The Trollenberg Terror (1958)
"The nightmare terror of the slithering eye that unleashed agonising horror on a screaming world!"
Plot
A series of unexplained deaths in the Swiss Alps leads investigator Alan Brooks to the Trollenberg mountain where the nearby observatory has been tracking a strange radioactive cloud that doesn't seem to move. Joining him in his travels to Trollenberg, a couple of English psychics claim to be mysteriously drawn to an alien presence on the mountain. It is revealed that aliens from a dying planet have made the icy cold peaks their new home but are now moving down the mountain towards the village.
Another of Britain's limited number of entries in the 50s science fiction genre, The Trollenberg Terror isn't one of it's greatest but still manages to deliver some eerie goods. Jimmy Sangster, the man who penned some of Hammer's finest films, was given the task of writing and, fresh off completing a similar sci-fi tale with X the Unknown, comes armed with a wealth of ideas that would make Professor Quatermass happy. Back in these days, the stories had to be top notch because everyone knew that the special effects were never that convincing. A good story and solid build-up would alleviate many of the weaknesses of the special effects - if the film did such a good job of making you believe in the existence of aliens and the science around them, it hardly mattered what they looked like because you were already sold on the idea. Such is the case with The Trollenberg Terror. A good story, some eerie moments and a gradual sense of impending doom keep the film ticking over until the disappointing aliens are revealed.
The plot, adapted from a BBC serial a couple of years earlier and with producers clearly thinking they could replicate the same success as the similarly-adapted The Quatermass Experiment, is your routine story about mysterious goings on in a small town. You know the sort of film I'm referring to and the set-up is formulaic. There's the pre-credits victim. The opening scene is really good and because you don't actually see what is happening with the person off-screen, it's a lot more effective. Local people then try and deal with the situation themselves. More disappearances. The townspeople call in some external help since their local experts don't know what the problem is. Eventually this leads to a pivotal 'reveal' moment mid-way through the film in which the threat is uncovered. It's the same routine with the scientific ground that it tries to cover - aliens coming from another dying planet and choosing Earth to be their new home, etc. The Trollenberg Terror adheres to this template to perfection, casually going about its business with the minimum of fuss. It’s never overly boring but there are many occasions where you wish the pace would pick up just a little bit.
One good point is the use of the radioactive cloud. Every time the monsters go to attack, the cloud moves position on the mountain. Earlier in the film, this is a useful tool to create a bit of mystery and suspense. You know something is inside the cloud but you're not sure what is lurking there. I guess it’s the imagination kicking into overdrive thinking about all of the weird and wonderful (and deadly) things that could be lurking in there. Regrettably, the monsters massively disappoint when they get their big reveal about half-way through and it is at this point the film loses its mystery and suspense. With everyone trapped inside the observatory, you'd think there would be some Night of the Living Dead-style barricade where the survivors fight off the monsters. But that doesn't happen and the finale is a bit of a damp squib, with the blame solely lying at the feet of the special effects.
The monster designs are very good so it is a pity that they're unable to do much on-camera and make themselves look like a threat. The fact that the monsters are giant brains with a big eyeball is no secret due to the fact that they're plastered all over the front cover - talk about giving away your biggest selling point. They get a great debut late on the film when a character opens up the door of the hotel to see one peering in. Sadly, whenever they're required to move or attack, they look like the models being pulled across miniature sets that they are. The humans either have unconvincing fights with rubber tentacles that don't move or the monsters simply attack clay figures on the model sets. During the observatory finale, one of the monsters grabs an unlucky chap by the throat and lifts him up off the floor - the following scene of a model man being pathetically hoisted up by the cheap monster makes me chuckle every time. At least they tried.
As was the case with a lot of early British sci-fi films, an American actor is cast in the leading role in an attempt to easier sell it to the US market. Fresh from slumming it up in the Himalayas in The Abominable Snowman, Forrest Tucker swaps one snowy set of peaks for another. He's a serviceable leading man for nonsense like this, ably abetted by some solid actors in supporting roles - I didn't recognise Warren Mitchell (British TV's Alf Garnett). Janet Munro's psychic character is appealing and her character arc seems to be heading towards playing a crucial part of the film. Who am I kidding? This is the 50s, she's a female and so she plays no active part in resolving the situation and has to be rescued by the men.
Final Verdict
Typical of standard 50s sci-fi, The Trollenberg Terror isn't anything special when you consider what else was out around the same period (I'm thinking of the Quatermass films here). The mountain location makes for a great setting, there's some decent atmosphere in key scenes and the fact the aliens cut heads off gives the film a more sinister edge to normal. But it would have been better if the finale was actually exciting and the special effects been more convincing.
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The Trollenberg Terror Also Known As: The Crawling Eye Director(s): Quentin Lawrence Writer(s): Jimmy Sangster (screenplay), Peter Kay (story) Actor(s): Forrest Tucker, Laurence Payne, Jennifer Jayne, Janet Munro, Warren Mitchell, Frederick Schiller, Andrew Faulds Duration: 84 mins |  |
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