Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (Color Special Edition)
by Fred F. Sears
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Donald Curtis, Hugh Marlowe, Joan Taylor, John Zaremba, Morris AnkrumDirector: Fred F. Sears
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: Fred Jackman Jr.
Producer: Charles H. Schneer
Producer: Sam Katzman
Writer: Bernard Gordon
Writer: Curt Siodmak
Writer: Donald E. Keyhoe
Writer: George Worthing Yates
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Portuguese (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 83 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-01-15
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (Color Special Edition)
Movie Review: The two-disk set of EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS
Summary: 5 Stars
I would like to weigh in on the two-disk set of this 1950s cold-war extravaganza about UFOs that fuel our fears of the unknown. Many documentaries about UFOs are now available, and Amazon offers some excellent ones: OUT OF THE BLUE, DAN AYKROYD UNPLUGGED ON UFOS, and the Ancient Mysteries segment titled UFOS -- THE FIRST ENCOUNTERS which is hosted by Leonard Nimoy. Since I already gassed on about this last entry, and since others gave brilliant reviews of OUT OF THE BLUE (unquestionably the best of the lot), I won't dwell on those here. Nor will I give a straight critical analysis of EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS as a film in itself; the other reviews here on Amazon are so well-done that I find little to add.
As a kid, I saw the monochrome version of this excellent alien invasion film in my father's small-town movie theatre, just as I saw 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH and IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA -- all Columbia releases and all given the Ray Harryhausen treatment in the special effects department. Usually, I am not in favor of colorizing a film. Even Ray himself said he would not favor colorizing the all-time classic CITIZEN KANE because the moody black-and-white cinematography by the venerable Gregg Toland is an integral part of the cinematic experience. Some films need to remain in black-and-white, like many film noir productions. I mean, how would the dark vision of Hollywood told from the first-person perspective of Joe Gillis (Willian Holden) who has been murdered -- SUNSET BOULEVARD -- appear in color, or even such hard-boiled tough-guy thrillers like OUT OF THE PAST? Even another film about Hollywood, THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, narrated in a manner similar to CITIZEN KANE, would lose its texture if colorized. The list -- including but not limited to other 1950s sci-fi giant creature films like TARANTULA, THE DEADLY MANTIS, THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD, THE BLACK SCORPION, BEGINNING OF THE END, KING KONG, etc. -- could go on forever. However, Ray says in an interview that he not only favored colorizing EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS and the other two black-and-white monster movies mentioned above but actually sat at the computer to assist in the process. The result, as we have seen here, is remarkably more subtle and convincing than those black-and-white films rendered in color by Ted Turner and company years ago. In this regard, I have to agree with Ray.
As I mentioned at the outset, I would like to comment on the two-disk set which I purchased, particularly extolling the virtues of the companion disk. Like the two-disk set of THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES (my favorite horror/sci film which I reviewed elsewhere on Amazon), the companion disk is as compelling as the main feature and certainly quite informative. Although it features interviews with the master himself -- interviewed at one point by none other than Tim Burton, the most unkempt-looking but singularly unpretentious director in recent history -- it also includes interviews with actress Joan Taylor who appeared in two of these films, a discussion of the musical score and how Columbia had no similar sci-films in its library to draw from, and even a discussion of how press-books or press-sheets were printed and utilized by theatre owners. This last addition was particularly a treat for me. As a boy, these press-books that arrived at our small-town theatre which showed ad layouts for the newspaper, lobby posters that could be ordered from National Screen Service, and even news stories that could be run in the local paper were a treasure for me. I clearly remember the lobby cards, the 14 x 36" sheets, and the black-and-white 8 x 10 still shots from the films. After all, it was my job to put them up in our lobby. Later, I became acquainted with the one-sheet and the three-sheet posters, although the latter were too large for our small venue. What an exciting trip down memory lane to watch the narrator explain these to the viewers of the DVD. If possible, I would like to use this segment from the companion disk to show to my students when I again teach a film studies course here in China. Since there are no subtitles to accompany this second disk, I will no doubt have to do some considerable explaining. As I tell people, however, when they thank me for pointing out errors in grammar on papers or when I write letters of reference for colleagues, that is my job.
Ray Harryhausen's job was to be an animator, and he did his work by hand -- using stop-motion techniques that pre-date the CGI effects that we see in films today. Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam, primo directors who use their own style of animation in their films, extol the virtues of this pre-CGI method of making the unreal come to life on the screen, so I don't need to add my appreciation here. All of the fans who continue to view his films on DVD know about his genius, and the many filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Burton, and Gilliam acknowledge his influence on their work. Even Tom Hanks has expressed his praise for JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, listing it as one of his all-time favorite films. As youths, we were all blown away by such Dynamation color fantasies like JASON, CLASH OF THE TITANS, THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD and its many sequels, MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON, THE VALLEY OF GWANGI, et all.
If you are not only a fan of Harryhausen's films but also a film scholar (amateur or professional) interested in what went on behind the scenes, you will find the companion disk to be as valuable as the main feature. Of course, EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS is no 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY or even CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND; however, it is still a worthwhile piece of 1950s memorabilia. If you are a behind-the-scenes junkie, the companion disk is icing on the cake. You don't even have to put your brain on hold while watching.
Summary of Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (Color Special Edition)
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