The best of the B movies attempt to wrestle with Big Issues, such as "Should we give an alien species a chance to communicate its wisdom before we blast it to smithereens?" Many of them also have the name "Corman" attached to them. And they simply have to have a giant creature staggering around in a foam suit. "Night of the Blood Beast" (1958) has all this and so very much more.

After the corpse of the astronaut is recovered from the wreckage of his rocketship, it's mysteriously revived by the alien life-form that hitched a ride to Earth and filled the astronaut's blood with miniature versions of itself. The man's resurrection poses an ethical question for the friends and colleagues who are stuck with him—should they neutralize the potential threat posed by the blood-invading alien? Or should they listen to the human host of the creepy alien blood babies and let their otherworldly visitor explain itself first? In perfect B-movie style, the debate is about as penetrating as the alien's costume is convincing. Since the alien murders and absorbs the mind of their buddy, Dr. Wyman, the assorted colleagues are too touchy to sincerely engage in a rational discussion.

Regarding the other two elements of a quality B pic: The Corman who masterminded this sci-fi gem wasn't "King of the Bs" Roger, it was Gene, his brother—but fear not. It's delightfully awful just the same. And the foam costume? It was such a keeper for the Blood Beast, the same actor (Ross Sturlin) donned it again for a turn in "Teenage Cave Man" (1958), a fine Roger Corman production.