THE OUTRIDERS (1950)

After a year in prison, three Confederate soldiers (Barry Sullivan, James Whitmore and Joel McCrea) escape.  It doesn't take too long for them to get captured, but it's not by the Yankees but some former Confederate soldiers that have now turned bandits.  Bloodthirsty and out to kill just for the sake of killing, the bandits persuade McCrea and company into a plan to get employed by a Yankee wagon train out of Santa Fe and lead it 800 miles east into a trap.  Along the way, McCrea begins to fall for the lone female on the trip (Arlene Dahl) and starts to have second thoughts.  Finally, right as they're about to be lead into the slaughter McCrea confesses the truth, but by now it's too late.  Brilliant.

THE OUTRIDERS is too average for it's own good.  The action, the acting, the direction, the photography...all of it is just "Meh."  The story was especially predictable.  I wanted to like the film, but within 20 minutes I was already daydreaming.  Only worth a watch for hardcore Western fans.

THEM! (1954)

[Update 05/10/2022: Need rewatch this film and redo this review completely.]

One of the very first giant monster movies of the 50's, THEM! opens quite matter of factly with two cops investigating a mysterious girl found walking alone in the desert.  I really like this approach because it plays off like a mystery movie then suddenly out of nowhere...giant ants!!!  A team is assembled, including FBI agent James Arness, to locate and raid the ant nest.  They do, but not before some of the flying queen ants escape to parts unknown.  So now they have to track down the queens and kill them before the ants take over the world.

Audiences nowadays will probably be bored to tears, but movie nerds with a curiosity about classic sci-fi will get a kick out of.  I especially enjoyed seeing a young James Whitmore and a pre-"Gunsmoke" James Arness, although I do wish there had been a building crushing rampage scene like the poster promises.  Worth a one time watch.