40 Films in Robotech: Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

 

If you have never seen Mystery Science Theater 3000 or experienced a RiffTrax Live, this is the fodder for those kinds of things. A deliciously preposterous premise wrapped in a poorly executed production that’s just beggin’ to be seen…and ridiculed.

 ROBOTECH MENTION:  

The following shot which mentions several films including Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958) is from Jack McKinney’s novelization Robotech: The Macross Saga - Genesis (1987)…

 SYNOPSIS:  

Who better to steal our synopsis from than Digging Star Wars writer Phil Congleton? In his February 2023 DSW article entitled “Ants and Giants”, Phil summed up Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’s plot in one sentence: “When Nancy Fowler Archer (played by Allison Hayes)  finally breaks out in her gigantic form, she goes after her loser husband, like the Rancor went after Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi (1983).”

 AWARDS & KUDOS:  

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman received a 2023 Saturn Award nomination for Best Classic Film Home Media Release. This kitsch movie was also designated by movie reviewers in the book Cult Movies (2004) “as a movie you would be daft to miss” (p.9).

 OTHER COOL FACTS:  

The 1958 Attack of the 50 Foot Woman poster is equally iconic as the movie. Just Google it. Chances are: you’ve seen it before. I’ve spotted the poster in many different restaurants and private homes in Los Angeles.  I’ve even been gifted a pin-up Attack of the 50 Foot Woman interpretation (2014) featuring model Lavender and crafted by artist Maly Siri using oil paints and various pencils on Arches paper. 

 ROBOTECH REASON:  

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, King Kong (1933), and The Devil-Doll (1936) play on the idea of humans reaching different sizes, be they giant or micronized. In Robotech, the 50-feet tall Zentraedi aliens can go back and forth between their 50-foot tall or “normal human” heights. This film is interesting in the case of Robotech character Miriya, a skilled female Zentraedi pilot who becomes obsessed with Max Sterling, a human male pilot she cannot beat in battle. Since Miriya can’t beat Max in her 50-foot Zendtraedi form, she reduces herself to human size to confront and kill him. Common theme between Robotech and AOT50FW? Female "resizing" with the intent to kill.

To read my ⭐⭐ (out of a possible 5 star) rating for Attack of the 50 Foot Woman on Letterboxd, click here.

But wait - there's more! Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is the 30th film in the 40 Films in Robotech! We've got just 10 more films to go. Here's a recap of what we've covered so far:  

• Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
• King Kong (1933)
• Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
• Shane (1953)
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
• Dracula (1933)
• Creature with the Blue Hand (1967)
• Alien (1979)
• Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars (1981)
• Network (1976)
• Destry Rides Again (1939)
• The Shape of Things To Come (1979)
• THX 1138 (1971)
• Superman (1978)
• A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
• Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
• All About Eve (1950) / (Not) Alone (2025) 
• The Wizard of Oz (1982)
• Julius Caesar (1953)
• Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
• Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid (1957)
• The Blue Angel (1930)
• Hello-Goodbye (1970)
• One Touch of Venus (1940)
• Cinderella (1950)
• The Devil-Doll (1936)
• Sabu and Ichi's Detective Stories (1981)
• Cabaret (1972)
• Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1979)
• New in 2025! 40 Films In Robotech

You can also view this list on LETTERBOXD and see other reviews of these films.