Teenage Cave Man
| Teenage Cave Man | |
|---|---|
 film poster by Reynold Brown |
|
| Directed by | Roger Corman |
| Produced by | Roger Corman |
| Written by | R. Wright Campbell |
| Starring | Robert Vaughn Darah Marshall |
| Music by | Albert Glasser |
| Cinematography | Floyd Crosby |
| Editing by | Irene Morra |
| Distributed by | AIP |
| Release date(s) | July 1958 |
| Running time | 65 min. |
| Country | U.S.A. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $70,000[1] |
Teenage Cave Man is a 1958 science fiction film directed by Roger Corman. It was shot as Prehistoric World, but was changed by American International Pictures to its final title (in the UK it was known as Out of the Darkness). Years later in an interview, Corman stated "I never directed a film called Teenage Caveman".[2] Lead actor Robert Vaughn has stated in an interview that he considered it to be the worst film ever made.[2] The film was later featured on the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Plot [edit]
The story revolves around a tribe of primitives in a barren wasteland who struggle to survive, despite a lush environment just on the other side of a nearby river; they refuse to cross the river because of an ancient tale which warns of a god lurking on the other side, who brings death with a touch. A young man of the tribe decides to challenge the law, eventually leading the tribe to follow him across the river and confront the "god": a horribly burnt humanlike giant. Despite the young man's attempts to make peace, the tribe stones the giant to death. In the denouement in a voice-over by the giant after his death, the truth is revealed: the hideous figure is actually the last survivor of an ancient nuclear holocaust. Surviving due to his radiation suit, he wandered across the land as humanity slowly rebuilt itself, his terrible appearance causing everyone to fear and shun him. The final message of the movie is this: would humanity repeat its mistake?
Notes [edit]
- ^ Alan Frank, The Films of Alan Frank: Shooting My Way Out of Trouble, Bath Press, 1998 p 67
- ^ a b Trivia for Teenage Cave Man at the Internet Movie Database
