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[tab title="Movie Review"]
A Tree of Terror! Americans in peril! Radioactive typhoons! Jungle Witchcraft! From Hell It Came promises and delivers a total atomic age … bomb. No wonder then that this film was the last monster picture to be created by the Milner Bros. There’s no coming back from uprooting a tree and turning it evil, I guess.
Excuse me while I dab my eyes. I’m not sad that I finally got to see director Dan Milner’s From Hell It Came, I’m sad that the b-movie is truly as awful as I’ve been led to believe. For years I’ve missed out on catching this atomic age film about American scientists being tormented by an evil tree that scoops up its victims and then carries them to their deaths. Sometimes the tree just hugs them to death. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to see that?!
I always thought that, in spite of all the negative reviews and disappointed comments by print and online critics, there would be something worthwhile about this supernatural trek through the South Seas. I was wrong. Drunk enough, this killer-tree flick could be entertaining. I mean, the “breathing” orifice at the center of the tree is disturbing enough to ignite someone’s nightmares, but far too much of everything else – including an American researcher complaining that his girlfriend spends too much time on her work as a scientist than she does on top of him - falls short of the mark.
From Hell It Came was produced by Allied Artists and looks like it might have cost all of $40 to make. They are one of those cheapo deapo companies that flooded drive-ins with low rent atomic-minded flicks in the 1950s. The demonic tree, complete with a mean face that bares a resemblance to an angry Sean Penn (on a less confrontational day), at the center of the tale is a flimsy costume that actually is goofy as it sounds.
The killer-tree suit is also pretty iconic, but not in that “so bad, it’s good” way; it just is simply ridiculously awful. Called the Tabanga monster, the suit was designed by visual artist Paul Blaisdell (also known for his work on The She Creature, Invasion of the Saucer Men, and It! The Terror from Beyond Space) and does more to tickle our funny bone than it does to terrify viewers.
The movie, written by Richard Bernstein and producer Jack Milner, starts off with a hilarious scene in which a witch doctor condemns the tribe’s Prince (Gregg Palmer) to death for conspiring with the visiting American scientists to kill them all. The poor Prince is buried standing up in a tree and, yes, he becomes the vengeful Tabanga tree monster. He’s out for blood and he doesn’t care whose it is. Starring Tod Andrews, Tina Carver, and Robert Swann, this b-movie is all about babes in turmoil.
Man, does this turd ever sink straight to the bottom of the toilet. While often hilarious (in that non-PC way) in its treatment of women, natives, and its corny pro-American stance, From Hell It Came is one of those sad atomic tales that could only be housed in the latter half of the 1950s.
From Hell It Came and to Hell it goes, all too soon. All too soon.
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[tab title="Details"]
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 71 mins
Director: Dan Milner
Writer: Richard Bernstein
Cast: Tod Andrews, Tina Carver, Linda Watkins
Genre: Horror
Tagline: Beast-Thing from the Flames of Hades!.
Memorable Movie Quote: "You know, I have a eerie feeling... it can hear what we are saying."
Theatrical Distributor: Allied Artists Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: August 25, 1957
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: April 25, 2017
Synopsis: A macabre medley of creature feature, Polynesian kitsch and Atomic Age cautionary tale, From Hell It Came is the killer-tree movie you woodn't want to miss!
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Warner Archive Collection
Available on Blu-ray - April 25, 2017
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Region A
Warner Bros’ Archive Collection continues to roll out some hard to find titles on 1080p. The newly minted MPEG-4 AVC transfer – framed in 1.78:1 with 2K scanning by Warner's Motion Picture Imaging facility – also sports a solid sounding lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtrack and a crisp black-and-white image. The film grain is solid and there is no visible dirt during the running time. Everything is smooth sailing on this upgrade. Some of the details in the costumes and in the creature design reveals the absolute cheapness of the studio, but I suppose that’s part of the fun in watching this b-movie.
Supplements:
Commentary:
-
None
Special Features:
- There is only a 2-minute trailer for the film. Bummer.
- From Hell It Came Original Theatrical Trailer
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