MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *drama*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological*
I tried watching this moldie oldie a few months back and couldn't even get a "so bad it's good" vibe out of it. So I decided to come back to it again later, simply because it has a minor cachet thanks to its status as a "schlock classic."
On this re-watch, I noticed that ASTOUNDING SHE MONSTER commences with "dueling narrations." The first narration, probably seeking to reassure audiences who expected overt science-fiction tropes, consists of a few minutes of a narrator talking amidst shots of various star-scapes. The narrator at first seems to be describing the creation of the universe, and then suddenly he diverts to talking about some alien entities who are going to do something about nuclear catastrophes brought about by warring worlds. Then a much more mundane narration follows how California socialite Margaret Chaffee (Marilyn Harvey) is abducted for ransom by two thugs named Nat and Brad (Kenne Duncan, Ewing Brown) and Nat's lush girlfriend Esther (Jeanne Tatum). The crooks drive their car into the San Gabriel Mountains, presumably on their way to some hideout.
It just so happens that an alien spacecraft crashes in the mountains, and out comes the She Monster (Shirley Kilpatrick), a glowing, unspeaking female in a metallic leotard. She just happens to cross the path of the kidnap car, causing it to run off the road. The car's engine is damaged, so the three kidnappers and their captive are forced to trek through the forests. They find a ranger station inhabited by geologist Dick (Robert Clarke) and take him hostage until they can safely leave the area in Dick's jeep. Meanwhile, the significance of the She Monster's glow is disclosed as she encounters a snake and kills it with what is later said to be a radioactive touch. Then she comes across the cabin, and suddenly all five humans face extinction.
The plot wanders much as the She Monster does, not least because the filmmakers have only one set in which to record-- that of the cabin-- as well as various exterior settings. Thus the humans keep trying to leave and then retreating back to the cabin, making the physical action as monotonous as the dialogue between the principals. All of the dialogue is banal, and the "twist ending" as to the She Monster's true nature is a total mess. I presume director/co-writer Ronnie Ashcroft, who didn't enjoy any other outstanding credits, was simply imitating other SF-films of the decade without understanding how to set up his premise. Clarke and Duncan try to keep the tension going during the many dull scenes, but the potential menace of the She Monster, despite her being invulnerable to bullets, is poorly executed. Some concordances claim that Ed Wood Jr contributed to the script but this has been disputed.
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