4D Man (1959)

4D Man an Atomic Age B-grade science fiction film, with several familiar names (future Star Trek actors) Robert Lansing and Lee Meriwether By today's standards it is not what you would call horror but there are still some great murder scenarios and a curious jazz score. For a low budget movie, this campy cult classic is a delight! It has decent production values, with some very inventive, practical & visually effective special effects for a movie of 1959! Yes you can throw practical science out the window, and it can be a little cornball at times, but with a great villain and cheesy lines, isn’t that what we love about B flicks, right? Definitely take a chance on it.

Robert Lansing ("Scott") and his brother "Tony" (James Congdon) are working on a secret formula that would make even "Rumpelstiltskin" blush. After some initial success with a pencil and block of steel, the older brother soon discovers that he can walk through walls, doors - but at a great price. The energy required to perform these feats causes him to age - and the only way he can arrest that ageing process is to, well, "borrow" the years from those around him... The completely fanciful premiss is actually quite fun, but the acting from Lansing and a really weak Lee Meriwether as the shared love interest "Lee" really does let this down quite badly. The visual effects are not half bad for 1959 and though certainly not a film you will ever remember afterwards, it's amusing enough once it finally gets to the sharp end (after about 45 minutes).