There's a saboteur afoot at a secret government facility in the desert; a professor from the Office of Scientific Investigation and a female agent seek answers to the malfunctions which have resulted in the deaths of top scientists. Producer Ivan Tors, who also gets an original story credit, loved mixing science-fiction with science-fact, but perhaps gets too carried away here with his love of teaching science (the tour of the facility's many laboratories constitutes nearly half the film's running-time). While the exhibitions and scientific theories are certainly interesting, the technical jargon becomes monotonous. Nicely-produced on a low budget, and with some suspense near the finale, but--as a thriller in the sci-fi genre--it lacks a good old-fashioned charge of excitement. ** from ****
65 Reviews
Slow-moving and talky sci-fi mystery
jamesrupert201417 October 2019
Something, or someone, is killing people at a super-secret, deep-underground, atomic-powered military research base that is overseen by 'Nuclear Operative Variable Automatic Computer' (NOVAC), a powerful electronic brain, and its hench-robots Gog and Magog (names of complex Biblical/Talmudic origins). This is the third of Ivan Tor's 'hard-science' OSI (Office of Scientific Investigation) series (preceded by 'The Magnetic Monster' (1953) and 'Riders to the Stars' (1954)). Typical of Tor's SF films, 'Gog' is very talky, as OSI agent David Sheppard (Richard Egan) is toured around the base and all the various gadgets carefully explained, but despite the po-faced attempts at technical credibility, most of the 'science' on display, as well as the story's resolution, makes little sense. The cast, like the script, is earnest and boring, and other then the cranky Dr. Zeitman (John Wengraff), none of the characters are very interesting. The film starts well, with the deaths-by-ultrafreezing of a scientist and (surprisingly) his pretty assistant, but bogs down as the investigation progresses. A number of scenes go on too long, notably the unconvincing simulated reduced-gravity demonstration and the endless stock-footage of jet fighters pursuing a mysterious high-altitude rocket plane. Most of the special effects are simplistic and unconvincing but the robots are refreshingly machine-like, rather than the clanking metal humanoids common in the genre at the time (although why, since they are designed to service the atomic reactor, they are equipped with flame-throwers, is a head-scratcher). The film is very much a product of its times, with a 'We need to get there first' attitude to space exploration - the epilogue is ludicrous. Tors deserves credit for trying to make 'real science fiction' movies, rather than just more giant bug or alien invasion flics, but unfortunately, 'real' usually isn't very interesting and does not stand the test of time as well as the less credible, but far more entertaining, monster movies. Why the film is named for one of the robots, who are relatively bit players, is puzzling.
Beef up defense and security
bkoganbing23 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
A good healthy dose of Cold War paranoia is permeated throughout this film entitled Gog. Gog is one of two robots controlled by a giant computer in a space project the other being Magog. But someone has seized control of the giant computer which goes by the name of Nowac and the two robots are reeking havoc on our space program which was not yet under the control of NASA as NASA was not created until 1958 and this film came out in 1954.
Richard Egan is both scientist and security agent sent out to the desert where this project is to find out what's been going on as a series of accidents. Already there is another scientist Constance Dowling who is also a security agent, but there incognito. She can't find an explanation as to who or what might be a traitor.
It's both a who and a what. The who is our enemies, unnamed to be sure but we know it's the Russians who else has supersonic planes that have penetrated our air defenses. They've got control of Nowac and with it control of Gog and Magog so we have no traitor in the ranks of the scientists.
Seeing the kind of sophistication the Russians have put into the sabotage, no doubt everyone left the film saying we ought to beef up security and give the military what they need.
For a low budget B film, the special effects weren't bad. Gog and Magog look like more sophisticated Daleks, but Daleks were pretty scary on the Dr. Who series.
Egan, Dowling, Herbert Marshall who played the top scientist and the rest of the cast gave sincere performances. Gog is most definitely a film for the paranoid at heart.
Richard Egan is both scientist and security agent sent out to the desert where this project is to find out what's been going on as a series of accidents. Already there is another scientist Constance Dowling who is also a security agent, but there incognito. She can't find an explanation as to who or what might be a traitor.
