1961·Horror·54m
7.0
★
A refugee Soviet scientist arrives at a desert airport carrying secret documents, but is attacked by a pair of KGB assassins and escapes into the desert, where he comes in range of an American nuclear test and is transformed into a mindless killing beast.
Directed by Coleman Francis
monster
nuclear bomb
killer
nuclear testing
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Tor Johnson
Joseph Javorsky
Larry Aten
Patrolman Joe Dobson
Coleman Francis
Narrator / Gas Station Attendant / Newspaper Customer
Conrad Brooks
Man at Airfield
Crew
Coleman Francis
Director
Coleman Francis
Writer
Coleman Francis
Editor
Coleman Francis
Producer
Larry Aten
Makeup Artist
Larry Aten
Associate Producer
Popular Reviews
10 reviews
JPA
2.3★ · 06/21/25
23
I feel bad for the actor who had to play the Beast without a Beast costume.
I feel bad for the actor who had to play the Beast without a Beast costume.
23
I feel bad for the actor who had to play the Beast without a Beast costume.
I feel bad for the actor who had to play the Beast without a Beast costume.
Jake McCoy
Coleman Francis was truly the Neil Breen of his time.
“Flag on the moon, how did it get there”
“Flag on the moon, how did it get there”
Coleman Francis was truly the Neil Breen of his time.
“Flag on the moon, how did it get there”
“Flag on the moon, how did it get there”
Vincent
1.3★ · 03/21/25
the way i can tell this movie was in production hell just because every single line was dubbed over so all the shots had to be skewered and not show anyone actually speaking. This was so bad and if you asked me the plot or what happened i really cannot give you an answer LOL
the way i can tell this movie was in production hell just because every single line was dubbed over so all the shots had to be skewered and not show anyone actually speaking. This was so bad and if you asked me the plot or what happened i really cannot give you an answer LOL
Skipp
2.0★ · 12/28/24
“Show don’t tell? What kind of nonsense is that?” is something director Coleman Francis probably told himself.
Recently it was reported that Netflix was telling screenwriters that characters need to present what they’re doing in such a way that people not paying attention could follow along to. While I find this inherently concerning, it also tells me that Coleman Francis might just have been too far ahead of his time. The Beast of Yucca Flats, Coleman’s persevering work in his catalog, leaves little for a viewer to figure out on his own, mainly because the narration is constantly telling you what is going on. The Beast (Tor Johnson) sulks around the desert and occasionally silently strangles someone for the entire runtime of fifty-four minutes. No one else speaks unless the camera is far away or the shot obscured by darkness, because it’s cheaper to dub that sort of thing in post. Part of the killing even takes place before Johnson becomes the Beast, as Francis uses the not-good-filmmaker’s easiest weapon for eyes on their film - the nudity of a woman.
It’s only when the Beast dies that Johnson shows a semblance of acting talent, taking the improv moment of holding a nearby jackrabbit to give the audience a slight sliver of empathy for his character. Even then, that is too little too late. I can only wonder how much of its $34,000 budget (or about $360,000 today) this film made back. Must have been enough for Francis to keep making this sort of thing, and that’s a shame.
Recently it was reported that Netflix was telling screenwriters that characters need to present what they’re doing in such a way that people not paying attention could follow along to. While I find this inherently concerning, it also tells me that Coleman Francis might just have been too far ahead of his time. The Beast of Yucca Flats, Coleman’s persevering work in his catalog, leaves little for a viewer to figure out on his own, mainly because the narration is constantly telling you what is going on. The Beast (Tor Johnson) sulks around the desert and occasionally silently strangles someone for the entire runtime of fifty-four minutes. No one else speaks unless the camera is far away or the shot obscured by darkness, because it’s cheaper to dub that sort of thing in post. Part of the killing even takes place before Johnson becomes the Beast, as Francis uses the not-good-filmmaker’s easiest weapon for eyes on their film - the nudity of a woman.
It’s only when the Beast dies that Johnson shows a semblance of acting talent, taking the improv moment of holding a nearby jackrabbit to give the audience a slight sliver of empathy for his character. Even then, that is too little too late. I can only wonder how much of its $34,000 budget (or about $360,000 today) this film made back. Must have been enough for Francis to keep making this sort of thing, and that’s a shame.
“Show don’t tell? What kind of nonsense is that?” is something director Coleman Francis probably told himself.
Recently it was reported that Netflix was telling screenwriters that characters need to present what they’re doing in such a way that people not paying attention could follow along to. While I find this inherently concerning, it also tells me that Coleman Francis might just have been too far ahead of his time. The Beast of Yucca Flats, Coleman’s persevering work in his catalog, leaves little for a viewer to figure out on his own, mainly because the narration is constantly telling you what is going on. The Beast (Tor Johnson) sulks around the desert and occasionally silently strangles someone for the entire runtime of fifty-four minutes. No one else speaks unless the camera is far away or the shot obscured by darkness, because it’s cheaper to dub that sort of thing in post. Part of the killing even takes place before Johnson becomes the Beast, as Francis uses the not-good-filmmaker’s easiest weapon for eyes on their film - the nudity of a woman.
It’s only when the Beast dies that Johnson shows a semblance of acting talent, taking the improv moment of holding a nearby jackrabbit to give the audience a slight sliver of empathy for his character. Even then, that is too little too late. I can only wonder how much of its $34,000 budget (or about $360,000 today) this film made back. Must have been enough for Francis to keep making this sort of thing, and that’s a shame.
Recently it was reported that Netflix was telling screenwriters that characters need to present what they’re doing in such a way that people not paying attention could follow along to. While I find this inherently concerning, it also tells me that Coleman Francis might just have been too far ahead of his time. The Beast of Yucca Flats, Coleman’s persevering work in his catalog, leaves little for a viewer to figure out on his own, mainly because the narration is constantly telling you what is going on. The Beast (Tor Johnson) sulks around the desert and occasionally silently strangles someone for the entire runtime of fifty-four minutes. No one else speaks unless the camera is far away or the shot obscured by darkness, because it’s cheaper to dub that sort of thing in post. Part of the killing even takes place before Johnson becomes the Beast, as Francis uses the not-good-filmmaker’s easiest weapon for eyes on their film - the nudity of a woman.
It’s only when the Beast dies that Johnson shows a semblance of acting talent, taking the improv moment of holding a nearby jackrabbit to give the audience a slight sliver of empathy for his character. Even then, that is too little too late. I can only wonder how much of its $34,000 budget (or about $360,000 today) this film made back. Must have been enough for Francis to keep making this sort of thing, and that’s a shame.
va24mar
1.0★ · 10/14/19
Hooptober 6/6/6 #20
6 films from before 1966: 5/6
This film has barely any story and the “Beast” is just dumb. You hear that they shot it without sound and added the few dialogues and the other sounds in post-production. Most of the time there is just a weird narration and silence
6 films from before 1966: 5/6
This film has barely any story and the “Beast” is just dumb. You hear that they shot it without sound and added the few dialogues and the other sounds in post-production. Most of the time there is just a weird narration and silence
Hooptober 6/6/6 #20
6 films from before 1966: 5/6
This film has barely any story and the “Beast” is just dumb. You hear that they shot it without sound and added the few dialogues and the other sounds in post-production. Most of the time there is just a weird narration and silence
6 films from before 1966: 5/6
This film has barely any story and the “Beast” is just dumb. You hear that they shot it without sound and added the few dialogues and the other sounds in post-production. Most of the time there is just a weird narration and silence