Salutations,
I got one for everyone that has had me going nuts for YEARS!!!
All I can remember for sure that it involved British or German soldiers during a war I just don't recall.
They were being preyed on by what I remember to be giant crab-like creatures (Yeah…that's right. Crab-like creatures). Why were the monster(s) there? I don't remember.
I remember one particular scene where a group of soldiers come upon a victim of said creatures & one of them vomits in disgust at the sight. That's all I remember, that & the poster which I believe was all black except for the eyes of the creature glowing in the dark….I think.
I don't even remember if it was in color or black & white but I'm leaning towards b&w.
The film traumatized me then & while I think I'm pretty much over it, I haven't seen it since (I saw it on the big screen by the way with my dad somewhere between '69-'73. I know that's a big time span but I'm pretty sure it was in there 'cuz I started going to the movies with my dad in '68 & I'm pretty sure it wasn't that year) so who knows?? I might just shrink into the fetal position if I got a chance to see it again.
I'm not sure I wanna do that but I do need to find out the name of the picture so if anyone out there has any idea what it is…then lemme know & free me of this torture!!!
By the way, this is the greatest website ever. I just thought I oughta throw that in. Thanx for rehashing the worst memories of my celluloid childhood.
Sanjr
Based on the description of the poster, it might be The Black Scorpion from 1957. Attack of the Giant Crabs also comes to mind, but the military angle has me leaning toward Mysterious Island from 1961.
Mind you, I haven't seen any of these movies — I'm just going off of half-remembered synopses.
Port Sinister (1953) featured giant crabs, and was in black and white, but I can't recall much else. Hammer's The Lost Continent (1968) also had the crabs, but was in colour; this latter flick is absolutely batshit-insane, and should be seen by everyone on the planet.
Thanks so much guys for your effort so far but it definetely wasn't "The Black Scorpion", "Attack Of The Giant Crabs", "Mysterious Island" or "The Lost Continent". Though I gotta admit "The Black Scorpion" had the same kind of poster I described. And you are absolutely right Kahotep about "The Lost Continent". That is one whacked out flick & the "Vagina Dentata" creature that's kept on the ship really creeped me out back in the day. As a matter of fact it still does. I saw that one theatrically back in the day & was terrified when I saw that thing. I have never heard of "Port Sinister" so I'm gonna investigate that one although I think the release year is way too early. But who knows?? I will follow up once I see it. In the interim…Thanks for all the help so far!! It is appreciated.
I'm wondering if your memories aren't mingling? "Soldiers" and "crabs" makes me think of Ray Harryhausen's giant crab from "Mysterious Island," even if the victims were Civil War soldiers…and then there's Chrissy's unfortunate remains in "Jaws," swarming with crabs as Deputy Hendricks loses his lunch upon discovering them. (I seem to recall "Mysterious" got a theatrical re-release in the '70s, to boot.)
Other crab-monster movies include "Island Claws" (no soldiers or anything like that, though), and "Space Ameoba," a Japanese giant-monster flick featuring a turtle, squid, and rock crab made huge by an alien force.
…And then, there's "Godzilla vs The Sea Monster," with a giant screeching lobster that skewers and eats helpless natives held captive by heavily-armed militant terrorists!
Oh, DERP, you've already discounted "Mysterious Island." Sorry. I need to stop typing at five in the morning, seriously.
Attack of the Crab Monsters?