Monolith Monsters [VHS]
First off, be advised that theMonolith Monstersare not really monsters in the conventional sense (meaning a guy in a hideous rubber suit wreaking havoc).  That having been said, this is still a very effective, standout Fifties sci-fi film.  A meteor crashes near a desert town, and the fragments of the meteor crystallize very quickly when exposed to water.  They also suck the moisture from humans, turning them stiff as boards.  The rocks (black and shiny, like obsidian) grow to great heights and fall over from their own weight, with each shard of the rock starting the process over again.   Of course, a thunderstorm accelerates everything.  It's up to the townspeople to stop the advance of the menace before it overruns everything.  Based on a story by Jack Arnold (director ofCreature from the Black Lagoon),Monolith's production values are very good for the time, with the huge, menacing black rocks  sometimes resembling the Chrysler Building. There are plenty of recognizable character actors to be seen, and a sense of pacing and tension that's above average for the genre.  With its inventive premise,The Monolith Monstersis quite a bit better than the usual cheapo drive-in sci-fi from the mid-Fifties.--Jerry Renshaw