Here’s a snippet of dialogue drawn from the super-cheapo mid-century sci-fi feature, Terror from the Year 5000 (1958; Robert J. Gurney, Jr.\Arthur Florman). It was brought to my attention by representatives of the National Department of Redundancy Department. The poor excuse for an actor who was forced to deliver the words did so with the sincerity of a porno star.
“How is your father? Is he well? Is he alright?”
Yeah, I know. Spoiler alert: That sums up almost everything worthwhile about the whole operation.
This movie – which nonetheless scared the living hell out of me on TV as a kid – is a stodgy leftover of a previous era, cliché-ridden and indescribably cheesy in every way. If the sixty-six minute running time doesn’t hip you up, I don’t know what will. The photography is appropriately atrocious, so much so that cinematographer Florman soon skipped the production side to open what would become the long-time New York rental house, F&B (Florman & Babb) Ceco. While no doubt a smart decision for him, the more I analyze these things is the more I’m convinced that the shabby look of most ’50’s fright fests is the chief reason why they were so unsettling. Think about it. Would anything drawn from the fabled Roger Corman catalogue of that period have been as effective if it was shot with the gloss and expertise of Sinners (2025; Ryan Coogler\Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC)? Absolutely not!
Which, for cinematographers, illustrates why it can sometimes be hard to keep perspective over what you’re doing. Everyone starts with the purest intent and greatest aspirations, all of us certain that the way we’ve planned things will lead to success. But inevitably, adjustments and compromises are made. Sometimes, the final result looks and plays like nothing you or the director ever intended. And still, you never know. Regardless of what quality the work might possess, somehow…somewhere…something about it will affect someone, perhaps profoundly. It’s sixty-seven years later and I’m still talking about the texture of Terror from the Year 5000, so they must’ve done something right. I’m taking it as a message of hope and wonder.
A related success story was noted by the Everybody Has to Start Somewhere Department. This was the second film edited by three-time Oscar nominee Dede Allen. Look her up when you have the chance. Despite the low-rent start, she had a career all of us should be envious of.
At the time of this writing, Terror from the Year 5000 is available in full on Youtube.