Popcorn Crunchers, Reel 152 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Really big bugs

Mr. Smith, the friendly visitor from an unnamed planet, warns that the hyper-magnetic experiments being conducted by Dr. Laird could cause insects to mutate and grow to immense size. Sure enough, the adjacent Bryerly Woods is soon swarming with giant beetles and spiders and centipedes and grasshoppers and ants (Oh My!). All of these seem to have developed a taste for human flesh, as is illustrated by the gigantic ant seen gnawing the face off a dead soldier. "Big Bug" movies were common fare in the US in the 1950s: "Them!" (1954), "Tarantula" (1955), "The Deadly Mantis" (1957), and "Beginning of the End" (1957). According to renowned film critic Leonard Maltin, "The Strange World of Planet X" was the only "Giant Bug" movie made in the UK in its decade.

Answer: Martians Attack

In "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" (1958), Nancy Fowler Archer, a normally-sized human being, is transformed into a giant by an enormous alien on a "flying satellite." In "Attack of the Crab Monsters" (1957), two normal crabs are mutated by atomic radiation so that they grow to immense size and can absorb the minds of any humans they eat. In "Attack of the Giant Leeches" (1959), two swamp-dwelling leeches grow to gigantic size and drain unwary humans' blood.

Brazilian illustrator Henrique Alvim Corréa executed 32 illustrations for the 1906 edition of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds." One of these was titled "Martians Attack." There is a 25-minute short-subject filmed in 2011 called "Attack of the Mutant Martian from Mars!" Track 3 (5:06 mins) of Sean Lister's album "The Colours of Space" (2021) is titled "When Martians Attack." There does not appear to have been a feature-length motion picture called "Martians Attack" in the 1950s.

Answer: A growing blob of glowing matter

When the alien descends to Earth, it is as small as a loaf of bread, riding on a ray of light. It continues to grow throughout the movie, to about two feet across, and to its final size of five-by-ten feet. At first, it looks rather like a glowing human brain.

In its larger form, it seems like an overbaked meringue filled with multi-colored Christmas lights. Special-effects artist Ivyl Burks created the monster prop out of translucent plastic. It weighed over half a ton and the interior lights cost over $3000.

The alien is capable of telepathy, mind control and the physical manipulation of objects (e.g. locked gates) at great distances.

Answer: Robert Loggia

The leading role as Dr. David Loring in "The Lost Missile" was an early step to Robert Loggia's half-century career acting on Broadway, in motion pictures and on television. Dr. David Loring is a government scientist at the Havenbrook Atomic Laboratory.

His assistant, Joan Woods, played by Ellen Parker, is also his fiancée. The course of love runs awry because the researcher is most married to his work. While they are in a jewellery store shopping for a wedding ring, she breaks off their engagement and quits her job saying "You'll have to find someone else for both marriages".

Answer: Bud Westmore

Bud Westmore (George Hamilton Westmore, 1918-1973) was one of five brothers (with Montague, Perc, Wally and Frank), all of whom were Hollywood make-up artists. He replaced Jack P. Pierce as the head of the make-up department at Universal Studios and held that post for 24 years (1946-1970).

His work was credited in "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954), "Curse of the Undead" (1959), "The Andromeda Strain" (1971), and "Soylent Green" (1973). He died of a heart attack at home at age 55.

Answer: A Japanese novel based on a folk tale

Gentaro Nakajima (1929-1992) was an actor, movie producer and author. He wrote the novel "Uchujin Tokyo ni arawaru" ("Spacemen Appear in Tokyo"), which was a basis for the script in "Warning from Space." His novel was based on an older Japanese folktale called "Kaguya-hime" (about a Moon maiden born in a stalk of bamboo). In addition to this novel, Nakajima was production coordinator on "The Burdened Sisters" (1961), producer of "The Fox With Nine Tails" (1968), and appeared as the truck driver in "Godzilla vs. Megalon" (1973).

Answer: She is bitten, vampirized, and impaled

Rachel works the night shift at the parish house which serves as a sort of retirement home. One of the residents there is Jennie Blake who is blind. Dracula awakens Jennie, tells her that he will restore her sight, and then bites her on the neck. Jennie tells the staff that a man entered her room by the window, collapses and dies. Jenny's body is entombed in a mausoleum, which is later found empty. A vampire hunter stakes out (no pun intended) the cemetery, sees Jennie returning to the crypt, and skewers her through her heart.

Answer: Acting

Karl Erik Tore Johansson (1902-1971) used the name "Super Swedish Angel" as a professional wrestler and "Tor Johnson" as a motion-picture actor. He was born in Sweden but most of his career was in the United States. He appeared in many Ed Wood Jr. productions.

His film credits include "Ghost Catchers" (1944), "Bride of the Monster" (1955), "The Black Sleep" (1956), "The Unearthly" (1957), "Plan 9 from Outer Space" (1957), "Night of the Ghouls" (1959) and "The Beast of Yucca Flats" (1961).

Answer: Pacific Ocean's Philippine / Mindanao Trench

The theory is that radioactivity from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb detonations was concentrated in the Mindanao Trench. This produced two effects: it killed the sea life in those waters, which caused a giant octopus which lived there to go elsewhere in search of food, and it made that poor octopus radioactive.

In other words, "It Came From Beneath the Sea" in search of its supper. The gigantic cephalopod travels up the North American Pacific Coast seeking prey/nutrition.

Answer: Marge Farrell

The story in "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" is told from the perspective of Marge Farrell, played by Gloria Talbott. She is newlywed to Bill Farrell, played by Tom Tryon, who begins acting strangely on the day of their wedding. Gene Fowler Jr. directed the film. Francine, played by Valerie Allen, is credited as "the hooker." After trying to offer her services to a hooded "man," he turns out to be a scary alien who melts her with his hand-held ray-gun device.