Years ago, I was watching an episode of Freakazoid and there was a part of an episode called “The Cloud”. Turns out that segment was based on an old sci fi movie from the 50s. Years later I found that out because I watched the first episode of MST3K where it was called The Crawling Eye. Let’s see.

Released in 1958, The Trollenberg Terror is a British sci fi horror movie. It features a mystery as strange deaths occur up a large mountain. The mystery is deepened by an unusual cloud and a travelling psychic act starts to get strange visions and compulsions to go up the mountain.

The opening of the film is rather good at setting a horror mystery. 3 young climbers are up the Trollenberg. The one who is highest up mentions something strange and he becomes more and more panicked before he falls past them. His 2 friends are tied to him so they grab the rope and start pulling him up. But one then suddenly screams and let’s go, the man falling away from them. When his friend asks why he lets go, he terrified, replies that his head was torn off.

We are then on a train to meet our main leads. Alan Brooks played by Forrest Tucker, the sisters Anne and Sarah Pilgrim played by Janet Munro and Jennifer Jayne when Anne suddenly insists, she get off at the next stop.

There is a surprisingly good buildup of tension as we get Anne foretelling horrible incidents and a real sense of dread.

Sadly there is a bunch of plot contrivances and plot required stupidity. It’s not so much a problem at the start, but when it reuses plot points near the end you start to get a feeling of “haven’t you learned already” just to make more tension.

That said when the aliens/monsters do show up it’s not that bad an effect. For a B movie they clearly aren’t a person in a rubber suit and they cover up anything that would make them seem too stupid so it’s not all bad.

It’s a somewhat enjoyable film for someone that wants to watch some fun B movie silliness.

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