The Mole People Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

The Mole People Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 27, 2019

1956’s “The Mole People” is a little hesitant to make a swan dive into sci-fi/horror, opening with expert testimony from a USC English professor who sets the scene by sharing bits of foolish science concerning activity occurring at the center of the Earth. Such mistakes and myth are used to lubricate audience passage into the realm of “The Mole People,” which is pure silliness, but the production seems very concerned with establishing some type of archeological authenticity before it brings out a parade of whip-slinging albinos and the creatures from the depths they’ve enslaved.

“The Mole People” is talky endeavor, with stars John Agar and Hugh Beaumont portraying educated men of adventure making an incredible discovery of subterranean life. It’s an exposition-heavy effort, working to sell science instead of suspense, but the screenplay does manage to offer compelling confrontations between the men and a community of albinos who’ve maintained an underground kingdom. “The Mole People” is largely concerned with action around dimly lit tunnels and softer time between Agar’s character and a local normie (Cynthia Patrick) who’s remains perfectly human among the literal white people. Their romantic intent is shoehorned into the picture, which is more interesting detailing hostilities and local myth, while the creatures enjoy a crude but neat effect that finds them popping in and out of the ground for faster travel.

The Mole People Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image presentation actually offers two aspect ratios for "The Mole People," providing 1.84:1 and 2.00:1 versions of the same feature, with masking preferences separating the viewing experiences. There's plenty of wear and tear on display, keeping the viewing experience littered with mild scratches and speckling, and some brief single-frame damage is detected. Detail is adequate, surveying sweaty faces and albino make-up, while the monsters retain their rubbery appearance. Matte paintings and studio sets are soft but remain open for survey. Costumes provide light texture. Delineation satisfies, dealing with an effort that uses a lot of darkness to set the subterranean mood. Grain is quite heavy and thick, somewhat unnaturally so.

The Mole People Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA shows more obvious signs of age, with mild hiss and crackling detected throughout the listening event. Dialogue exchanges hit a few patches of muddiness, but clarity is there, securing the feature's extensive exposition and heated exchange between man and mole people. Scoring is defined adequately, offering surges of support during battle sequences.

The Mole People Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features Tom Weaver, David Schecter, and Jan Alan Henderson.

• "Of Mushrooms and Madmen" (18:40, HD) is the making-of for "The Mole People," gathering a handful of film historians and enthusiasts to discuss the creation of the 1956 production. Concentration is placed on producer William Alland, the man behind Universal's sci- fi/horror push through the 1950s, with the executive weathering an industry drive to use more stock footage in their features. The saga of editor Virgil Vogel is recounted, making his directorial debut with the picture after years spent whipping Universal releases into shape. Casting is covered, highlighting the professional needs of contract stars, and creature design is shared, including a reveal that balled up newspapers were used to create monster humps. Also of interest is a brief overview concerning the execution of the mole pit effects. The interviewees explore the saucy content of "The Mole People," and mention its altered ending. Theatrical release success is examined as well.

• "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (92:00, SD) is a 1997 episode of the classic movie riff show, where Mike and the Bots take on the wonders of "The Mole People."

• Still Gallery (4:33) collects poster art, lobby cards, newspaper ads, and pages from a publicity booklet.

• Photo Gallery (4:16) offers publicity stills and BTS snaps.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:00, SD) is included.

The Mole People Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Mole People" deserves credit for keeping a straight face, committed to its own math as it manages men in rubber suits and offers loopy bits of world history. However sluggish early scenes are, "The Mole People" does achieve some momentum, leading to a curiously blunt ending that's memorable, giving viewers some shock value as a reward for being patient with the feature's relatively uneventful first half.