Alien space probe is knocked into low orbit around Earth by a Soviet missile, the lethal radiation it emits tearing a path of destruction across the planet. Next in its path: New York City.

An unexpectedly good movie, a far cry from the MST3K fodder I expected. There is the usual mass of stock footage, and the film was obviously made cheaply as propaganda to get people to pay attention to Civil Defense. However, the performances are good, the script is well-done (thanks in large part to Jerome Bixby, the unsung hero of sci-fi), and above all there is a sense of urgency to the film that makes it still watchable long after its relevance has worn away. Gets a bit carried away with itself in the last reel, but still a real sleeper.