So, anyway, this group of scientists and a couple of navy people (I guess I mean they’re in the Navy, not that they’re a deep shade of blue) journey to a remote island because the previous scientific expedition has gone missing. They’re befuddled by the mysterious disappearances, having failed to examine the poster for the movie they’re in. This is what it purports to be, which is a B-horror film from a young Roger Corman. This is one of nine movies Corman turned out in 1957, so it’s a rush job, all clearly shot on about three locations. It’s a weird movie and kind of turns into an Agatha Christie job as our heroic cast starts getting bumped off one by one; giant crabs, you know, having a sense of the dramatic and being surprisingly stealthy. There are plot holes, of course; at one point one of the crabs sabotages a radio (don’t ask), but the dialogue says explicitly that it was incredibly detailed work that the crabs simply couldn’t have done. Anyway, the crabs are also telepathic and consume the consciousnesses of their victims. Okay, clear? There are a couple of early Cormans that I do highly recommend and I’ll be talking about those shortly, but this one, while it does have some goofy moments, is pretty slow and low energy. Believe it or not, this one isn’t gonzo enough in my opinion, though opinions may differ. It’s not a must see, but it has pleasures. 2 ½ stars.
tl;dr – title represents movie perfectly as scientists are murdered by giant intelligent crabs; some wacky moments, but also pretty slow and low energy. 2 ½ stars.