I Watch Films: Fiend Without A Face

 

Fiend Without A Face

An American airbase in rural Canada has a new, nuclear powered radar installation. Several locals are killed, their brains and spinal cords missing, puncture wounds on their neck. The locals blame radiation from the base, but the Americans are pretty sure that’s not how radiation works and set Major Cummings to investigate.

Barbara Griselle is the sister of one of the deceased men who Cummings clashes with; she’s also the secretary for Professor Walgate, a semi-retired British scientist that Cummings questions to see if he has any ideas. Walgate is writing a book about telekinesis, and can’t help.

Inevitably it turns out the nuclear power plant has enhanced Walgate’s telekinetic powers, which have made themselves into a living thought projection. In an effort to propagate itself it has been attacking people and stealing their brains and spinal cords, bringing them back to life, and having them prey invisibly on the locals. Under siege, the main characters are at a loss until the creatures turn up the nuclear power and they become visible after which they can be shot. But there’s still the problem of an out of control nuclear reactor.

This is a fairly straightforward science fiction horror film, assuming you put together telekinesis, nuclear power, missing brains-and-spinal cords and the title of the film. There’s a fair amount of Cummings and Barbara doing some adequate banter, various people being puzzled and the local authorities refusing to cooperate. The visible monsters are exactly what you’d imagine from a 1950s film.

Watch This: Silly monster film that does not outstay it’s welcome
Don’t Watch This: Nonsensical, terrible looking monsters