Kronos

"Kronos was one of the better independently made sci-fi films of the 1950s, and an unusual one in that it was shot in an anamorphic (i.e. ""scope"") widescreen process. Directed and produced by Kurt Neumann, whose credits also include Rocketship X-M and The Fly, it also featured an unexpectedly good cast and a genuinely imaginative and unusual plot. An alien creature comes to earth and occupies the body of a renowned scientist (John Emery), using his position to assist the creature's weapon, a huge metal robot that absorbs any form of energy, growing larger and more dangerous as it rampages across the country. A trio of scientists (Jeff Morrow, Barbara Lawrence, George O'Hanlon) who first tracked the device to Earth must find a way to stop it before the surface of the planet is laid waste. The Image Entertainment DVD is the first high-quality release of Kronos in any video format, all prior versions having been made from 16 mm pan-and-scan prints, which were not only missing half the image of the original film but also blurry and washed out. The picture here, mastered off of a restored 35 mm negative, is generally bright, sharp, and thoroughly detailed, with only a few signs of damage to the source material, all of which is momentary or minimal. The widescreen image gives one the chance to appreciate the wraparound nature of the computer-room set and the full detail and visual impact of the giant robot (given the name ""Kronos"" by one observer, hence the movie's title) as it rampages across the Mexican and California countrysides, particularly in one scene in where a helicopter lands on the metallic invader. The sound is also a significant improvement over earlier editions of the film, including the old Image Entertainment laserdisc. The dialogue is surprisingly clever at times, so the audio enhancement is a help there, but Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter's musical score is also given more impact. The music's worth can be attested by the fact that the main title music and principal action theme were later tracked into other science fiction films. One wishes for more of a supplement than just the film's trailer -- a narration would have been nice. But barring that effort, bios of the players wouldn't have hurt; how many sci-fi buffs remember, after all, that scientist hero George O'Hanlon, who provides some comic relief in the plot of Kronos, was later the voice of George Jetson? Or that John Emery, who plays the stricken Dr. Eliot, was a highly distinguished stage actor who had once been married to Tallulah Bankhead?"