Kronos (1957)

After taking over the mind of the head (John Emery) of a secret U.S. scientific laboratory, an alien power causes a meteor to crash into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico. From this meteor is born a gigantic metallic vampire (as one character refers to it) that feeds on nuclear energy and goes on a rampage absorbing power from nuclear plants and stockpiles. This minor low budget 50s sci-fi entry may be rather simplistic but it's very well made and quite prophetic in its portrait of a civilization that depletes its energy by over consumption to the point of non-existence. The special effects are rather crude. When the giant machine rampages the countryside it's obviously animated and there's plenty of stock footage (as civilians flee the monster, everyone is wearing Hawaiian shirts!). Still, for anyone interested in classic 50s sci-fi, this is a must. Directed by Kurt Neumann (1958's THE FLY). With Jeff Morrow (THIS ISLAND EARTH), Barbara Lawrence (LETTER TO THREE WIVES), Morris Ankrum, Pedro Gonzales-Gonzales and Richard Harrison.