Monsters of Misfitboy: The Giant Claw (1957)

Do you know what was great about horror films back in the ol’ days? There were no battle lines drawn about horror movies. You either liked or disliked them. Horror was horror, and there was no “zombies are better than vampires” or any other BS like that. It was simple. Granted, a lot of critics hated most of them with the exception of a few like Them, The Thing, and others. But most critics didn’t care much for horror films. But kids did. And the best part about it was it didn’t matter what was showing — they would flock like sheep to see anything. Now those were real horror fans! Anyway, have you ever seen a film that’s so bad it’s good? Welcome to The Giant Claw. This is considered “one of the worst films ever made.” I personally enjoy this film for the simple fact it’s so bad. The movie has some of the worst narration, acting, and, most of all, FX (a giant puppet bird, with visible strings that Jim Henson would have laughed at). A lot of the film is made with stock footage (an easy way to fill story holes — and it’s cheap too).

Here’s the plot:

Mitch MacAfee (played by Jeff Morrow, who stared in such epic films as The Creature Walks Among Us, Kronos, and This Island Earth — he came back to the horror genre in 1971 for Octaman) is running radar tests while flying his plane when he spots a UFO. Nothing shows up on the radar screen but the military sends out a squadron of jets to investigate. Nothing is found. When Mitch returns to base, army officials are furious with him. Eventually they start to take him seriously after planes start to disappear.

The reason: a bird, “a bird as big as a battleship,” has been devouring plane after plane and their crews. This giant bird is from outer space and is even equipped with a force shield! Now it’s up to Mitch, his mathematician girlfriend, and the military to stop the winged horror! Mitch finds the bird’s giant egg and shoots it full of holes. This enrages the creature and it heads right towards New York City. Mitch and some scientists create some sort of anti-matter ray gun to stop the menace. In case anyone has yet to see this film, I wont give away the ending — BUT I will say it’s nothing short of hilarious. At one point in the film, the Giant Claw destroys major buildings in New York.

It’s a film worth watching. Many horror hosts of the 70’s would play this film quite a bit. And the bird itself looks like Warner Bros. cartoon character Beaky Buzzard. Yes, it looks that bad, but I would give it a 5 out of 10 for bad one-liners and even a space ship can be seen in the distance (stock footage from Earth vs. the Flying Saucers was even used!). Give it a watch — after all, it’s not a long film, and who wouldn’t wanna see one of the worst monster films ever made??!!

Well, see ya next time at the drive-ins! This is misfit boy and I’m out!