10 Gloriously Schlocky 1950s B Movies You Have To See

Depending on your perspective, the 1950s was either one of the best decades for horror/sci-fi movies or one of the worst. It was the age of schlocky monster flicks, and after classics like The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, Them, Godzilla, and The Blob, Hollywood was inundated with films about giant things attacking people. As you would expect, most of them were not good.

Today, we look back on these movies and can't help but laugh. They're full of bad acting, bad dialogue, ridiculous special effects, and nonsensical plots, usually involving a random animal that was contaminated with radiation. There's an appeal to this kind of film, though, and sometimes they can be more entertaining than actual quality monster movies. After all, that's the exact appeal that made Mystery Science Theater 3000 so successful. 

If you're into that, then the 1950s was really one of the best decades for horror simply because of the pure schlock. In what other period of time could you find a mainstream Hollywood film about killer grasshoppers? Sure there are probably hundreds of well made horror movies out there that you haven't seen, but if you instead want to kick back and soak up some glorious cheese this October, these 10 movies are a good place to start.

Directed by legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman, Attack of the Crab Monsters begins with a group of scientists landing on a remote island to investigate a disappearance. With a title like this, you can probably imagine what happens next.

In yet another sci-fi/horror movie where nuclear radiation is humanity's downfall, it turns out the island is crawling with giant crabs as a result of the Bikini Atoll nuclear tests. Somehow, the giant crabs are intentionally producing landslides and earthquakes to destroy the island for some reason, and so the island is quickly falling into the Pacific Ocean. It gets even crazier than that because these aren't just your average crabs. Bullets go right through them "like X-Rays," as one character explains, and not only that, but they actually talk. The crabs eat their victims and can speak through their voices, and they're quick to explain their master plan to take over the world. In one scene after someone tries to kill a crab, it responds by saying, "That was quick thinking!" The crabs sure do seem to be enjoying themselves.

It's an insane movie that constantly makes you wonder what the hell was going through Corman's head, but in the best way possible. It delivers on every level you'd want a movie called Attack of the Crab monsters to deliver and then some.