It's both a who and a what. The who is our enemies, unnamed to be sure but we know it's the Russians who else has supersonic planes that have penetrated our air defenses. They've got control of Nowac and with it control of Gog and Magog so we have no traitor in the ranks of the scientists.
Seeing the kind of sophistication the Russians have put into the sabotage, no doubt everyone left the film saying we ought to beef up security and give the military what they need.
For a low budget B film, the special effects weren't bad. Gog and Magog look like more sophisticated Daleks, but Daleks were pretty scary on the Dr. Who series.
Egan, Dowling, Herbert Marshall who played the top scientist and the rest of the cast gave sincere performances. Gog is most definitely a film for the paranoid at heart.
Confusing and frightening for a young kid
davebeedon18 July 2005
I was perhaps seven or eight years old when I saw "Gog" in the 1950s. The story was only somewhat comprehensible to me; although I understood that the laboratory was some type of research facility, it was unclear to me why things were going haywire. The jet flying overhead was a mystery: where did it come from, who was in it, and what was it doing?
The scientific devices were fun to watch, especially the "ray" weapon. Being unable to grasp the concept of sabotage, I didn't appreciate why the device was not operating as designed. But what had the biggest effect on me was the action of the robots. Their running amok in the lab scared me to death. Maybe I picked up on the terror of the lab's occupants.
The combination of confusion and fear made watching the movie (on TV) unpleasant but fascinating. It would be fun to see "Gog" now, knowing what I do about the plot, the actors, and the Cold War era in which it was made.
The scientific devices were fun to watch, especially the "ray" weapon. Being unable to grasp the concept of sabotage, I didn't appreciate why the device was not operating as designed. But what had the biggest effect on me was the action of the robots. Their running amok in the lab scared me to death. Maybe I picked up on the terror of the lab's occupants.
The combination of confusion and fear made watching the movie (on TV) unpleasant but fascinating. It would be fun to see "Gog" now, knowing what I do about the plot, the actors, and the Cold War era in which it was made.
Corny but entertaining
a_chinn29 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Corny but entertaining 50s sci-fi about a secret military base working on space hibernation for astronauts, but the things get weird when a supercomputer and it's robot minions begin taking over. Nothing great, but not terrible either. I did enjoy the low budget simulation of weightlessness.
I saw this theatrically ...
Hup234!18 September 2001
... and there are unforgettable images which have stayed with me, especially the horrific scene as Dr. Hubertus (Michael Fox, perfectly cast) finds himself trapped within the test chamber with the slowly oscillating window wiper, and the growing panic that follows with the grim realization that his screams for help cannot be heard. And then that stare through the glass as his spectacles ice over ...
Look for "Gog". There have to be copies out there somewhere.
Look for "Gog". There have to be copies out there somewhere.
Potentially interesting scenario and decent performances, undercut by dull, talky script
lemon_magic11 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I actually found myself somewhat impressed by certain aspects of "Gog", notably the science based "mystery and suspense" scenario in a secret underground science base, which predated the "Andromeda Strain" by many years and the Cold War paranoia elements of the story, which contributed even more to the sense of menace. And a few of the performances were pretty good - Herbert Marshall turned in his usual classy, understated, yet humane performance, and the Cherman professor type kept the scenes he was in going with sheer personality. And the robots had a nice, innovative design and a couple of the techno-murders were nicely staged (the opening scene, where first one scientist is frozen to death in his own freezer, followed by his assistant, had a nice, mean ghoulishness to it).
But the movie gets strangled by its overly talky 2nd act, where the director and screenwriter get way too wrapped up in their Hugo Gernsback style explication of all the cool technology in the base.And the last 10-15 minutes, which were supposed to be the action filled climax, collapse under poorly choreographed action, underdone special effects, the most improbable nuclear reactor design in the history of cinema, and a bunch of scenery chewing spear carriers. Also, all these brilliant scientists and designers seemed to have never considered the idea of "off switches" on their machines, or the idea of a firewall.
Still, this movie is fun in spots, and worth seeing if you are a fan of the genre.
