THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN (1957)
Tagline: Each chilling moment a shock-test for your scare-endurance!!
(Sci-Fi, Horror, The Yetisburg Address) [PG]
Note: The MPAA did not give this movie a rating, but it would likely be given an [PG] even if the movie comes with a warning that you shouldn’t watch it alone. Theatrically in the United States, this movie came out as a double feature with THE CRAWLING EYE.
They killed him. It was the sound of that howling. He couldn't stand it - it drove him mad.
In this one we are taken to the Himalayas…(because where else are you going to find snowmen) and he’s apparently super bored of hanging out with his wife Helen studying plants, so he arranged an expedition to find an abominable snowman behind her back. They are staying at a lamasery with monks and pretty much everyone is telling John Rollason he shouldn’t go on this expedition. John might be dumb but he’s in it for the science. He goes on the expedition with Tom Friend who only wants to exploit whatever they find for the money. Because remember…if you find something that might kill you or that is super mysterious you bring it to America and try to make money off it. It doesn’t take long before they do shoot a Yeti and now other Yeti are determined to find their injured friend. Slowly fear and paranoia take over the expedition…
As a tidbit about the production, this movie was going to be called THE SNOW CREATURE, but that movie had already been made 3 years earlier. Acting wise Forrest Tucker is a lot better in this as Tom Friend than he was in THE CRAWLING EYE. The performances are night and day. I kind of wonder if this had to do with the fact that he was acting opposite the legendary Peter Cushing (STAR WARS) who plays Dr. Rollason in this. Cushing would go on to act in 21 other Hammer Films movies. We also get a decent amount of Maureen Connell who plays Helen Rollason the smarted person in the entire movie. She is very good here and ended up starring in 33 movie and TV productions, but this is the only sci-fi film she was in as far as I can tell.
The copy of this that I watched was in great condition. I guess there is a pretty solid widescreen laser disc out there of this as well. So that definitely helped with what I did enjoy about the movie as well as watching everyone try to keep up with Peter Cushing’s acting skills. The sets and score are pretty sold throughout and this snowy area they are in looks about like you’d expect it to look if you were in the Himalayas. Effects wise this thing is pretty rough. If you want a perfect 1950’s Yeti look, go check out INVASION OF THE ANIMAL PEOPLE for that.
Overall this movie is more of a horror sci-fi adventure with a bit of “modern” man’s descent into madness in the fact of the unknown and the elements around them. It also has a message about how modern man might view things improperly against a backdrop of history and nature untouched by the destructive power fear and even curiosity can bring to the table.
For a lot of people, this ending we get is pretty perfect and satisfying and I guess for me in a way it is, and in a way it isn’t. I will leave that up to other sci-fi fans to decide. I have to give this one a 3 out of 7 just because if you are going to name your movie THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN you had better deliver on that imagery, and this one fails in that regard. We do get great acting and a mostly interesting story though, so if you are looking for that, this one might be more up your alley than it was mine.
GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF HAMMER FILMS AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.
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