‘From time unborn… a hideous she-thing!’
Terror from the Year 5000 is a 1958 American sci-fi horror film about scientists that build a time machine to snatch objects from the past. But little do they know that 20th century objects put in the machine seem to be traded for analogous future objects by intelligent life. Promoted as Terror from the Year 5,000
The movie was written, produced and directed by Robert J. Gurney Jr. It is based (uncredited) on the short story ‘Bottle Baby’ by Henry Slesar.
The movie stars Ward Costello (Star Trek: The Next Generation; Bloody Birthday), Joyce Holden (The Werewolf), Frederic Downs (Bug; Night Gallery; The Addams Family), John Stratton, Salome Jens (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Tales from the Crypt; House of Evil; Seconds), Fred Herrich, Beatrice Furdeaux , Jack Diamond, Fred Taylor, Bill Downs and William Cost.
Editor Dede Allen went on to have a noteworthy career editing mainstream Hollywood hits such as The Hustler, Bonnie and Clyde, Little Big Man, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Reds.
American International Pictures released the film in the US as a double feature with The Screaming Skull. In the UK, it was released in a BBFC censored ‘X’ certificate version by Anglo Amalgamated as Cage of Doom.
Plot:
Working in the privacy of his Florida island estate, nuclear physicist Professor Howard Erling constructs a machine that breaks the time barrier. With his assistant Victor, Howard conducts several experiments and successfully transports a small statue from the future.
Concerned over the vast amounts of energy needed to conduct the experiments and realizing that their unique work needs formal verification from another professional, Howard calls a halt to the research, despite Victor’s protests. The statue is then sent to premiere archaeologist Robert Hedges, who runs a carbon dating test on it and discovers it comes from the year 5,000 A.D…
” …the film doesn’t know what to do with its own ideas. The meandering and talky screenplay is most concerned with verifying the fact that the time machine works and with establishing a love triangle. Contemporary viewers must have squirmed in their seats wondering if the “terror” would ever show.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers book
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“The film is crudely photographed, with no noticeable interest in continuity and little attempt at convincing settings.” BFI Monthly Film Bulletin, 1958
“Terror is only adequate in terms of production; a few of the actors do fairly good work; there’s a hangdog air to the whole movie. Most audiences probably found it of little interest, but I don’t think it deserves to be completely overlooked. It has some imagination in its conception and enterprise in its execution.” Bill Warren, Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties book
“…intriguing, if clumsily mounted Science Fiction thriller.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction book
Filming locations:
Dade County, Florida
Film Facts:
The working title was The Girl from 5000 A.D.
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Trailer:
Free online on YouTube:
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