But the movie gets strangled by its overly talky 2nd act, where the director and screenwriter get way too wrapped up in their Hugo Gernsback style explication of all the cool technology in the base.And the last 10-15 minutes, which were supposed to be the action filled climax, collapse under poorly choreographed action, underdone special effects, the most improbable nuclear reactor design in the history of cinema, and a bunch of scenery chewing spear carriers. Also, all these brilliant scientists and designers seemed to have never considered the idea of "off switches" on their machines, or the idea of a firewall.
Still, this movie is fun in spots, and worth seeing if you are a fan of the genre.
Tense undercurrent..
lousvr21 June 1999
Saw this film when I was about 10 years old. I loved Sci-Fi movies so naturally saw this one. But something was different. There was some unusually tense undercurrent in the story. Actually scared me. Years later I realized the nervous tension was due to the underlying theme of the 'cold war'. The Cold War was very real back in the 50's and as a kid you would hear, now and then, things that would scare the pants off of you. What came first? The chicken or the egg? Was this a sci-fi flick that used the cold war tension or was it overwhelmed by the omnipresent tensions of said war? Don't know but it scare the heck out of me back then.
Dreadful
damianphelps13 March 2021
This was a real wasted opportunity to film something great. A nice premise wastes the majority of its running time taking the viewer through a tour of the facilities and of each department.
Its painfully slow and tedious. No real drama is delivered until about 15 minutes to go. By then you no longer care.
I love a good 50's sci-fi movie but this isn't one of them!
Its painfully slow and tedious. No real drama is delivered until about 15 minutes to go. By then you no longer care.
I love a good 50's sci-fi movie but this isn't one of them!
Interesting Choice Of Names!
lacarcagne11 March 2001
Not a bad little movie, with a touch more suspense than most movies of this type. The names of the two robots that are controlled by.....,well you should see the movie for that, Gog and Magog, comes from the Bible, Rev.20:8. They are the two nations to be led by Satan in the final battle at Armageddon against the kingdom of God. Is Ivan Tors trying to tell us that the Soviet Union is SATAN? Well, it was 1954! Worth the time if you can find it.
All agog over Gog
dfranzen7017 June 2016
3D movies really took off in the early 1950s, from House of Wax to Dial M for Murder to, uh, Cat-Women of the Moon. By the time Gog (1954, **) was released to theaters, though, the craze had subsided quite a bit. So much so, in fact, that although it was filmed in 3D, most theaters had rid themselves of their 3D projectors, and Gog was instead released in 2D to an underwhelmed audience. It apparently was shown in 3D just a small handful of times, mainly in California. And then, after Gog's theatrical run, the 3D prints were damaged. 3D movies, at the time, were put together using a two-camera setup (left side of a scene, right side of a scene); the resulting films were then combined. The left side of the film was deemed beyond repair for decades until new technology came along. When I saw it recently at the American Film Institute's Silver Theater during its inaugural Fantastic Film Showcase, it was apparently the first time the movie had been screened in 3D in Maryland. Cool! In the movie, a military investigator played by Richard Egan arrives at a remote desert base to look into the death of a scientist and his assistant. There are plenty of researchers at the base, and Egan learns that they're all working toward one goal – a space station! This is well before any humans had even made it to space, of course, so to the contemporary audience this must have seemed fantastical. Egan meets the various researchers in turn, including Dr. Van Ness (Herbert Marshall), who's in charge of the whole shebang, and his assistant Joanna (Constance Dowling). But most intriguing aren't the humans at the base, it's these two 600-pound robots, named Gog and Magog. (Don't ask me why they're so named.) Obviously, since the name of the movie is Gog, these two will factor into the plot somehow.
For a 60-year-old movie, the 3D effects are pretty good. Sure, sometimes their use is a bit over the top – that is, there are scenes that appear to exist solely because of the 3D feature – but there's no sense of overuse. The viewer isn't bludgeoned with 3D, and instead 3D sort of assimilated into the movie.
This being a 50s sci-fi movie, don't expect much in the way of scientific accuracy. There's an unintentionally funny scene where one snooty scientist scoffs that man is never meant to be in outer space. Never! Here we are, 62 years later, and we've been to the moon and sent robots to Mars and spacecraft out of the solar system. So there! If you get a chance to watch Gog in 3D, please do. It's not as if it won't make sense in good old 2D, but the threadbare plot and the strained acting will bother you much less if you can enjoy the now-antiquated extra dimension.
