"They’re large, huge, prehistoric. Covered with scales and covered with slime."
Los Angeles has been invaded by a subterranean race of reptile-like monsters. They have been named slime people. They have encircled Los Angeles with a solidified wall of fog. Nothing goes in and nothing comes out, except one airplane that managed to fly under the fog wall. Unaware of the invasion the pilot, Tom Gregory (Robert Hutton), finds the airport and surrounding area deserted. He tries to make a phone call but communications are down.
A car pulls up with Professor Galbraith (Robert Burton) and his two daughters Lisa (Susan Hart) and Bonnie (Judee Morton). They were unable to evacuate before the fog wall went up and are now stuck. The professor explains to Tom what they heard over the radio about the slime people. Since they never saw the creatures and know nothing about them, the group decides to go to the TV station to see if they can garner more information. They find a tape with a report about the monsters.
It is believed that the creatures have always been around but that underground testing forced them to come above ground. The slime people are humanoid and attack by killing people with spears and somehow manage to defeat the Army. They are trying to reduce the ambient temperature above ground so that they can survive on the surface. While viewing the film they are attacked by a couple looters. In trying to escape the looters and the slime people they run into another stranded person, Cal Johnson (William Boyce). He is a marine who got separated from his unit and stuck behind the wall of fog when he was knocked unconscious.
While out getting supplies they run into Norman Tolliver (Les Tremayne), an author and disbeliever. They take him along. Now it is up to our small band of heroes to figure out how to save Los Angeles from the slime people. Something the entire United States Armed Forces could not do.
"The Slime People" was released in 1963 and was directed by Robert Hutton. Yea, it’s bad. Les Tremayne as Norman Tolliver is the best actor in the movie. And even he was bad. The director also stars in the movie, and he is bad. The girls over act and they are bad.
On the other hand, the slime people themselves were not that bad. Which is good because the first thing you see is a slime person’s full face. The invasion is already in full force. Different than normal. Usually movies make you wait till at least half way through before you get to the monster. Not bad. The main problem here is that most of the movie is in fog. You can’t even see the people half the time. And their main objective is to get through the wall of fog. So they are at the wall of fog a lot.
The movie has been trashed a lot. Some of it deservedly. It would have been better with a lot less fog but the slime people themselves look decent. And the sound they made was kinda cool sounding so I was OK with that. For a low budget creature feature it’ll do. If you like 50’s schlock and don’t mind bad acting you may want to at least see it once. I'm afraid this one too has a cult following.