简介：Outofthefifties'B'Science-Fictionmonstermovies,thiseasilyranksasthebest.It'smostnotableasthefilmthatALIENisanunaccreditedremakeof,thusgivingitacertainhistoricalsignificance.　　Theintriguingplotisabouttherescueoftheonlymaroonedsurvivorofanill-fatedexpeditiontoMars.Theauthorities,pig-headedasusual,falselyass...　　Outofthefifties'B'Science-Fictionmonstermovies,thiseasilyranksasthebest.It'smostnotableasthefilmthatALIENisanunaccreditedremakeof,thusgivingitacertainhistoricalsignificance.　　Theintriguingplotisabouttherescueoftheonlymaroonedsurvivorofanill-fatedexpeditiontoMars.Theauthorities,pig-headedasusual,falselyassumethathemurderedhisfellowcrewmembers,sothathe'dhavemoreprovisionstosurvive;henceheisbeingbroughtbacktoEarthtofacecourt-martialformurder..AstherescueshipisleavingMars,alurking,ominousshadowisseeninthelowercompartment..　　Carruthersinsistsofhisinnocencetohisfellowcaptors,claimingthathisoriginalcrewmateswereslaughteredbyahostile,unseenpresenceonthedesoluteredplanet,butthree-guessesastotheirreactiontohisunusualplea.Naturally,hecan'tproveit,and50'sspaceauthoritieswerenotveryalienconscienceatthetime..　　Aseveryonesacksout,ahaplesssupportingcharactorwhosenameisatthebottomofthecastinglisthearssomethinginthelowercompartment.Despiteyourfutile"don'tgodownthere,youjerk!"pleas,hedoesjustthat,andisappropriatelykilledbytheshadowyfigurewithinsatiablebloodlustonitsmind.Inthevictim'scase,derelictionofdutyandsheercowardlinesswouldhavebeenthewisedecision.Thesceneisactuallywell-directedanddevelopsmuchsuspense,astheentirefilmsurprisinglydoes.　　Thecrewfinallycatchesonthattheyhaveanunwantedshipcrasheronboard,andtryeverypossiblemeansattheirdisposaltoeliminateit,buttheunknowncreatureseemstocoppingananti-deathattitude.Provingtobeanevenmoreclever,worthyadversary,'IT!'alsohidesoutintheventilationshaftsoftheship.Cahn'sforcefuldirectiongeneratesconsiderabletensionasthemalevolentstowawayworksitswayupfromoneleveloftheconfinedshiptothenext,eventuallyleavingtheremainingcharacterstrappedatthetop.Themovie'ssuspenseisbluntandrighttothepoint:"IT!'hastokillthemorstarve,hencetheyhavetokill"IT!"ordie.Nothinglikethose"notwowaysaboutit"choices.Rentit,orcheckforitoncableifyouwishtoknowtheoutcome.　　Foralow-budgetquickie,IT!isquiteimpressiveandmemorable.Thedreadedsenseofclaustrophobictension,renderingthecharacters'helplessentrapment,ishighlyeffective.Thisisaproductioninwhichthelimitedbudgetandsmallsetsactuallyworkinfavoroftheplot'sscaryambience.Theblack&whitephotographyhelpstoenhanceitsdark,creepymood,andthesenseofapprehensionisquitehigh..Theplotisalsosomewhatcynicallyironic:Ifthecreaturehadn'tstowedawayontheship,Carrutherswouldhavemostlikelybeenfoundguiltyofthechargesagainsthim.　　TheintelligentscriptwaspennedbynotedScience-FictionauthorJeromeBixby?Thepicture'stauteditingeliminatesanyextraneousdross.　　DirectorCahnastutelykeepstherubber-suitedmonsteroff-screenandintheshadowsthrough-outmostoftheproceedings,keepingyourparanoidimaginationonconstantalert.Unfortunately,perhapsatthestudio'scommercialinsistance,itisalittleover-revealedattheclimax,butIhaven'tclaimedthistobetheperfectmasterpiece.Theperformances,thoughnothingaward-winning,areneverthelesscoolenoughsothatonebecomessincerelyconcernedastotheirfates.Notmanymoviesinrecenttimesevercomeclosetoachievingthat.Theycanbeover-producedfromheretoeternity,andusuallyonlysucceedinbeinggloriouslyannoying.　　Thisfilm'sstoryisnotreallytotallyoriginal,foritisbasedonA.E.VanVogt's"VOYAGEOFTHESPACEBEAGLE."AllALIENfanaticsshouldtrackdownanoldusedcopytoseewheretheinitialinfluencecamefrom.　　Aslongasyou'renotcravinganotherCGIwind-ding,youmayfinditworthwhile.Justdon'texpectthewomentobeRipleyprecursors.Thiswasstillthesock-knittingfifties,sadtosay.…