The Flesh Eaters (1964)

This fun, endearingly trashy B-movie gem is one of the best-kept secrets in cult movie fandom. Simply put, The Flesh Eaters offers everything one could want from a drive-in flick of this era: there are colorful characters, action, suspense, fun plot hooks, and a really cool monster. The inventive scenario does a great job of distracting the audience from the limited production values with a combination of taut, effective comic-book storytelling and quotably kitschy dialogue. The Flesh Eaters also boasts appropriately larger-than-life performances to fit its offbeat storyline, with the best work coming from Rita Morley as over-the-hill alcoholic star Laura Winters and Martin Kosleck as Dr. Bartel, the supremely creepy scientist who holds the keys to the plot's mysteries. Best of all, The Flesh Eaters is directed with an unusual amount of care by Jack Curtis, who uses precise framing and rich black-and-white cinematography to unexpectedly atmospheric effect. Even the effects, which were obviously done on a thin budget, show a level of imagination and invention that make them charming even when their cheapness is showing. In short, anyone who loves B-movie horror from the 1960s will get a kick out of the vintage charms of The Flesh Eaters. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide