Several scientists are trapped on an isolated island inhabited by giant crabs intent on destroying them.

I remember enjoying this movie when I was a kid, but what surprised me the most when my local creature feature reran it a few years later was how much I enjoyed it the second time. It was then I noticed how scary some of the concepts were, specifically the fact that the crabs absorbed the minds and memories of the humans they ate, and were able to use their voices to lure further people to their doom. I still find it enjoyable many years later, and in particular I noticed this time was how well the movie uses sound to build up suspense; the clicking sound made by the crabs is genuinely unnerving. In fact, I’ve always felt that sound can be a lot more effective than visuals in creating an atmosphere of dread and suspense. It’s these touches and the strong script by Charles B. Griffith that make this movie work; it’s certainly not the lame-looking clumsy creatures themselves. This is one of my favorites of Corman’s early films.