The low-budget effects used on Attack of the 50ft Woman are laughable, even for its time. But here's how they scraped on by regardless (though for some audiences, they didn't even manage that).

Because of the small budget, the effects used are pretty simple, and there aren't many. The giants themselves are never in the same shot as the people they tower over. Instead, a large prop hand interacts with the actors (see left, where Nancy grabs Harry). The hands are made of papier-mache and noticeably flop into the scenes.

The alien giant's satellite appears to be no more than a light, and the giant himself is simply double-exposed over the background in a way that leaves him slightly transparent. Nancy herself spends most of her giant time walking about but she does interact with several models, all of which look a bit plain.

But over the years, the movie's laughable effects have proven to be part of its charm. And if you can get past how glaringly obvious the effects are, you'll find Nathan Juran picked some pretty talented leads to help make the story engaging nonetheless.