From Hell it Came, Tree Stump Horror

We've all heard elite lunatics claim to be the reincarnation of Napoleon, or Joan of Arc, or even a majestic eagle soaring through the skies. Yep! How about us schmucks, what will we come back as? After all, you're no Princess Diana or Gandhi... nope, us schmucks will come back as something a bit less awe inspiring, say...a tree stump! Hence 1957's "From Hell it Came."

Proud warrior Kimo (Gregg Palmer) is being executed on false charges of treason. Chief-wannabe Tano (Robert Swan) has already stolen Kimo's wife Korey (Suzanne Ridgway) and has a ceremonial dagger driven into his heart and then buried. Three boring and incompetent Americans are working on the island diagnosing the effects of recent atom bomb tests on the islanders. Bill (Tod Andrews) is one of the scientists and doesn't appear to have any use on these experiments. He is sweet on the sultry...okay, not too sultry...okay rather frumpy scientist Terry (Tina Carver). She has no interest in Bill, which seems to be a break for Bill because the island women are very nice. Fine... back to the plot.

Out of Kimo's coffin grows a tree stump. The inept scientists cut its roots and bring it back to the lab for evaluation. They go to sleep... idiots... and when they wake the stump is gone. The monster stump, Kimo reincarnated, still with a dagger in its chest, goes on a killing spree on those tribesmen and women who had a hand in his execution. Here we'll see many island lovelies in alluring island outfits running for their lives as stump-man chases them. He's slow, but you know dames, they always twist their ankles when running away. Now the inept American non-essential employees /scientists are eager to help the islanders kill the stump-man.

Will Bill get off his crush on the frumpy Terry and take up with a nubile island lovely? Will stump man kill his two-timing wife and take up with the tree-stump-like Terry? Is there any other film that captures the essence of the South Pacific islanders, their plights and struggles, better than "From Hell it Came"? Enjoy this 1950s B movie, directed by Dan Milner, with some very imaginative and fun creature effects.