Villain(s)  Female alien

Actor(s):  Robert Clarke, Kenne Duncan, Shirley Kilpatrick, Jeanne Tatum

Brief Description  The Astounding She-Monster (1958) is a low-budget, black-and-white science fiction horror film directed by Ronnie Ashcroft and released by American International Pictures. The plot follows a group of kidnappers who take refuge in a remote mountain cabin, only to find themselves hunted by a silent, deadly, and radioactive female extraterrestrial. Considered a classic of "Z-grade" 1950s schlock cinema, the film has gained a cult following for its minimal special effects, continuity errors, and stilted pacing.

Plot:
The story begins with the daylight kidnapping of wealthy socialite Margaret Chaffey by a trio of criminals: Nat, Brad, and Esther. As they flee through the San Gabriel Mountains, a mysterious object crashes into the woods nearby. The distraction causes their getaway car to swerve off the road. Seeking a hiding place, the gang forces their way into a remote log cabin owned by Dick Cutler, an unsuspecting geologist. The criminals hold both Margaret and Dick hostage while planning their ransom demands. The situation turns bizarre when the occupant of the crashed spacecraft approaches the cabin. She is a towering, blonde extraterrestrial (the "She-Monster") wearing a skintight metallic bodysuit, heavy makeup, and high heels. The alien does not speak but emits a distinct luminous glow.

The human characters quickly discover that her skintight suit is intensely radioactive—anyone she touches dies instantly of lethal radium poisoning. As the alien stalks the perimeter, the cabin descends into chaos. The criminals turn on one another due to greed and alcohol, while Dick and Margaret try to cooperate to survive. Standard bullets prove entirely useless against the alien, forcing Dick to use his geological knowledge to devise a makeshift weapon using acid to dissolve her protective suit. Ultimately, the alien is defeated, and a closing narration reveals a twist: she was actually an emissary sent in peace to deliver an entry invitation to the Federation of Planets, but her radioactive biology made her accidentally lethal to humans.