For a 60-year-old movie, the 3D effects are pretty good. Sure, sometimes their use is a bit over the top – that is, there are scenes that appear to exist solely because of the 3D feature – but there's no sense of overuse. The viewer isn't bludgeoned with 3D, and instead 3D sort of assimilated into the movie.
This being a 50s sci-fi movie, don't expect much in the way of scientific accuracy. There's an unintentionally funny scene where one snooty scientist scoffs that man is never meant to be in outer space. Never! Here we are, 62 years later, and we've been to the moon and sent robots to Mars and spacecraft out of the solar system. So there! If you get a chance to watch Gog in 3D, please do. It's not as if it won't make sense in good old 2D, but the threadbare plot and the strained acting will bother you much less if you can enjoy the now-antiquated extra dimension.
Ivan Tors put the "Science" in Science Fiction
BullMoose6 March 2005
In my opinion this is one of the best films made by Ivan Tors. Tors created "Science Fiction Theater" for TV and made several SciFi films (like The Magnetic Monster) before this genre was really popular. He brought real science to the screen in plots that may seem dated today but afterall, it was 1954. In GOG, Tors brings in then brand new inventions such as jets, computers, robots, high frequency sound, cryogenics, sunlight as a weapon, electronic surveillance, atomic power and even man-made satellites (which would not become reality for 3 more years). To an audience unfamiliar with such things, it was exiting and scary. Especially scary when you were made to think such super weapons were under the control of a foreign power. The Korean War had just ended and the USSR was making aggressive comments about atomic war with us. This movie gave me nightmares for quite awhile.
-BullMoose
-BullMoose
For its time, a pretty cool sci-fi film about the near future.
planktonrules27 June 2011
In this 50s sci-fi thriller, some mysterious deaths occur at an ultra-top secret US base--a base that is controlled by a super-computer. Richard Egan is an agent sent to investigate and even after he arrives, several of the staff members are killed by equipment at this research facility. Egan thinks perhaps some sort of spacecraft or airplane above the base is responsible and the film takes on sinister Cold War overtones.
The film looks nice--even though the version I saw was not the 3-D version. The color was very nice and it helped that it was filmed at an air force base--complete with real planes and less crappy stock footage. While kids will no doubt laugh at the way computers and robots are portrayed, for 1954, this is pretty cool stuff and quite believable based on the way they saw technology headed. It also helped that the film had a decent cast, though a few of the actors were a bit dopey (like the lady who began screaming like a banshee after the guy was killed by sound waves). Overall, well worth seeing.
By the way, but didn't Gog and Magog the robots look a little,...um...phallic?!
The film looks nice--even though the version I saw was not the 3-D version. The color was very nice and it helped that it was filmed at an air force base--complete with real planes and less crappy stock footage. While kids will no doubt laugh at the way computers and robots are portrayed, for 1954, this is pretty cool stuff and quite believable based on the way they saw technology headed. It also helped that the film had a decent cast, though a few of the actors were a bit dopey (like the lady who began screaming like a banshee after the guy was killed by sound waves). Overall, well worth seeing.
By the way, but didn't Gog and Magog the robots look a little,...um...phallic?!
An awful film
mrj-900845 March 2022
Rubbish, sheer rubbish this must be one of if not the worst science fiction film ever made in the 1950s no plot no story cardboard acting. I can't understand why some of the reviews seem to think it's such a good film.
