Product Details

• Released on: 2002-10-01
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: NTSC, Import
• Original language: English
• Running time: 75 minutes

From Amazon.com
The Hideous Sun Demon is almost too wonderful to be believed. Scientist Dr. Gilbert McKenna drops his sample--oops!--of "a new isotope that has never existed in nature before" and consequently receives a massive dose of radiation. As so often happens in these cases, the results are gruesome and tragic--whenever he is exposed to sunlight Gil turns into a lizard man, driven to kill. "You mean a human being could evolve backwards through time?" asks the plucky Miss Lansing. Alas, her question can only be answered with a yes. Well, a yes and some hilarious "scientific" proof. Even though he becomes a murderous reptile at the pull of a curtain, some obscure legal statute says that Gil can't be kept in the hospital against his will. Full of whiskey and self-pity, he heads out on his own, a time bomb ready to go off the minute he runs out of zinc oxide. The pleasures of The Hideous Sun Demon are many: rubber lizard suits, headlines reading "Weird Killer Still at Large," a lounge singer named Trudy with an unusually lopsided piano playing style, and day-for-night sequences in which the night is so bright that one cannot see the actors' faces. Truly, a movie that must be experienced in DVD. --Ali Davis

Video Details
Screen star Robert Clarke, legendary science fiction leading man of the 1950s, produced, directed and starred in this Atomic Age chiller about a scientist that turns into a hideous prehistoric creature when exposed to the sun's deadly rays. This is it! The original cult classic, filled with tense radioactive atmosphere, as the Sun Demon stalks his prey while his primordial mating urges go berserk! An excellent modern-day horror screamer filled with murder, monsters, radioactive isotopes and a sizzling blonde babe with gravity-defying assets. Bring your sunglasses and tanning oil because "The Hideous Sun Demon" is on the loose!

Synopsis
Sunblock can't save you from the solar-powered monster in this sci-fi cult item. Dr. Gilbert McKenna (Robert Clarke) is a research scientist who is exposed to dangerously radioactive materials during a visit to an atomic power plant. The radiation causes McKenna to mutate into a strange and murderous half-man, half-reptile when he comes into contact with the rays of the sun. The isotopes also have another effect on him; he begins to forget about his loyal girlfriend Ann Russell (Patricia Manning) and starts taking up with blonde bombshell Trudy Osborne (Nan Peterson), who brings out the beast in him as surely as the sun. The Hideous Sun Demon was co-produced, co-written, and co-directed by leading man Robert Clarke; it was his first and last effort as a writer and director, though he was to remain active as an actor for another 30 years. In 1983, a group of comedians re-edited the film and dubbed in a new soundtrack; the results were released as What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Customer Reviews

An odd, endearing creature feature
Aside from its delirious title, this movie's most intriguing attribute is the fact that it was co-written, co-directed and produced by its star, Robert Clarke. To call it an auteurist project might be somewhat far-fetched, but this is about as personal as a low budget science-fiction film can possibly be. The way it blends several genres - sci-fi, horror, film noir - and B-film conventions (notably the curse of the werewolf) is odd and generally successful. The title creature manages to stand out in the massive crowd of 1950s monsters for three reasons: 1) it actually looks very good, 2) its appearances are judiciously scattered throughout the film, and 3) these scenes are directed with a keen sense of pace and suspense. There is little doubt that Clarke's elliptical storytelling is partly due to the minimal budget, but it is artistically rewarding as well: the abrupt introduction, the first transformation scene and the final showdown are impressive and memorable, true highlights among 1950s B-films. This endearingly modest creature feature should be seen.

Serviceable Sci-Fi Shlocker...
"The Hideous Sun Demon" is one of those quintessential shoestring sci-fi schlockers that is so bad it's good.

When a scientist is exposed to new radioactive isotope (as is so often the case in these movies), he then becomes allergic to sunlight; the side effect being that he devolves into a lizard-man and kills people. Full of booze and paranoia, our hero takes up with a saloon singer while his sweetheart is left to fret.

Silly science and lots of fiction (and skimpy budget), prevents this particular cautionary tale against "tampering with the Unknown" from being in a league with other radiation-based monster movies. There are some great scenes (mostly with the monster lying in wait to attack), but be ready for some over-the-top acting (and just plain bad acting by some inexperienced cast members!), and some el-cheapo effects work.

The filmmakers do make up for a lack of budget with some creativity and imagination, but what really saves this little film is the excellent use of location shooting. Real-world venues take center stage (especially during the climactic oil tank battle hundreds of feet high up), with startling footage of oil pumps, tank farms, and girders that easily make us overlook any weaknesses in acting or effects. And to be honest, the rubber suit and mask are pretty effective.

You'll have fun with this one, as long as you aren't expecting a slick big-budgeter. While far from perfect, you can tell that everyone involved really made an effort to make the movie as fun and as exciting as they could.

The DVD comes with liner notes and the trailer, and the print is in pretty good shape.

Anyone smell cheese??
This one is kind of a werewolf in reverse. Due to a dose of radiation, a scientist turns into a lizard man when exposed to sunlight. I kept waiting for something to happen. The monster looked ok for a rubber suit type creature but the movie moved pretty slowly to a predictable ending. A couple of cuties were the decoration and love interests (yes two of 'em)in this hollywood effort. The picture quality went from ok to terrible,then back to ok, as did the sound.