The X from Outer Space

The X from Outer Space (1967)

Synopsis of The X from Outer Space

 When a scientist crew returns from Mars with some space spores that contaminated their ship, they inadvertently bring about a nightmarish Earth invasion.  After the spores are analyzed in a lab, one escapes, eventually growing into an enormous, rampaging beaked beast. An intergalactic monster movie from long time Shochiku stable director Kazui Nihonmatsu, The X from Outer Space was the first in the studio’s short but memorable cycle of horror pictures.

Review of The X from Outer Space

You’ve heard of a movie that’s so bad, it’s good?  That’s The X from Outer Space.  It’s one of those cheesy monster movies that’s perfect for watching with family on a rainy afternoon.  With lots of popcorn.  At it’s heart, it’s simply a rip-off of Godzilla.  A man in a rubber suit, rampaging through a cardboard city.  A brave team of scientists (half of them Japanse, half Americans) bravely trying to fight it.  And a star-crossed love story.  Fight scenes that are so silly that it’s laughable.  Remove all of the enjoyable parts of Godzilla, except for the rubber suit, and you have this movie.

Editorial review of The X From Outer Space, courtesy of Amazon.com

The spaceship AAB Gamma is dispatched from Japan to land on Mars and investigate reports of UFOs in the area. When the Gamma nears the red planet, it finds a mysterious UFO that begins to coat the Gamma with unusual spores. One of these spores is taken back to Earth, but begins to develop. The spore grows into a giant lizard/chicken-like alien monster called Guilala that begins a rampage across Tokyo. It spits fireballs, feeds on nuclear fuel, turns into a giant energy ball when it wants to fly, and destroys airplanes and tanks along its rampage.

The monster is finally defeated by jets dropping bombs, coating Guilala in a fictional substance known as ‘Guilalalium’ that causes it to shrink back down to spore size. They promptly launch the spore back into space, where it will supposedly circle the sun in an endless orbit. …The X from Outer Space ( Uchû daikaijû Girara ) ( Big Space Monster Guilala )