Several people are trapped in a house by giant invisible bloodsucking insects. There is not much to the story and what there is doesn't make a lot of sense. Invisible monsters are an extremely cheap way of generating suspense but nothing interesting is done with the premise (the budget likely didn't extend to throwing paint (ala Jonny Quest) or even flour on the beasts to render them perceptible). The production has a nice claustrophobic feel and the creature (seen as an improbably detailed 'plaster cast') is amusing, otherwise, this routine horror-sci-fi doesn't have much to offer (although perhaps it was more novel and effective in 1953).
4 Reviews
"There are hundreds of them, hundreds of them!"
classicsoncall20 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Even though this episode was probably meant to be scary, there are enough comical elements to make it humorous as well. The plot has three surviving members of a jungle expedition at the mercy of dog-sized invisible 'insects' after two other members had been killed. A 'plastic' cast of the alleged insect is uncovered by Professor Borden (Cameron Prud'Homme) and his surly guide Brenegan (PeterCapell), and it reveals a grotesque creature with detail that could only have been arrived at by conjecture. Susan (Nancy Coleman), who staggers in from the jungle muttering about 'hundreds of them', collapses from fatigue and dehydration, and relates her experience to the two men when she revives. Making the most of nothing at all, the script called for Borden and Brenegan to wrestle one of the invisible creatures (off-screen of course) and tie it up with a length of rope, which resulted in a see-through bundle of cord that gyrated clumsily until the poor creature died. Deathly afraid of their fate, the hysterical Brenegan runs out of their camp shed to meet his doom, while Borden and Susan find some safety in a crate full of insecticide which they gather up to try to make it to safety. This is one of the few 'Tales of Tomorrow' I've seen in which a narrator appears during the program to speculate on the world of the future and what unknown discoveries await mankind as time goes by. His name doesn't appear in the credits here on IMDb but an internet search names him as Raymond Edward Johnson.
Perhaps the inspiration for some later films...
planktonrules11 September 2012
The plot to "Fury of the Cocoon" is pretty simple, but it makes for a very tense little episode of "Tales of Tomorrow". And, apparently the idea was pretty good, as I am pretty sure it must have inspired future films---such as "Predator" and "Alien".
The film begins in Africa with an explorer and his nasty guide. There is a lot of tension between them and you think the show will be about this conflict. However, when they near civilization, they come upon some weird notes from a previous expedition—and the notes talk about a blood-sucking invisible insect! At first it all seems preposterous but when they are attacked by SOMETHING, then they know they are royally screwed.
The only serious drawback of the episode are the special effects—which isn't a surprise as the show had a tiny budget and was on the tiniest of the TV networks at the time, ABC. Still, decently written and very engaging—this one is worth your time.
The film begins in Africa with an explorer and his nasty guide. There is a lot of tension between them and you think the show will be about this conflict. However, when they near civilization, they come upon some weird notes from a previous expedition—and the notes talk about a blood-sucking invisible insect! At first it all seems preposterous but when they are attacked by SOMETHING, then they know they are royally screwed.
The only serious drawback of the episode are the special effects—which isn't a surprise as the show had a tiny budget and was on the tiniest of the TV networks at the time, ABC. Still, decently written and very engaging—this one is worth your time.
Nice low rent sci-fi
gordonl5620 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The Fury Of The Cocoon – 1953 This is an episode of the second season of, TALES OF TOMORROW. This early sci-fi series ran for 85 episodes between, 1951 and 1953.
A group of men, Peter Capell, Cameron Prud-Homme and Frenande Gude are trying to reach a remote jungle outpost to deliver some supplies. The scientists there are exploring where a strange meteor hit the earth.
They reach the camp but find that two of the three scientists are dead. They are looking around the camp when the third member, Nancy Colman, staggers out of the jungle and collapses.
Capell and Prud- Homme carry her to the camp shelter and try and revive her. She mutters something about hundreds of invisible insects. The pair of men have a look through the camp of the dead men and discover what seems to be a large empty cocoon.
They check the dead men's papers and journals and discover that several cocoons were found in the remains of the meteor. The cocoon they had, had then opened and a large blood sucking incest had emerged. The scientists had managed to kill the thing and then made a plaster cast of the thing. Capell uncovers a box and his eyes go wide in horror. In the box is a horrid looking, foot long bug.
Just then, Gude, who was outside unpacking supplies lets out a terrible scream. Capell and Prud-Homme rush to his aid but are too late. He is dead. The bugs got him. The bugs can make themselves invisible, which of course makes fighting them rather hard.
Coleman finally come too and tells how the bugs had killed off her fellow science types. Luck though, is with them as they find they have some powerful insect repellent bombs. They make for a nearby river where they have a boat tied up. Capell gets himself killed by the nasty bugs, but Colman and Prud-Homme make it to the boat. They hightail it down river. Once they reach help, they plan on having the government spray the whole area with a super bug repellent.
The episode is nowhere as silly as I make it sound. For a low budget show, they really ramp up the tension in this episode. (b/w)
A group of men, Peter Capell, Cameron Prud-Homme and Frenande Gude are trying to reach a remote jungle outpost to deliver some supplies. The scientists there are exploring where a strange meteor hit the earth.
They reach the camp but find that two of the three scientists are dead. They are looking around the camp when the third member, Nancy Colman, staggers out of the jungle and collapses.
Capell and Prud- Homme carry her to the camp shelter and try and revive her. She mutters something about hundreds of invisible insects. The pair of men have a look through the camp of the dead men and discover what seems to be a large empty cocoon.
They check the dead men's papers and journals and discover that several cocoons were found in the remains of the meteor. The cocoon they had, had then opened and a large blood sucking incest had emerged. The scientists had managed to kill the thing and then made a plaster cast of the thing. Capell uncovers a box and his eyes go wide in horror. In the box is a horrid looking, foot long bug.
Just then, Gude, who was outside unpacking supplies lets out a terrible scream. Capell and Prud-Homme rush to his aid but are too late. He is dead. The bugs got him. The bugs can make themselves invisible, which of course makes fighting them rather hard.
Coleman finally come too and tells how the bugs had killed off her fellow science types. Luck though, is with them as they find they have some powerful insect repellent bombs. They make for a nearby river where they have a boat tied up. Capell gets himself killed by the nasty bugs, but Colman and Prud-Homme make it to the boat. They hightail it down river. Once they reach help, they plan on having the government spray the whole area with a super bug repellent.
The episode is nowhere as silly as I make it sound. For a low budget show, they really ramp up the tension in this episode. (b/w)
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