The 1950s saw a major development in technology that, up to that point, would have seemed impossible. Space exploration was becoming a very real concept, the effects of radiation were a concern due to World War II, and the supposed limits to science seemed to be nonexistent. These developments allowed the imaginations of those working in Hollywood to run rampant, resulting in a boom in the Science Fiction genre of film.
As time has gone by and science and technology have developed, these movies that stretched the parameters of possibility have begun to appear sillier and cheesier in concept to modern audiences. However, this is part of what makes these classics such a guilty pleasure. While sci-fi films look very different in the 2020s, Redditors can't help but love their cheesy forefathers.
Many '50s sci-fi movies were a result of the increased concern about the effects of radiation. Redditor MrsLadyZedd shared that "Them!" was their favorite cheesy film of this genre, which explores what would happen if common aunts were exposed.
The film takes place in New Mexico, where early atomic tests resulted in the ants underground slowly mutating into giant beasts that love to eat humans. The heroes of this film must determine how to penetrate the exoskeletons of these beasts to save all of civilization.
While many sci-fi movies work under the assumption that Earth's knowledge is inferior to that of other planets, some have a different take. One Reddit user shared that they have "always had a soft spot for This Island Earth," a film that explores what would happen if another planet's civilization needed the help of Earth's scientists.
In This Island Earth two far away planets are at war. The leaders of one of the planets come to Earth in search of scientists that could help them win. However, they are not willing to take no for an answer, leading them to abduct the most promising minds they could find.
In the opinion of Redditor AlienSanuraiXXV, the firm "Earth vs. the [sic] Fly Saucers" is the best of these cheesy '50s sci-fi movies. The classic film follows a tried and true format within the genre: UFOs attacking planet earth.
The 1956 film sees flying saucers attacking earth in an attempt to enslave its people. The saucers are of a higher technology that anything available to earthlings, making them seemingly impossible to defeat. Much of the movie is about the saucers demolishing important landmarks and buildings, with earth's citizens powerless to stop it.
As space exploration developed, movie writers started to wonder about what earth's space ships could potentially bring back if they ever made contact with other planets. This concept is explored in Redditor Edmerc54's cheesy pick of 20 Million Miles to Earth.
The film is about a U.S. spaceship that successfully lands on Venus, but that crashlands near Italy on its return. To everyone's horror, a monstrous lizard-like alien emerges from the ship, causing chaos and destruction wherever it goes. Edmerc54 specifically praises the "visual effects by Ray Harryhausen," which may look comical to today's viewers, but was groundbreaking for the time.
Redditor Practical_Rooster172 states that they "love 50's and 60's Sci-Fi," specifically citing The Amazing Colossal Man as an all-time favorite. While it may never be one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time, it certainly leaves a memorable mark with its unique and tragic premise.
The film again explores the results of radiation exposure, as a military officer survives a nuclear blast and begins to suddenly grow at an uncontrollable rate. As he grows, he seems to lose control of his actions, quickly becoming a monster that poses a threat even to the love of his life.
1958 was one of the best years for sci-fi in its decade, with quite a few titles released at that time. Reddit user Simplifyandamplify's favorite cheesy sci-fi film is The Incredible Shrinking Man, which they describe as "absolutely brilliant" and "moving." This movie, yet again, explores the results of radiation exposure, this time wondering how a person would react to being exposed to it at the same time as to an insecticide.
For the main character Scott Carey, the result was that he rapidly shrank to the size of a bug. With his wife unable to help him, poor Scott is forced to try to survive in a world that poses different dangers to a creature of his size.
Another '50s film that perfectly exemplifies the cheesiness of sci-fi is I Married a Moster From Outer Space. This film was the pick of Redditor Typical_Humanoid, who felt that it was "fun," even if it was technically "not that great." The premise and the unusual title make it one of the funniest sci-fi b-movies, while still keeping it a guilty pleasure for classic movie fans.
In I Married a Moster From Outer Space, a race of aliens that is no longer able to reproduce on their own comes to Earth and possesses the bodies of various human men. One woman quickly realizes that one of those men is her new husband but is unsure who to turn to as anyone could potentially be one of them.
One movie in this genre is easily recognized due to its cameo in the movie Grease. This film, The Blob, was picked by Redditor Khan4269, who feels that '50s Sci-Fi has a charm that "modern B-movies lack."
In The Blob an alien lifeform that resembles slime plummets to earth and begins to consume anything it touches, starting with the old man that originally discovers it. Every time it consumes something, it grows larger and larger, making it seemingly indestructible.
Redditor Ysonesse's favorite film of this genre was "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman." This movie is unique in that it follows a woman that has been affected by science, as opposed to a man. It isn't necessarily a great movie for feminism, however, as its premise makes it one of the goofiest sci-fi movies on this list.
In this film, a beautiful socialite has an encounter with an alien and suddenly grows to fifty feet tall. She takes advantage of her new size to get revenge on her cheating husband. Beautiful and scantily dressed, this giant and vengeful woman was a surprise to audiences.
User GeneralDavis87 listed "Teenagers From Outer Space" as their favorite '50s sci-fi movie, sharing a video of the entire cheesy film with other Redditors.
In this movie, a race of aliens comes to Earth in search of a breeding ground for giant lobster-like creatures from their world. However, when one among their ranks realizes that the life on Earth is intelligent, he refuses to participate, knowing these creatures would destroy any life. He ends up falling in love with a teenage Earthling, solidifying his desire to save Earth from his home planet.
