuse of great power for unethical reasons, and how much technology can influence a human being’s balance between rationality and irrationality, leading to dire consequences for others. 

Cerebro diabolico mexican lobby card

Mexican Lobby Card: Robot Monster (1953)

More bizarre than peanut butter and Jiffy Lube (wait, I got that right?), comes El Monstruo De Marte, or Robot Monster for short. A movie even Ed Wood would be stymied by. It simply defies description. Imagine a movie beyond bad, beyond logic, and beyond any common sense you care to throw at it. You must see it. You must! The power of trashy, hilarious cinema compels you! And yes, even more bizarre, is the lobby card that someone actually had to, just had to, pencil in the outline of the beast shown in the scene photo. Mind you, this was done before the card went to print. You've got a gorilla-suited guy with a skull for a head (in the illustration anyway) wearing a diving-like helmet with rabbit ears. Who the *F* cares about the lizard in the photo?

robot monster lobby card