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Doctor Cyclops (1940) - Ernest B. Schoedsack


Doctor Cyclops is a really interesting film. It's in color even though it was made in 1940. This is made possible through Technicolor. The film goes down the Mad Scientist route with Albert Dekker in that role, and its pretty perfect. Ernest Schoedsack is the director. His previous film had been King Kong. So you know it's in good hands. 

A group of scientists are summoned to Peru to assist a fellow expert, Doctor Alexander Throkel. Thorkel is a maniacal bastard. He has this whole thing planned that ends up with him capturing the group and shrinking them down to 1/5th their original size. He tries keeping these tiny people locked up but they end breaking out and running for their little lives! Now they have to try to figure out how they can get back to their regular sizes while surviving in this crazy, huge world. 


The Doctor has an amazing look. He has this weird James Bond villain-type thing going on. It's pretty sinister. The movie has a really great look and equally entertaining score. It's a high quality picture indeed. The plot is a bit corny but it's actually really suspenseful and really gets the blood pumping. It's a good horror movie. 

Of course this movie is crammed with amazing effects. Not just the obvious shrunken human's thing. But also the practical effects used like the Doctors hand and the jungle sets. Really cool. It isn't bound by the usual genre boundaries either. This movie is as much an Adventure and Fantasy picture as it is a Horror film. It definitely has me looking forward to the next feature by Schoedsack. 


Country: USA

Did ya know... 
This was Albert Dekker's most memorable role.
It was nominated for an Oscar in 1941 for Best Effects. 



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