Near a U.S atomic base in Manitoba, research scientist Professor Walgate (Reeves) unleashes an army of brain-shaped monsters — complete with spinal cords to strangle their victims — when his mind-control experiments go seriously awry. It's up to the intrepid Major Cummings (Thompson) to save the day, and it won't be easy. Not only does he have the pesky creatures to dispose of, he's got a serious PR issue: the villagers blame the American military for all the trouble.

Crabtree's "Fiend" succeeds admirably as a campy, diverting skin-crawler that effectively channeled the prevailing atomic anxieties of the 1950s. This cult entry also offers an ingenious twist, in that the creatures are actually materializations of their creator's thoughts. Quite gory for its day, "Fiend" will seem fairly tame by today's standards. Still, the film's overarching message remains relevant: you can indeed have too much brains.