It Came from Outer Space
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Movie Reviews of It Came from Outer Space
Movie Review: it came from outer space
Summary: 5 Stars
this is back when the politices was great. the characters were better and the over all acting was new as compared to the copy cat stuff coming out of hollywood poop heads nowMovie Review: The "EYE"
Summary: 5 Stars
Richard Carlson launched a long career as a sci fi victim, Barbara Rush is stunning even today. The aliens were smart, they could'nt wait to get out of here!Movie Review: Xenophobes That Came from Outer Space
Summary: 4 Stars
1953's IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is often touted as the first of the 1950s sci-fi films to depict extraterrestrials as intrinsically benevolent, but that distinction actually belongs to 1951's THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. Nonetheless, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is still a rarity in that it was one of the few McCarthy-era Hollywood space operas that did not use invading aliens as allegory for the evils of communism. (Alas, the extraterrestrials are still bug-eyed monsters.)The plot revolves around John Putnam, an amateur astronomer who is eyewitness to what he initially believes to be a meteor crash in the Arizona desert. However, when he and his girlfriend, Ellen Fields, go to investigate, they discover that there is a large extraterrestrial vehicle buried at the bottom of the impact crater. No one from the nearby town will initially believe Putnam or Fields, of course, but when strange events start happening around town and in the surrounding desert, the local sheriff and his posse decide there might actually be something to the spaceship story and head out to confront the aliens (referred to as Xenomorphs). Putnam makes contact with the aliens first, however, and they convince him that their visit to Earth was an accident and all they want to do is repair their vehicle and leave. They explain to Putnam that they are isolationists and do not want to make further contact with the people of Earth, and they therefore ask him to intercept and stave off the approaching posse until the spaceship is ready to depart. But if he is unsuccessful and the posse gets through, Putnam is warned, the future existence of the Earth and its inhabitants will be in jeopardy.
Although the script for IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is based on a short story by Ray Bradbury--that venerated and prolific American writer whose science-fiction and fantasy stories have been the fodder for innumerable movies and TV shows--it is not quite as literate or as deep as THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. But like the other film, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE also has a strong subtextual message, to wit, it is wrong to prejudge or reject others simply because they are physically or culturally different. As mentioned, the film was created and released in the years of McCarthyist paranoia and anti-communist fervor in the U.S., so it was pretty bold at that time to disseminate a message of intercultural or political tolerance. (Then again, science-fiction has a long tradition of using the guise of fantasy to address controversial and disputatious social and political issues without invoking the wrath of the powers that be.)
The movie's director is Jack Arnold--who would the next year direct THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, the eponymous character of which was the last to earn a spot in Universal's classic-monster pantheon--and he does a fantastic job of creating the cold and eerie atmosphere required for the story. The cast is also pretty good. As John Putnam, Richard Carlson--also to later be a part of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON--is not the most dashing of leading men, but he actually fits the role of science nerd quite adequately. The comely Barbara Rush, who plays Ellen Fields, makes a beautiful heroine-in-distress, and buxom Kathleen Hughes is also delight to watch (albeit her acting is marginal and her role a minor one). Ardent fans of classic TV will also get a kick out of seeing Russell Johnson in an early role. Johnson would go on to gain great fame in the 1960s playing the Professor on TV's GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, but here he portrays a telephone lineman whose mind is temporarily taken over by the extraterrestrials.
There have been rumors that the movie was filmed in widescreen, this in spite of the fact that its filmed aspect ratio is 1.37:1 (essentially, the standard 1.33:1). Some rumors address the aspect-ratio question by insisting that, like Orson Welles' TOUCH OF EVIL, the frame layouts were arranged in such a way that the film could later be matted top and bottom and projected as widescreen. Unlike with TOUCH OF EVIL, however, there is no cogent evidence to support this theory.
It is true, though, that IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE was filmed in 3-D, but it has not been released as such for home video. It works very well even without the 3-D effects, so don't let the lack of 3-D deter you from buying the film. If you ever get a chance to see it in 3-D, though, do it! There are lots of entertaining details that play wonderfully in 3-D, and it adds just a bit of flair to the viewing experience.
So overall, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is a surprisingly entertaining movie that stands out above the typical 1950s space-opera schlock, and it certainly deserves a spot in the collection of any science-fiction fan or lover of classic Hollywood movies. Universal's DVD release offers a few cool extras, not the least of which is an interesting feature commentary by film historian Tom Weaver. Well worth the price of admission.
Movie Review: Optimism in a time not known for it
Summary: 4 Stars
Stories are perhaps the best products of their times. In the era in which this film was produced, a sort of conspiratorial pessimism prevailed. The aliens came to destroy our way of life. You saw it in The Twilight Zone, maybe Alfred Hitchcock, and heaven knows how many sci fi thrillers of the era.
