Starman, Vol. 1 - Attack from Space / Evil Brain from Outer Space
Sci-fi enthusiasts from the baby-boom generation are sure to get a solid  dose of nostalgia from this double bill of surreal adventures featuring Starman,  who fought interplanetary evil on late-night TV in America during the mid-'60s  and beyond. Known as Super Giant in his native Japan, the cowled crusader was  featured in four 80-minute films that were culled from nine featurettes produced  by the Shintoho Company (an offshoot of Toho) in 1957-58. Starman's trademark  blend of frantic action and primitive special effects are on display in both  features (the second and fourth in the series), which pit Starman against  diabolical invaders (inAttack from Space) and an alien brain's mutant  henchmen (Evil Brain from Outer Space). Kids may find the goings-on  alternately corny and disturbing (the mutants are scary, and Starman racks up a  considerable body count), but old-school monster movie fans will relish this  chance to catch up with an old pal.––Paul Gaita