{"id":35998,"date":"2016-01-27T12:02:49","date_gmt":"2016-01-27T19:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35998"},"modified":"2021-02-04T15:30:08","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T22:30:08","slug":"hideous-sun-demon-the-1959","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35998","title":{"rendered":"Hideous Sun Demon, The (1959)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;You mean a human being could evolve backwards in time to become some sort of prehistoric creature?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Poster-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-35999\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Poster-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Poster-85x128.jpg 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter exposure to a radioactive isotope, a scientist (Robert Clarke) turns into a scaly creature in the presence of the sun; can his colleagues (Patricia Manning and Patrick Whyte) do anything to help him, or will he turn into a murderous, rampaging monster?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Atomic Energy<\/li>\n<li>Mutant Monsters<\/li>\n<li>Science Fiction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis low-budget sci-fi horror flick &#8212; written, directed, produced by, and starring Robert Clarke &#8212; was filmed in 12 consecutive weekends with rented equipment on a budget of $50,000. The result is a film only Z-grade aficionados will appreciate, though Clarke certainly deserves points for trying. It&#8217;s not nearly as inept as other first-time directorial efforts, but the acting and pacing are terrible:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Still.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Still.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-68701\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Still.png 512w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Still-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Still-128x86.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Still-402x270.png 402w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and the central premise is laughably simplistic. Clues that we&#8217;re watching a sub-par production first emerge when we hear characters discussing how Clarke became exposed to radiation; their description is quite vivid, and we wish we could actually see all this taking place! Reasonably memorable elements include Clarke dallying on the beach with a Marilyn Monroe look-alike (Nan Peterson), and interacting with a young girl (Xandra Conkling &#8212; how&#8217;s that for a name?) whose mother allows her to slip outside to play after a warning has just been announced on the radio:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Girl.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Girl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-68699\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Girl.png 512w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Girl-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Girl-128x86.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Girl-402x270.png 402w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s yet another homage to the famous scene in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=18354\"><em>Frankenstein<\/em> (1931)<\/a>, also referenced in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35982\"><em>The Creeping Unknown<\/em> (1955)<\/a>. Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Hideous_Sun_Demon\">Wikipedia&#8217;s entry<\/a> for more information about this flick&#8217;s production, reception, and comedic re-dubbing in 1983.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Some reasonably effective direction<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Direction.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Direction.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Direction.png 512w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Direction-128x86.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hideous-Sun-Demon-Direction-300x202.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; this one is only must-see by true low-budget SF aficianados. Listed as a Camp Classic in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0052888\/\">IMDb entry<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fantasticmoviemusings.com\/2014\/11\/29\/the-hideous-sun-demon-1959\/\">SciFilm Review<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/sciencefiction\/hideous-sun-demon-1959.htm\">Moria Review<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;You mean a human being could evolve backwards in time to become some sort of prehistoric creature?&#8221; Synopsis: After exposure to a radioactive isotope, a scientist (Robert Clarke) turns into a scaly creature in the presence of the sun; can his colleagues (Patricia Manning and Patrick Whyte) do anything to help him, or will he turn into a murderous, rampaging monster? Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Atomic Energy Mutant Monsters Science Fiction Review: This low-budget sci-fi horror flick &#8212; written,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35998\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35998"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35998\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68702,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35998\/revisions\/68702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}