Robot Monster (in 3D)

In the aftermath of the almost complete destruction of humanity, the last six humans on Earth are trying to repopulate the planet while being hunted by Ro-Man, a robot monster from outer space. Robot Monster is often hailed as the worst movie ever made, but what if it’s better appreciated as an exercise in low-budget genius? First-time filmmaker Phil Tucker, working with $16,000 and a dream, produced a 3D film that doesn’t rely on traditional 3D gimmicks, and that manages to build something resembling pathos for its antagonist, which is nonetheless played by an actor in a gorilla suit and diving helmet. A particularly astute IMDB user put it best: “1/10 stars. A masterpiece!” This new restoration by the 3-D Film Archive brings this much maligned masterpiece back to its awful and/or awe-inspiring glory. (Phil Tucker, USA, 1953, 66 min., 3D DCP)

The 3-D Film Archive was founded in 1990 by award-winning producer, author and motion picture archivist Bob Furmanek, and is the first organization dedicated to saving and preserving stereoscopic film heritage. They have located and restored original dual-strip 35mm polarized 3-D prints of more than thirty features and two dozen shorts from 1922-1955, the “Golden Age” of 3-D cinema.