Blumen des Schreckens

Ich werde nicht die Special Effects verunglimpfen – meiner Meinung nach ist das Aussehen der Trifiden in diesem Werk recht solide, in Betracht auf die Trick-Möglichkeiten im Jahr 1963, die laufenden Pflanzen sehen überhaupt nicht lächerlich. Was allerdings lächerlich wirkt, ist die Handlung, der einerseits in etlichen Szenen unheimlich naiv bis langweilig konstruiert ist und dazu noch in zwei parallele Erzählungen geteilt ist, die überhaupt nicht zusammen hängen. Die Ganze Storyline mit Kieron Moor und Janette Scott war lediglich einer Ergänzung, um den Film in die Länge zu ziehen. Deswegen läuft sie eine absolut andere Richtung, als die Novelle von John Wyndham und fabuliert ein absolut dämliches Happy End. Was die Treue der literarischen Vorlage und derer Qualität angeht, ist die britische Miniserie um aus dem Jahr 1981 Längen besser. (16.02.2019)

A total trashing of a brilliant novel that mixes all its wonderful attributes (despair, ideas, action) into the form of a standard monster B-movie, of which there were plenty at the time. Nature's tricks are turned into aliens and the intelligent protagonist into a boring macho guy. I don’t like comparing the printed versions to their audiovisual counterparts, given my sympathies usually lie with the typewriters rather than the camera, and here the result is so barbaric and rapey compared to the book that I simply can't help but make the comparison. Also, if it wasn't for the cult-like nature of the book, no one would care about the film today. It’s paradoxical that it was imprinted in the subconscious of the audience... (02.09.2007)

Poster tagline: BEWARE THE TRIFFIDS... they grow... know... walk... talk... stalk... and KILL!! To bemoan the fact that an old monster-horror film from the naive 'Golden Age of Science Fiction of the 50s and 60s' neutered John Wyndham's novel is like mocking Steven Seagal for never playing Hamlet. It's just completely pointless and counterproductive. Even in modest conditions, when they didn't have a rich studio like Universal behind them, the Brits managed to make a cheap horror film that looks more expensive than it really was, and even though some of the FX scenes have aged a lot (the plane crash), it's not a total bust. The triffids' costumes are quite fine for their time and the ending in the lighthouse tower builds up nicely. Perhaps the assistant directorial supervision of Hammer legend Freddie Francis, whose name did not appear in the credits, also contributed to the quite acceptable result. (09.12.2012)