Moments of Pure Cinema Fusion :: Bert I. Gordon's Jerks Do the Monkey : Village of the Giants (1965)

By definition, nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple like-charged atomic particles join together to form a heavier nucleus -- usually accompanied by the release of a massive amount of energy, depending on the elements involved. Applying that theory to film, there are certain moments in certain movies when the direction, cinematography, acting, editing, and soundtrack collide and merge into something I like to call Moments of Pure Cinema Fusion.


And here we have, perhaps, the absolute gob-smacking zenith of Bert I. Gordon's traveling-matte and forced-perspective fueled stoopidity, powered by the thundering and pounding licks of Jack Nitzche's "The Last Race."

Of course, it doesn't hurt your cause when you got Joy Harmon, Tisha Sterling and Gail Gilmore bouncing around like that for the boys, and Beau Bridges and Robert Random shaking their thang for the ladies.

Credit where credit is due:
Director: Bert I. Gordon / Screenplay: Bert I. Gordon, Allen Calliou / Cinematography: Paul Vogel / Editing: John Bushelmen / Original Music: Jack Nitzche / Cast: Beau Bridges, Joy Harmon, Tisha Sterling, Tommy Kirk