Tom Downing Without a doubt one of the corniest, most illogical and unintentionally funniest of the 1950s "attack monster" movies. Some familiar faces claw their way across a remote island, playing a shell game against creatures who move slower than a glacier, but somehow manage to keep catching their prey. I guess the crabs can eat their cake AND have it too.Those intrepid scientists have great difficulty doing in those denizens of the deep, and were apparently unaware that the island rests on a major fault line, causing it to be shaken into the sea.But if you think there is nothing that can surprise you in this little gem, we haven't even mentioned the absorbed brains and talking inanimate objects!

gavin6942 People are trapped on a shrinking island by intelligent, brain-eating giant crabs...The film was written by Charles B. Griffith and produced and directed by Roger Corman. Not unlike other Corman productions, he gave Griffith the title before any writing even started. Like other films of the 1950s, the problem is traced to radiation, this time from the Bikini Atoll nuclear tests. But then we stray a bit -- there are not just mutated giant crabs, but ones who have gained intelligence by absorbing the minds of their victims.Interestingly, because the film is set on an island, one of the stars is Russell Johnson, best known for his role as the Professor on "Gilligan's Island". He had already made his mark in science fiction thanks to "It Came from Outer Space" (1953) and "This Island Earth" (1955).The film also stars Mel Welles before he became "known" (and I use that loosely) for his role in Corman and Griffith's "Little Shop of Horrors" and the much later Corman-financed cult classic "Chopping Mall". (He also wrote, directed and produced the 1971 Italian film "Lady Frankenstein".)This was Corman's most profitable film to date, and it is easy to see why. With a small cast and crew, but a unique plot and an inventive villain, this film is all about ideas and not about budget. For a perfect example of how Roger Corman became the king of low budget film, you need not look any further than this one.

AaronCapenBanner Roger Corman directed this cult favorite about a group of scientists(played by Richard Garland, Pamela Duncan, and Russell Johnson) and soldiers who are investigating a remote island that had been used for atomic bomb testing. The first expedition disappeared, and the next group discover to their horror that they were killed by giant mutated crabs who are the results of radiation exposure. They have consumed the brains of their victims, and have absorbed their intelligence, enabling them to speak! To make matters worse, the island is sinking, and soon they will all drown... Ambitious script and good acting cannot save this under budgeted thriller, with some downright goofy scenes of telepathic talking crabs! Also is far too short, with an abrupt ending.

BA_Harrison Roger Corman's Attack of the Crab Monsters is just one of many cheapo monster movies from the 50s to blame nuclear fallout for messing up nature, and features lots of the elements one might quite rightly expect from the genre—a team of brave US scientists (including the obligatory pretty female doctor), wooden acting, unconvincing locations, and crummy effects. However, it also manages to present a few unique ideas that elevate it above many of the standard 'mutated monster on the loose' creature features of the era.The critters that grow to massive proportions in this film are land crabs that have been exposed to radiation from A-bomb tests, but rather than simply being scaled-up versions of regular crustaceans, these guys possess an atomic structure consisting of liquid in a permanent form, making them extremely hard to destroy; they also have the ability to assimilate their victims, absorb their knowledge, and lure further victims to their death by talking to them telepathically. Pretty far-fetched I know, but very creepy, the crabs eerie, echoey, disembodied voices being surprisingly effective.Of course, given the movie's low low budget, the monsters themselves are pretty rubbish—awkwardly moving lumps of papier-mâché with gangly legs dangling uncontrollably, coat-hanger antennae, and massive human-like eyes that look really daft—but I wouldn't have it any other way: a badly designed, poorly constructed monster is half the charm of a B-movie like this.6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for a couple of surprisingly nasty moments (a decapitated body and a severed hand—in black and white, but still pretty gruesome) and the somewhat unnecessary but enjoyable underwater swim by Pamela Duncan.