Instant Favorite.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This campy excursion into sci-fi horror is much more entertaining today than when it was first foisted upon unsuspecting, value-for- money-seeking audiences back in 1957. Of course its soap-suds special effects and papier-maché sets can only really be appreciated in their full glory in genuine Regalscope — which affords a better view of lovely Mala Powers and nice May Wynn too. Unknown Terror rates as a distinct cut above the usual Regalscope feature. One reason, of course, is that despite the CinemaScope process being here labeled "Regalscope", this is not entirely a Regal Films Production, but a co-production effort with an indie outfit called Emirau. True, there's still too much talk and too many static camera positions, and even the action scenes could stand a bit of trimming, but the heroine is a beauty and the climax comes across as pretty exciting too (even if the fungus does look a bit too much like soap- suds).It's nice to see John Howard again after all these years. He hasn't aged much, but his acting hasn't improved a great deal either. Good to sight May Wynn too. She certainly makes a lithe native girl, though her role weighs in as not over-large and she is somewhat overshadowed by the stunningly attractive and entrancingly seductive Mala Powers.Warren's direction can accurately be described as effective enough in the action spots. The cavern sets are certainly visually appealing. A bit of money has obviously been expended here, and that largess lends the whole film a fair degree of class. Other credits notch in as serviceable or better.

I remember seeing this as a kid on local TV and being somewhat put out by the fact that you never got a clear look at the infected natives (probably for good reasons) and that the killer fungus monster at the finale was obviously tons of soap suds mixed in with a little dry ice fog. Oddly enough it stuck with me and soon I was putting shampoo in my hair and screaming "The fungus,the fungus!" Still,the leads all do a good straight faced job and the script doesn't contain the amount of Ed Wood style howlers you'd expect it to.As far as I know this is also the last horror film to present calypso singer Sir Lancelot who had appeared in the Val Lewton Films I walked with a Zombie and Curse Of The Cat People. The song "You Got To Suffer To Be Born Again is a mix of genius and absurdity. Highly recommended to anyone who likes old B movies.

Spoilers are here.I saw this film for the first time a few days ago. After having seen it cited for "Best Use Of Soap Suds in a Horror Film" just after I bought it, I was a little afraid I had wasted my money. Glad to report it is decent, even if it still has its problems. ( They use the same shots over and over again in the climax, and everything just splutters to a halt at the end as if no one had thought that far ahead when they began filming.) BUT FOR A WHILE, the atmosphere is good, evocative of something very juicy-bad about to happen. The character actor Paul Richards, a well-known face from literally countless TV shows of the 60s, has a nice role.

I was able to acquire a copy of this little flick recently.I remembered it from my youth but still had some trepidation due to all of the snooty reviews of the flick.Well ol' evilskip is here to tell you that it isn't nearly as bad as it has been touted.An expedition is lost somewhere in South America near the cave of death.Well a second expedition is mounted to find the first. Before long we've got some nasty looking zombies and a mad scientist who has created an unstoppable killer fungus.Granted, the fungus looks like it came from a dish washer with an overactive thyroid but what could you do with $12 for special effects?>Again this isn't a classic by any means.But in the right frame of mind it is a pleasant way to pass 70 or so minutes.