Review of The Monolith Monsters

A meteorite shower creates a bunch of lethal rocks which not only grow and multiply when wet, but also have the ability to turn folks in a small isolated desert hamlet into stone. It's up to puzzled, but diligent geologist Dave (a fine performance by Grant Williams of "The Incredible Shrinking Man" fame) and wise old Professor Flanders (superbly played by Trevor Bardette) to figure out a way to stop them before it's too late. John Sherwood's strong, punchy direction wrings plenty of tension and spooky atmosphere from the novel and intriguing oddball premise. Moreover, Sherwood expertly maintains a constant swift pace and coaxes commendably sincere acting from a sturdy cast (Lola Albright as Dave's worried girlfriend, Les Tremayne as a dedicated newspaper reporter, and William Schallert in a funny uncredited bit part as a pompous weatherman are all on the money excellent). The special effects are very up to par as well, with Bud Westmore's creepy and convincing make-up, the cool miniatures and a few gorgeous matte paintings still holding up pretty well even by today's more sophisticated standards. Kudos are also in order for the effectively booming'n'bombastic score, Ellis ("The Mole People") Carter's polished photography, the genuinely likable and well-developed characters, and the hugely entertaining and illuminating epilogue narration by the great Paul Frees. A real pip of a nifty 50's sci-fi/horror winner.