NICELY DONE -- 1950's SCI-FI Flix
triassic45 November 2003
GOG is quite an extraordinary, obscure film -- it has hardly ever been rerun on any channel, however I was lucky enough to catch it in its entirety [I'd edited it perfectly - without commercials] about 10 years ago on TNT [Turner network] ... in COLOR! I have hung onto this little GEM and view it occasionally and I must say that I still find this movie to be highly enjoyable! I cannot understand why TURNER/MGM/ WARNER has not EVER released this film in ANY format [never on VHS, DVD or LASERDISC] ... with all of the CRAP [old and new] that is being dredged up on a daily basis for video [DVD] releases, the mind boggles as to why so many classic [and decent "B" flix] SCI-FI & HORROR films have still yet to be released [ex: BURN WITCH BURN, DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, KING KONG, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, WORLD WITHOUT END, INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, TARANTULA, ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS, CONQUEROR WORM, THE POWER, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF, BRIDES OF DRACULA, GAMMA PEOPLE, LAND UNKNOWN, MONOLITH MONSTERS, VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, DR CYCLOPS, MOLE PEOPLE, IT CONQUERED THE WORLD, UNINVITED, INNOCENTS, SON OF KONG, MARK OF THE VAMPIRE, EARTH VS THE SPIDER, DEVIL DOLL, BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE, INVISIBLE BOY, TOBOR, etc etc this long list goes on and on ...]! Anyway, GOG is right on the mark [and ahead of its time - 1956] with Cold War conspiracies, Nuclear testing, computer programming, Biblical references [GOG & MAGOG] and it is indeed a well-constructed film with an interesting espionage approach. ANDROMEDA STRAIN was obviously influenced by this film! The acting is downplayed to a rather scientific level, but is good and on par -- you will notice many veteran stock actors within the cast. Most of the previous User Comments in regards to this film are quite accurate and thoughful, and can be blended into a final strong and POSITIVE review. Indeed, SEE IT - ENJOY IT - pray for DVD!
Heavy on words, short on space
dinky-43 December 2001
Although the opening credits feature backgrounds involving rockets and space stations, virtually all of this movie takes place in a military lab located deep under the New Mexican desert. This means, especially in a low-budget movie, that the story plays out in a small number of drably decorated rooms and hallways, creating -- probably not intentionally -- a sense of claustrophobia. Lively characters and sharp dialog would alleviate some of the strain but unfortunately the characters here tend toward dullness and their dialog is flat and laced with the kind of pseudo-scientific jargon common in 1950's sci-fi movies. The resulting product isn't really bad and might even appeal to fans of the genre but it takes itself much too seriously to provide the kind of hokey "fun" often found in the worse of B-movies.
Richard Egan, hovering on the verge of a stardom which never quite materialized, plays the man sent to investigate mysterious goings-on at the lab, but he's almost upstaged by Gog and Magog, the two robots who, like most robots of that era, go out of control. Unlike most of their counterparts, however, these two aren't anthropomorphic in design and, as a result, look surprisingly modern.
Richard Egan, hovering on the verge of a stardom which never quite materialized, plays the man sent to investigate mysterious goings-on at the lab, but he's almost upstaged by Gog and Magog, the two robots who, like most robots of that era, go out of control. Unlike most of their counterparts, however, these two aren't anthropomorphic in design and, as a result, look surprisingly modern.
A Pioneer of the 3-D World
gavin694213 December 2012
A security agent investigates sabotage and murder at a secret underground laboratory, home of two experimental robots.
This film is the third episode in producer Ivan Tors' Office of Scientific Investigation (OSI) trilogy, following "The Magnetic Monster" and "Riders to the Stars". Best of the three? I say yes!
William R. Weaver said, "The production moves steadily forward, keeping interest growing at a steady pace, and exciting the imagination without overstraining credulity." And, indeed, the film is based on science fact rather than being a complete fantasy, and incorporates many interesting ideas.
This film is the third episode in producer Ivan Tors' Office of Scientific Investigation (OSI) trilogy, following "The Magnetic Monster" and "Riders to the Stars". Best of the three? I say yes!
William R. Weaver said, "The production moves steadily forward, keeping interest growing at a steady pace, and exciting the imagination without overstraining credulity." And, indeed, the film is based on science fact rather than being a complete fantasy, and incorporates many interesting ideas.
"I've been here twice before and still don't know where I am."
classicsoncall29 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Someone, somewhere at one time came up with the concept of robots that looked like Gog and Magog in this picture, with the barrel shaped bodies and flailing arms that were meant to be scary. The movie "Forbidden Planet" had a larger version in 'Robby the Robot', while the Space Family Robinson dealt with their own menace in the Sixties TV series "Lost in Space". The names Gog and Magog make an appearance in the Bible, so it's interesting that they were used here in an entirely different context.
