B-Creature Feature maestro Edward Cahn outdoes himself with CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN: the cinematography alone lifts it head and shoulders above his standard fare (that most of the action takes place during daylight hours no doubt helps). There's not a single aspect of CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN to be found lacking. Critics who harp on the "improbable" storyline should probably just go watch a documentary or something: this is a "sci-fi" movie, the cinematic equivalent of a comic book (or, more accurately, a pulp novel); if you can't get past the preposterous plot, what's the point of watching one of these movies...? For True Fans, CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN is in many ways EVOLUTIONARY: it marks a significant leap Forward for Zombie movies. (And some of the fx are ahead of their time.)

I stumbled across Creature With the Atom Brain during my period of collecting 50's and 60's sci-fi. I don't know how I had never caught it before. It's a very decently written and acted low budget film. Unlike many of the films of its genre it relies more on story and atmosphere to create fear as opposed to goofy costumes. The film grabbed and held my attention throughout. The trivia section states that it was released as a double billing with It Came From Beneath the Sea, which may explain why this little gem has been overlooked or lesser known. I found it to be a wonderful addition to my collection. I think it falls more directly in the category of films about the fear of what radiation can do as opposed to a true "creature feature"; which makes one think more of vampires, werewolves and the like.. I hope this helps.

A "police scientist" (Richard Denning, always smoking pipe and exuberant/aware in how his talents are depended upon by the police and press) determines that a series of odd killings (tied to a vendetta-fueled mobster who afforded a Nazi scientist a laboratory and technology used to further his research and allow for revenge) are committed by dead gangsters with radioactive "blood" and fingerprints (that illuminate in dark!) and atomic power that allows them to snap backs and necks of targeted victims! The mobster named Buchanan likes to use a microphone to "speak through" the dead gangster zombie killers to those he is about to have killed as to remind them of who is responsible prior to their deaths! This silly sci-fi hokum from Sam Katzman Productions has the look and score of a Universal Horror film without the studio's finesse and pizazz. The plot is bonkers but that has always been part of the B-movie charm that comes with these kinds of films. Dead gangsters (and later cops) with "robotic" brains that can be controlled from a source, atomic energy used to give them great power that also includes being impervious to bullets or harm unless the machines and men behind them are put to rest; this all is preposterous yet entertaining nonsense. There's just always been an appeal to me with these dorky sci-fi movies. Denning has enthusiasm to spare and the zombie-formula helps make this far more fun than it has any right to be. Always handling the material with a serious approach, the actors involved holding a straight face when the plot is as far-fetched and loony as Creature with the Atom Brain, the entertainment value only increases. There's this imminent threat to the atom men that the film milks repeatedly, even at one point having a montage of disasters caused by them thanks to Buchanan who uses his zombies to cause chaos because the police and military are on the lookout, using radium-detecting devices to pinpoint high radioactive areas that send off warning signals. Of course, Buchanan and his German scientist consider Denning a threat because of his "imagination" and intellect, soon killing (and using as a zombie killer/locater) his cop buddy (a later possible threat to his child and wife is established)…Uncle Dave, because of his inside knowledge of the last two men Buchanan wants dead for snitching on him, implicating him, and thus responsible for his deportation to Europe (where Buchanan soon encountered the German scientist), could be important in putting a stop to Denning's hero. Seeing the zombies in gangster suits, their skulls with surgical marks indicating head surgery, attacking cops and soldiers is such an odd sight but should provide plentiful kicks and giggles. Obviously, Denning saves the day, following the lead to his zombie cop buddy, entering Buchanan's lair, and taking a wrench to the machinery behind all the death and violence. Lots of exploding consoles, broken windows, and fisticuffs result. Surprisingly violent for its time, we see bullets riddle the zombie gangster bodies, and there are shadow silhouettes and carefully photographed attacks of victims Buchanan wanted crushed for their betrayal of him. You know if you are the type of audience this is made for, and I am of that number. Complete with Denning, a dutiful wife in apron always preparing him a martini and wanting to spend just a little time with her busy husband, and the cutie daughter doting on her dolly. Fun fact: Curt Siodmak (who lent writing to such diverse screenplays as "Donovan's Brain", "Black Friday", "The Wolf Man", "Beast with Five Fingers", and "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers") was the writer for this film's screenplay.

With the advent of CGI, movies have become merely formulaic exercises in headache inducing and needlessly complicated special effects. This is especially true as regards the horror genre. Nowadays, directors operate under the erroneous assumption that STARTLING an audience is the equivalent of inducing tension and dread in an audience. "The Creature With The Atomic Brain" was the second part of a horror double-header with "It Came From Beneath The Sea" as the main attraction. As kids, we came to the theater to see the giant octopus. It was touted in numerous television ads,as was the custom with horror movies in the 50s. Part of the success of "The Creature With The Atomic Brain" was that we had no expectation of what was going to transpire and the plot developments presented had not as yet, in the mid-50s, become trite. This double feature was intended to get preteen kids to drag their parents to the movie theater. This we did. By 1955-1956, when this movie had its run, we had seen "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms", "Creature From The Black Lagoon", "House Of Wax", "Them". The only film that induced the same level of fear & dread in kids was "Them" because ants are everywhere and the god-awful noise the giant ants made in the the movie is replicated by engine noises emanating from ill-maintained auto engines. If you were an eight year old kid walking alone at night and you heard that peculiar warbling noise in the distance, you soiled your pants,ran home and locked the door. The atomic brain creatures were similarly fearsome because they could be anyone, anywhere. The only way to avoid them was to discern the incision scar around their foreheads and, if you saw such a scar, to haul ass out of there. This was a very minor unpretentious horror movie that succeeded in providing its juvenile audiences (and the parents they dragged along) with the delight of experiencing capably induced tension & fear.