4/5 For lovers of fantastic tales
  by calvinnme (Fredericksburg, Va)
This set contains four sci-fi films from the 50's. With the atomic age upon them, Frankenstein's monster and vampires were just not that scary anymore to the people of the 1950's. Thus filmmakers turned to creatures and environments that were the byproducts of man's nuclear experiments.

Probably the best known of these films is "Them!". In a location in the southwest U.S., at the site of the test of several nuclear weapons, people and sacks of sugar are disappearing in large quantities. Robert Graham (James Arness) represents federal law enforcement in the investigation, and Dr. Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn) represents science. Also, there is a second doctor Medford, the very attractive daughter of Harold Medford.

"The Beast from Twenty Thousand Fathoms" revolves around a dinosaur trapped in the Arctic ice that is thawed and awakened as the result of a nuclear test. The scientist who first sees the creature is not believed. However, he soon has converts when the beast emerges from the deep and starts not only devouring Manhattanites but spreading a deadly disease.

"Satellite in the Sky" is a British effort. A rocket crew carries a powerful new type of bomb into space for a test. However, the bomb becomes attached to the ship's hull and will soon detonate if something is not done. This one is a bit talky, but pretty well done.

"World Without End" was produced by poverty row studio Allied Artists, whose catalog is now owned by Warner Brothers. Four astronauts returning from a mission to Mars wind up on earth 600 years in the future. Atomic war has made the earth a place full of men that have become Neanderthals - literally, insects that have grown to giant proportions and women who seem to be starved for attention from the opposite sex and, in spite of all of the chaos on earth, still have a sense of fashion. If parts of this film look familiar it is because several scenes were edited into "The Queen of Outer Space" in order to be more economical to the budgets of both pictures.

None of these films is in any boxed set although all are already on DVD. This set is highly recommended for lovers of 50's sci-fi. If you are a stickler for top-drawer CGI you might want to look elsewhere, since that is not the point of these films.