A Case for Internal Security
When a group of meteorites come crashing down in to a field in Cornwall, England it provides great excitement as they land in a perfect V formation. It leads to a group of scientists lead by Richard Arden (Bernard Kay - Joy Division) being assembled to examine these curious meteorites. But for Dr. Curtis Temple (Robert Hutton - Doctor in Clover), an expert in the area of alien communication, a recent car accident, which meant he needed a silver plate fitted in his skull, prevents him from joining the group with his girlfriend Lee Mason (Jennifer Jayne - Dr. Terror's House of Horrors) going in place of him. But these scientists find themselves being taken over by some sort of alien force with an agenda, meaning that it is up to Dr. Temple to try and thwart their plans.
"They Came from Beyond Space" is a pretty routine 1960s sci-fi movie where we have meteorites, people's bodies and minds being taken over by alien invaders who have an agenda and of course a scientist who has to save the day especially when it appears these aliens are spreading a crimson plague which is killing mankind. Yes there are some nice ideas in the movie but for the most it is your generic 1960s sci-fi movie which runs to the basic formula which had been serving these types of sci-fi movies for the previous decade. As such from a storyline point of view it has to be said that "They Came from Beyond Space" isn't the most memorable.
But "They Came from Beyond Space" does offer a couple of other things and with this being an Amicus production filmed at the Twickenham Film Studios there is a certain amount of familiarity to the locations as well as nostalgia with a glimpse of Britain in the 60s. Then there is also an enjoyably bad side to the movie and clearly this was made on a tight budget and with limited time as both some of the acting and the effects is on the weak side. But as I said it does give "They Came from Beyond Space" something which actually makes it entertaining even if that wasn't the intention and truthfully without those poor effects and bad acting there wouldn't be anything about this movie worth mentioning.
What this all boils down to is that "They Came from Beyond Space" is just another one of those aliens invade Earth sci-fi movies from the 1960s which is now more entertaining for the issues it has than for the actual storyline.