As a sci-fi story, this one was rather static in terms of action. It's very talky as Dr. David Sheppard (Richard Egan) from the Office of Scientific Investigation is dispatched to a secret underground research facility to investigate some deaths that appear to be more than accidental. He's joined by Joanna Merritt (Constance Dowling), already on the scene from a 'secret security section'. Within the context of the Cold War of the 1950's, a sense of paranoia permeates the film with the existence of an unseen enemy that's killing scientists and sabotaging the facility. I love it when films like this come up with scientific instruments like an oxygenometer and a spectrohelioscope; you don't know what they do but they sound good.
I guess I was lucky to catch this film in color, since most TV prints in the United States are in black and white. Otherwise that big and bold red Coke machine wouldn't have stood out as well as it did. I'm constantly amazed at the amount of product placement Coca-Cola has accomplished throughout the years, so much so that you can almost bet on seeing a Coke logo of some sort in almost any movie you watch. Not that it had anything to do in this story, the sabotaging agent is knocked out of commission by a fighter jet while Sheppard contends with the rogue robots using a flame thrower! I guess things do go better with Coke.
As a sci-fi story, this one was rather static in terms of action. It's very talky as Dr. David Sheppard (Richard Egan) from the Office of Scientific Investigation is dispatched to a secret underground research facility to investigate some deaths that appear to be more than accidental. He's joined by Joanna Merritt (Constance Dowling), already on the scene from a 'secret security section'. Within the context of the Cold War of the 1950's, a sense of paranoia permeates the film with the existence of an unseen enemy that's killing scientists and sabotaging the facility. I love it when films like this come up with scientific instruments like an oxygenometer and a spectrohelioscope; you don't know what they do but they sound good.
I guess I was lucky to catch this film in color, since most TV prints in the United States are in black and white. Otherwise that big and bold red Coke machine wouldn't have stood out as well as it did. I'm constantly amazed at the amount of product placement Coca-Cola has accomplished throughout the years, so much so that you can almost bet on seeing a Coke logo of some sort in almost any movie you watch. Not that it had anything to do in this story, the sabotaging agent is knocked out of commission by a fighter jet while Sheppard contends with the rogue robots using a flame thrower! I guess things do go better with Coke.
Gog's Fun
daoldiges21 May 2018
I recently saw a restored 3-D print of this film at MoMA and have to say I enjoyed it. It seems so much of it's time, when the Cold War was getting warmed up and interest in space exploration was taking hold of our collective imaginations. I loved the costumes, and of course the lead female scientist running around in heels, and that they thought radiation could only travel in a straight line and that just a turn of the corner would keep you safe. I imagine that I would not have enjoyed this film as much had I seen it in its original release in 1954, but given the chance to see it now in the 21st century I found it great fun!
A Minimal Science Fiction Film, if at All
dstillman-8938318 April 2019
An inventor of robots and other ingenious mechanisms and devices fights an opposing agency who is trying to sabotage his creations. It is a thinly veiled spy movie whose only resemblance to science fiction, as it is pronounced to be, is the robots who don't do very much. The acting is adequate but the script is boring, the plot is weak and there are no special effects, which is the hallmark of all science fiction movies or tv shows.
Dated, in a fun way
Leofwine_draca21 March 2022
A typical low budget sci-fi flick of its era, originally envisioned in 3D. It begins with a good set-piece in which a couple of scientists are killed in their laboratory - maybe deservedly, given the cruel experiments on animals they're conducting - before moving into a talkier investigation. Eventually, our wooden heroes realise that a couple of robots have gone awry, leading to a fun, perilous climax. An early entry in the 'killer robot' sub-genre of movies, it's very dated, but perhaps that's part of the fun.
Gag
Matthew_Capitano3 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Scientists hang around the lab talking scientific stuff while they wait for the next science disaster to occur.
After awhile, it becomes evident that Constance Dowling is probably not going to dance naked on top of a table. The talking and the walking from one lab to the next continues, constantly interjected with an over-abundance of shots of scientific equipment.
The film is only about 80 minutes long, but it seems to go on for close to two hours. There is no explosive ending, only a weak scene of two old farts expounding on the promise of science in the future, followed by stock footage of a V-2 rocket arrogantly blasting off into oblivion.
