http://i.imgur.com/nYPVcPT.jpg
THIS ISLAND EARTH was a decent 1950s drive-in flick, one of the more epic sci-fi adventures of that period. It also features one of the great monster icons, whose unwholesome likeness turned up on countless bubble gum cards, posters, magazine pages and model kits. The Metaluna Mutant (there were actually more than one) only appears for a few minutes and doesn't actually accomplish much. He wounds Exeter in the side with those wicked pincers (ow, my liver)and chases Faith Domergue around the flying saucer for awhile but then conveniently collapses into a pile of steaming goo (well, I guess a lot of guys did that over Faith).
I'm fond of the Metaluna critter but honestly, the way he's designed makes no sense.
Now, the same people created the Mutant who had come up with the famous Creature From the Black Lagoon (a logical and elegant design). This was Bud Westmore's team -- Jack Kevan, Chris Mueller and Millicent Patrick. I guess they aimed for a strong visual rather than a sensible one. The Mutant has been bred for centuries by the Metalunans (and imagine a farm of these things, getting pregant and laying eggs all over, or whatever they do, while breeders feed them and coax them. Ewww). They're supposed to be for heavy labor and guard duty.
How useful is a worker with no fingers, just two huge crab-like pincers on the end of arms too long for them to be able to touch their own heads? Imagine these Mutants trying to load items into boxes, pick up and carry crates, open packages, operate even simple vehicles. Hopeless. It would be like Three Stooges slapstick to get these guys to unload a truck or mop a floor. Although it might be fun to watch them make a mess.
The Mutant is wearing trousers (with an atomic symbol on the belt for some Godawful unknown reason). Why? Those arms and claw would never be able to use pockets. For modesty? Maybe these varmints have some unappealing reproductive organs that the Metalunans would just as soon not have to look at. Who knows, maybe the Mutants have no bladder control and are wearing industrial strength diapers under their pants. And I have never understood what is going on in the shoulder area. It looks as if the skin has been slit and peeled down so the poor Mutants can't raise their arms.. kind of like if someone yanked your shirt down too far.
Having your labor force lumbering around with their oversized brains fully exposed -- no external skull, not even a tough hide -- is just asking for frequent and repeated injury. Humans have enough sense to wear hard hats and helmets in hazardous areas, and we have rigid bony skulls protecting our brains. And a close-up shows the Mutants have several thick blood vessels over the outside of their eyes. That brings inconvenience to a new high.
No, the Metalunans might be advanced technologically and all that, but they are hopeless as designing mutations. I would hate to see their earlier efforts, if these Mutants are the culmination of centuries of work.
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