Movie Reviews of the Old, Odd, and Obscure (Part 5)

A simple but effective shot

Stomping across the scene

The DVD cover

It's SUSIE the computer!

Kronos (1957) Regal Films through 20th Century Fox


Directed by Kurt Neumann who would direct the much more successful, "The Fly" the following year in 1958, Kronos is a rarely seen (at least in Winona) low budget science fiction movie about a gigantic energy eating robot from space. An astronomer/scientist (Jeff Morrow who also starred in "This Island Earth") discovers a meteor like object heading toward earth using an interesting (large 1950's style) computer named SUSIE (Synchro Unifying Sinometric Integrating Equitensor!!). The space object is shown crashing into the ocean and then soon after a lab director is taken over by that same otherworldly entity in order to "interact" with humans. Creepy light and shadow are used effectively as the man's eyes become wide and intense while he goes on a murderous rampage in an effort to reach the computer, SUSIE, and sabotage any plans the earth may have to stop him. Stop him from what? Well, allowing a big, blocky robot the size of a skyscraper to stomp across the land and consume power from various power plants. The viewer finds out later that this power is needed back on the robot's home world.

Although the movie was made on the lowest of shoestring budgets, I have to give the filmmakers credit for creating some effective set pieces. My favorite is a simple shot utilizing the films entire widescreen view to show the robot stomping from one end to the other across the horizon. The simplistic animation of the "legs" only shows them go up and down, so it is never clear how the device is able to move forward or backward. Yet, those scenes combined with the thumping sound effects, are really amusing to watch.

Kronos is an entertaining (if somewhat slow moving) movie that utilizes plenty of silly 1950's pseudo-science, paranoia, and amusing special effects shots. Please note that a secondary character (kind of a coworker to the main scientist) is played by George O'Hanlon who would later go on to be the voice of George Jetson!