John Collins is at the
B-movies, as he reviews the astounding retro spoof...
In this omnibus edition is the four issue miniseries It Came! which pays homage to the classic B-Movies of the 1950’s. As a sci-fi and comedy fan, the combination can either be a complete mismatch or a work of genius; this thankfully falls into the latter category.
Firstly, I’d like to appreciate the artwork before anything else. Dan Boutlwood clearly knows his B-Movies, as evident by the front cover which pastiches the archetypal B-Movie poster featuring the young damsel in distress fainted in the monster’s arms; e.g. Creature From the Black Lagoon and Forbidden Planet. Furthered with an excellent black and white artwork, the perfectly depicted stereotypical look of the characters and a UFO floating from a string. Naturally, as a parody, there has to be comedy and through the design come some hysterical visual gags.
Furthermore, it also demonstrates through the expression of the characters the stilted acting often seen in B-Movies. These examples of satire create some laugh out loud moments, particularly in between the issues which include parody posters advertising smoking and other products from the era. Boultwood also treats us to a parody movie trailer which, considering the success of It Came! will hopefully be turned into a miniseries in the future.
Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of the story is the British setting as we often associate the B-Movies as a 1950’s Hollywood phenomenon with people flocking to Drive-In cinemas to watch the latest scares; something we in Britain can’t rely on due to the unreliable weather. Therefore, having a B-Movie set in London adds something new to a genre that has been parodied many times before in films such as Mars Attacks.
The plot is as over the top as one would expect from a B-Movie with a masculine hero and a clueless female character who must fight against giant robots who have a plan to take over the world. Apart from the visual gags, the humour also derives from the chemistry between Dr Boy Brett and Doris; the latter is constantly condescended by the doctor because of her gender, with Brett therefore showing himself as a typical misogynistic 1950’s male.
I recommend this highly to any B-Movie or comedy fans who enjoy a well written parody. In every way the tone and style of the movies from that era is captured so exceptionally this collection goes beyond a poor attempt at parodying such well known tropes.
In this omnibus edition is the four issue miniseries It Came! which pays homage to the classic B-Movies of the 1950’s. As a sci-fi and comedy fan, the combination can either be a complete mismatch or a work of genius; this thankfully falls into the latter category.
Firstly, I’d like to appreciate the artwork before anything else. Dan Boutlwood clearly knows his B-Movies, as evident by the front cover which pastiches the archetypal B-Movie poster featuring the young damsel in distress fainted in the monster’s arms; e.g. Creature From the Black Lagoon and Forbidden Planet. Furthered with an excellent black and white artwork, the perfectly depicted stereotypical look of the characters and a UFO floating from a string. Naturally, as a parody, there has to be comedy and through the design come some hysterical visual gags.
Furthermore, it also demonstrates through the expression of the characters the stilted acting often seen in B-Movies. These examples of satire create some laugh out loud moments, particularly in between the issues which include parody posters advertising smoking and other products from the era. Boultwood also treats us to a parody movie trailer which, considering the success of It Came! will hopefully be turned into a miniseries in the future.
Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of the story is the British setting as we often associate the B-Movies as a 1950’s Hollywood phenomenon with people flocking to Drive-In cinemas to watch the latest scares; something we in Britain can’t rely on due to the unreliable weather. Therefore, having a B-Movie set in London adds something new to a genre that has been parodied many times before in films such as Mars Attacks.
The plot is as over the top as one would expect from a B-Movie with a masculine hero and a clueless female character who must fight against giant robots who have a plan to take over the world. Apart from the visual gags, the humour also derives from the chemistry between Dr Boy Brett and Doris; the latter is constantly condescended by the doctor because of her gender, with Brett therefore showing himself as a typical misogynistic 1950’s male.
I recommend this highly to any B-Movie or comedy fans who enjoy a well written parody. In every way the tone and style of the movies from that era is captured so exceptionally this collection goes beyond a poor attempt at parodying such well known tropes.
9/10
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