History Film / TheCyclops

''The Cyclops'' is a delightful bit of 1958 hokum directed [[Creator/BertIGordon Bert I. Gordon]], wherein some people crashing their plane in Mexico and encountering a giant radioactive "cyclops" (really just a dude who has half his face melted off so he only has one remaining eyeball).

Okay, so, there's a little ''more'' to it than that. Specifically, pilot Bruce Barton disappears while flying over Tarahuamare Mountains in Mexico. Three years later, his fiance Susan Winter throws together an expedition to search for him, consisting of wealthy stock speculator Marty Melville, biologist Russ Bradford and pilot Lee Brand. Disobeying orders from the Mexican government that the Tarahuamare Mountains are off limits, the gang piles into Lee's plane and flies off. During the trip, it becomes evident that Bruce Barton isn’t the sole object of Marty’s search. He’s brought a radiation-detecting device with him (which he refers to as a “scintilator”) in the hopes of locating uranium deposits so he can lay a claim, then sell the land back to the Mexicans for a huge profit. Halfway to their destination, rough winds force the plane to make an emergency landing in a narrow valley.

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Trivia/TheCyclops

* ColbertBump: The film gained some recognition thanks to Creator/JamesRolfe discussing it on [[{{Cinemassacre}} Cinemassacre]]'s ''Monster Madness'' series.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The infamous scene where the cyclops picks up Susan - and the entire background with her!

''The Cyclops'' is a delightful bit of 1957 hokum directed [[Creator/BertIGordon Bert I. Gordon]], wherein some people crashing their plane in Mexico and encountering a giant radioactive "cyclops" (really just a dude who has half his face melted off so he only has one remaining eyeball).

* ShoutOut: A few to ''Film/KingKong'', particularly the cyclops' fight with the python. Also, the fiery spear in the cyclops' eye recalls ''Film:The7thVoyageOfSinbad''.

* ShoutOut: A few to ''Film/KingKong'', particularly the cyclops' fight with the python, which is similar to Kong's battle with the plesiosaurus. Also, the fiery spear in the cyclops' eye recalls Sinbad doing the same thing in ''Film:The7thVoyageOfSinbad''.

* ShoutOut: A few to ''Film/KingKong'', particularly the cyclops' fight with the python, which is similar to Kong's battle with the plesiosaurus.

* ObstructiveBureaucrat: The governor at the beginning who refuses to allow the expedition to search for Bruce.

* NightmareFace: The cyclops' face is quite horrific for 1950s makeup, similar to Glenn Manning in the later ''Film/WarOfTheColossalBeast, also directed by Bert I. Gordon (it's even the same actor as both monsters).

* ArtisticLicenceBiology: Russ explains that the reason everything in the valley is giant is because because radiation coming off uranium is overstimulating their pituitary glands, causing their cells to never stop growing. He even says if they remain in the valley too long, ''they'll'' eventually begin turning into giants, too.

* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: In addition to the cyclops, there's also giant birds, rodents, lizards and various insects and spiders.

* EagleLand: Unavoidable, given that it's about a bunch of Americans traipsing around Mexico and ignoring their no-trespassing laws. Marty is definitely America, the Boorish, a thoroughly unpleasant, rich jerk who slugs Mexican law enforcement officers purely offhand, whilst Russ is a more measured Mixed Flavor; although be doesn't seem to understand the salesgirl he's trying to buy a magazine from doesn't understand English, he seems like he means well.

* CoolPlane: A Stinson Voyager.

''The Cyclops'' is a delightful bit of 1957 hokum directed Creator/BertIGordon, wherein some people crashing their plane in Mexico and encountering a giant radioactive "cyclops" (really just a dude who has half his face melted off so he only has one remaining eyeball).

* DirtyCoward: Marty.

Susan and Russ stumble across a giant mouse, which is then caught and eaten by an equally giant hawk. Russ speculates that radiation from the uranium deposits have caused the local wildlife to grow to gigantic proportions. Monsters or no monsters, Susan is determined to find Bruce, and the gang presses on. But the giant animals aren’t the only dangers of the valley. The biggest mutant of all is an enormous man some fifty feet tall, with one side of his face partially melted, obliterating his eye, while his remaining eye is bulbous and glaring. Seemingly unintelligent, the “cyclops” bellows, roars and grunts, and becomes hellbent on capturing the interloping humans… especially Susan, who begins suspecting a connection between the cyclops and Bruce, especially after finding the wreckage of Bruce’s plane.