Though I gagged on this mundane film, it was preferable to finding out what it would be like to 'gog' on it.
After awhile, it becomes evident that Constance Dowling is probably not going to dance naked on top of a table. The talking and the walking from one lab to the next continues, constantly interjected with an over-abundance of shots of scientific equipment.
The film is only about 80 minutes long, but it seems to go on for close to two hours. There is no explosive ending, only a weak scene of two old farts expounding on the promise of science in the future, followed by stock footage of a V-2 rocket arrogantly blasting off into oblivion.
Though I gagged on this mundane film, it was preferable to finding out what it would be like to 'gog' on it.
Gog and Magog
geg104324 March 2006
Just picked it up on DVD. This is one of a very few movies that stuck with me from my childhood. Scared the crap out of me when I was 7 years old. Great flick...even now. Part of my childhood is remembered in black and white...from all those B grade science fiction and monster movies I saw on TV and in the theaters. Growing up in NYC, I would be able to catch some of them five to six times a week on Million Dollar Movie...every night at 8 PM and twice on Saturday afternoon. The movie title comes from the bible (Ezekiel 38) and has an end-of-the-world connotation. This flick is a must see for all of us who grew up in the 50'. The other movie that effected me was Spaceship XM-7 (Blood Rust). Gog was especially awesome for its interesting robots, Gog and Magog. They were short and rolled around on hidden wheel. Se this flick...it is a part of American history.
Pleasant little science fiction thriller
Bloodwank3 January 2011
I was pleased to see Gog, after having been interested in it for some years, since I read a positive review in, if memory serves, the Radio Times Encyclopedia of Film. Watching it, it turned out that the plot elements mentioned in the review that made the film so enticing to me were in fact only revealed a fair distance into the film and that the review had more or less spoiled the big reveal, as it were. Still, having settled into the film I was just glad of the enticement to check it out, as it's a good little item, decked out in interesting concepts and solid performances. The plot centres upon an underground scientific research laboratory that comes under investigation when strange accidents fell its personnel. Seems like mere sabotage, but what's really going on...? What transpires is engagingly speculative and charmingly dated, explanation and action threaded through an inspiring joy in science. There's a good deal of scientific chat in this one and a number of interesting gadgets, to give many examples would spoil some of the turns of the film but I did rather enjoy an apparatus assembled for observing the surface of the sun. The interest in science and slightly dry tone here is down to Ivan Tors who came up with the source story. He was prolific in science fiction of this era ad a notable proponent of science fiction as a vehicle for relatively grounded speculation rather than space monsters or giant bugs. The screenplay has more chat than action for a lot of the time though, with the result that the film is slightly plodding and pacing lapses are the main problem with Gog. The acting is also rather stiff, though Richard Egan and Constance Dowling hit the right dedicated notes as the pair in charge of solving the mystery, while assorted scientists are essayed in suitably smart and buttoned up fashion by the likes of Herbert Marshall and John Wengraf. Director Herbert L. Strock brings the film together in agreeably tight fashion, with some effectively intense moments and an overall efficient claustrophobic intrigue. It all comes across nicely, just rather slight, it tightens the screws rather well at times but doesn't maintain them, the effects are handy but rarely wow making, the acting comes off but never really pops, the film just has a bit of a minor league feel to it, fun but never essential. Still, it's a good 'un by and large, definitely worth a look for anyone with an interest in B grade science fiction. So check it out!
Nice to look at science-fiction thriller, if you forgive the laughable robots
vampire_hounddog20 October 2020
In a secret underground facility in the middle of the deset in New Mexico, a large computer controls robots and the facility, but someone or something is controlling the compter to kill the scientists in the facility.
Originally filmed and shown in 3D and shot in vivid Eastmancolor, this is more thriller than science-fiction and despite its now dated silliness, it does a good job as a suspenser, so long as you are happy to go along with laughing at the comical looking robots. Of course Cold War fears play directly into the script for this second feature.
Originally filmed and shown in 3D and shot in vivid Eastmancolor, this is more thriller than science-fiction and despite its now dated silliness, it does a good job as a suspenser, so long as you are happy to go along with laughing at the comical looking robots. Of course Cold War fears play directly into the script for this second feature.
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