Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

buckikris Janice Starling Industries is a cosmetics company formed by Janice Starling( Susan Cabot), in her early twenties. Now in her forties she has noticed her company sales have fallen. In the board meeting she explains that sales have fallen 14.5 % since the last fiscal quarter. A couple of board members Arthur Cooper( William Roerick) & Bill Lane ( Anthony Eisley) tell her that the company needs something new. A new spokeswoman perhaps, because users have lost faith in her brand. Starling Cosmetics represent youthfulness, but when buyer she Janice now her appearance is no longer youthful. According to Lane and Cooper the buyer feels like they have been cheated. When Janice hears this she realizes she needs to do something, before her company loses anymore money. One of Janice's secretaries, Mary( Barbara Morris) informs her a Dr. Zinthrop( Michael Roerick) is there to see her. Before Zinthrop's appointment she needs to talk with Arthur.She calls Arthur in to ask him about Wasp Jelly. She wants his opinion on the enzymes extracted from the wasp; and what they might do to preserve beauty. She is looking for that wonder product of youth, a so called miracle beauty cream. She brings in Mr. Zinthrop, where he shows her a formula that makes animals young again. When she sees this she can't believe it. Janice insists that she become his first human test subject. Zinthrop is nothing more than a con-artist and mad scientist. She is excited he he agrees and works out a contract with him. When Bill Lane comes in he talks to Mary, one of her secretaries. He wants Mary to spy on her; because he believes Zinthrop is dangerous.The next morning Janice comes in and finds Zinthrop working in the lab. He has decided it's time to give her her first injection. He injects her with the wasp enzyme, and this is the first in a series of injections. Mary is snooping around her desk and notices something. It is a check from Starling Industries to Zinthrop for wasp enzymes. While Mary is doing her P.I. work, Janice is undergoing her treatments. When Zinthorp looks at her, he tells her she looks 5 years younger. In the meantime Mary meets up with Arthur and Lane for Lunch. She explains whats going on in the office, and believe Janice is being taken. The three of them believe what he is doing is dangerous; but finding a way to break the news to her will be difficult. When Janice hears the news from Zinthrop she starts to seek into to the lab and inject herself.The next morning when Janice arrives for work, her other secretary Maureen notices a massive change in her appearance. Maureen can't believe it, Janice looks 25 years younger. Janice is so enthused by this she can't wait to tell Zinthrop what his treatments have done.Zinthrop returns to his lab and notices an awful reaction from the enzymes have changed his cat into something vicious. He realizes that he needs to stop his reckless experiments. When he leaves he is accidentally struck by a car. By this time Janice has notices some strange effects, but brushes them off at first. Then Janice's finds out the Mary has been spying on her. She realizes Mary has been talking to Lane and Cooper about Zinthrop. The Janice finds out Zinthorp has been in critical condition from being hit by a car. She tell Cooper he can run the Lab while Zinthorp is recovering. That night Cooper finds Zinthorp's work, his papers, and he is fascinated. That night in the lab Cooper is attacked by Janice. She has turms into a Wasp Woman due to this treatment. It is something she cannot control, anytime she can turn into a killer wasp. She kills Cooper, the nightwatchman, and Zinthorpe's nurse. Janice is now fully transformed into a Wasp. When Lane and Mary discover Zinthorpe, he tells Lane not to let Janice take anymore injections. He discovered a bad reaction with his cat, that turned it into a vicious monster.Janice finds out that Mary and Lane are still in the building. Mary goes to look for her, unaware of her transformations. When Lane finds out Mary has gone to look for Janice alone. Lane and Zinthorpe rush up to the lab only to find out Janice is fully transformed. A fight ensues with Lane fighting Janice off and Zinthorps throwing acid on her, eventually killing her.In conclusion, it's not a bad film. It is one of those classic 50's Sy-Fy films that's kind of cheesy, but fun.

JohnHowardReid Copyright 1959 by The Filmgroup/Santa Cruz. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release through The Filmgroup: October 1959. U.K. release through Grand National: March 1960. Banned in Australia. 73 minutes. Censored in the U.K. to 62 minutes. SYNOPSIS: The success of a leading cosmetics film has been built on the personal beauty of the firm's founder, but now that Miss Starlin is approaching forty, sales are falling. In desperation she turns to a scientist who claims to have perfected a formula of youth extracted from wasp enzymes.COMMENT: Although it starts slowly, The Wasp Woman gradually builds up into a suspenseful little shocker. True, the wasp make-up is not always particularly convincing, but otherwise the effects reveal considerable skill. In Miss Cabot's case, this expertise is ably abetted by skilful lighting and brooding camerawork. Katz's waspy music score also rates as a major contribution. Corman capably makes the most of an obviously limited budget. His slow pacing of the earlier scenes reaps its reward in a really stunning climax. Susan Cabot's admirable portrait of an executive under pressure is disarmingly realistic. The other players are suitably supportive, though Corman himself as a silent (at least on the screen) if patient investigator holds up the action.

ofpsmith Janice Starlin (Susan Cabot) is the owner of a cosmetics company whose prices are falling. Executive Bill Lane (Fred Eisley) tells her this is because of her aging looks...because that's how you get a bonus at Christmas, right? Anyhow, at the same time this is going on a scientist named Dr. Eric Zinthrop has been working on a serum which reverses the aging process. Might this be the ideal solution? Janice helps fund Zinthrop's efforts to perfect his work, then uses herself as a human test subject. It works, and she easily sheds 20 years. Unfortunately it has a side effect. It turns her into a woman with a wasp's head...exactly twice. Then she dies after falling out a window. Ironically The Wasp Woman has little or no wasp woman it. This might be excused if the characters or story were interesting, but most of the movie is just executives talking about things that we don't really care about. I don't really recommend it because it's pretty boring and doesn't even get the benefit of enjoyably bad.

Red-Barracuda For many years I had been aware of The Wasp Woman from its iconic poster, which showed a gigantic wasp with a seductive woman's head, attacking an unfortunate man. In keeping the best traditions of 50's exploitation cinema, this poster looks great while reflecting the content of the actual film in no way whatsoever! The wasp woman of the title is, unfortunately, no more than a lady in what amounts to a Halloween mask. So from that perspective The Wasp Woman is a little disappointing. But no matter because, overall, this one actually turns out to be one of the better sci-fi horror cheapies from the late 50's. Its story has a crazed scientist developing an enzyme derived from wasps which when used on a subject, makes them look much more youthful. He sells his idea to a female cosmetics magnate who insists on testing it out on herself first. All begins well but things deteriorate and she turns into the killer creature known as the wasp woman.What this one has on its side is entertaining and fast-paced direction from Roger Corman and a very good central performance from Susan Cabot. Her character is a little more interesting and believable than you normally get in these types of pics. She is a woman who fears the ageing process and seeks eternal youth; so her concerns are quite universal and it adds a welcome human dimension to a monster movie. As I said before, the make-up really is cheap-jack and unimpressive but the overall production is put together with some care otherwise, with some interesting characters and a decent enough script. Of additional value was the soundtrack, which consisted of some really great, manic music which accompanied proceedings very well. All-in-all, this is a bit of a favourite of mine when it comes to low-budget 50's creature features. Great fun.