You know, I am only 27 but I cringe when people state how bad 50's special effects were. THAT IS ALL THEY HAD, PEOPLE. What's more, audiences, having never seen anything more realistic, were flabbergasted by these very effects! They were more than adequate! In fact, the friendly Robert Osbourne on TCM informs us that one of the things that makes The Black Scorpion one of the more-watched 50's Sci-fi's is the fact that a renowned effects man, known for his work in the original King Kong , worked on this film. And to my eyes, the effects are indeed superior to many of this era/genre I have seen. This despite the fact that all of the close-ups of the scorpion are in the same place, that the wide angle shots of the creature look completely different than the ones using the puppet, etc.
Take this for what it is. Good 'ol 50's nuke horror: helping America come to terms with a nuclear reality, in this case financed by a major studio so script and acting are marginally better than most. But a fifties movie is a fifties movie, people. Don't judge it by today's standards. You've got to completely lose that framework to enjoy these things. Seen in those terms, these things are marvelous. Try watching the original Thing for a start.
Take this for what it is. Good 'ol 50's nuke horror: helping America come to terms with a nuclear reality, in this case financed by a major studio so script and acting are marginally better than most. But a fifties movie is a fifties movie, people. Don't judge it by today's standards. You've got to completely lose that framework to enjoy these things. Seen in those terms, these things are marvelous. Try watching the original Thing for a start.