I expected the same from this film. It stars Richard Carlson, who starred in quite a few of the hyper thrillers of the age (including "Magnetic Monster" which I'm still looking for!) and Russell Johnson, who made his day later in "Gilligan's Island" as the professor. This was an early Ray Bradbury. There are some other familiar faces in the cast, especially Charles Drake and Joe Sawyer. I looked up their credits and they seem to be more fit for television fair than for the big screen, but you'll probably recognize them.
The story starts like many did in the era, and like, of all things, "The Big Lebowski" started, with the camera panning the area around which the story took place, Sand Rock, Arizona. Carlson is an amateur astronomer who wanted to get into a small town to get out of the more cynical city. He's with his fiancé, played by Barbara Rush and they notice a meteor, you know, the 1950s ball of burning napkins they used for such effects. Carlson heads down to the old Excelsior Mine to check out the crash spot, a door opens on the "meteor" and Carlson is freaked at what he thinks is a life form. Local authorities respond to Carlson's suggestion and everyone, especially the sheriff thinks Carlson's a crackpot.
The special effects in this scene, by the way, are impressive for the era. Carlson's profile is visible while the "ship" is seen beyond him as an ominous sphere with the sexagonal door of the ship. All right, it's a black and white film from 1953, you're not going to get computer graphics. They were pretty well done given the conditions.
In the meantime, the local telephone repairmen are kidnapped by the creatures who convert to the looks of the repairmen. (I love the conversion process. The fog surrounds the one to be kidnapped/converted. Well, it was a cheap effect and it worked.)
This is where I noted one of the glitches in the film (for those after film perfection): the creature who turned himself into a replica of Russell Johnson. But he's not wearing the same clothes that Johnson was wearing. Well, I guess it's nice to have fashion conscious aliens anyway.
Many of the themes of the era come out: the knowing star, and the cynical townspeople; the ugly aliens; the trigger-happy sheriff. But a new angle in this one: the aliens reveal to Carlson that they didn't mean to crash on the earth. They took the townspeople, by then also a few miners too and Rush, as they need their ship repaired. Carlson insists that the alien show himself, but the alien insists that they're so ugly that we earthlings won't trust them. When the alien finally shows himself, Carlson all but screams. Yeah, they are kind of repulsive, aren't they, and the requisite fog seems to surround the body too!
"Just hold off the posse for a few more hours," the aliens plea. Carlson tries. But the sheriff, who seems to have a crush on Rush, decides not to be as credulous as Carlson and he heads out to head the aliens off at the pass. (Indulge my cliché, for a bit.)
Carlson heads to the mine, encounters the alien portraying his lover. "She" uses the requisite ray gun. Actually, the "gun" itself looked like a magic wand, but the effects of the ray were pretty good given the special effects of the time. But "she" missed him, and he killed "her" with his handgun. Carlson then encountered the rest of the aliens the leader of whom looked just like him (!) They were pondering suicide rather than giving in to the posse. Carlson bargains, "Give me back my people, and I'll hold off the posse." So it again became a game of TRUST. And the aliens agreed. Those who'd been kidnapped walked from the mine, Carlson blew up the entrance to prevent the posse from getting in. Then, the burned napkins in reverse flew back into space and they all lived happily ever after, with a little soliloquy from Carlson that someday they'll be back.
I shouldn't minimize the effect of the story. As I'd indicated, trust wasn't exactly a leading motive in the movies of the era, especially sci fi thrillers. And, in the final analysis, that was what pervaded this whole story.
Sure the special effects left a lot to be desired, the script wasn't the best. And, while I'm not a drama scholar and can't say what makes it that way, but today's acting seems to be a lot better than it was then. But the story is a good one, and needs to be seen and interpreted. Maybe if we all trusted each other's better side, we'd be a whole lot safer today.
Movie Review: They Came From Outer Space is a bit more accurate
Summary: 4 Stars
I love old movies. They are an entertaining glimpse into who we thought we were filtered through a fun house history mirror. It Came From Outer Space was a great movie when I was a kid. Like The Day The Earth Stood Still Bradbury's original film treatment focused on character and suspense at the expense of bug eyed monsters. The final film (changed from the original conception of Bradbury and director Jack Arnold) does have the BEMs but, luckily, Universal didn't evisorate the characters and thought provoking plot that drove the film.Amateur astronomer John Putnam (the reliable and stoic Richard Carlson)witnesses what he believes to be a meteor striking the desolate desert surrounded his small town. It turns out to be -- surprise!--alien's with a major blow out that has incapacitated their space ship. These Xenomorphs begin to kidnap the locals and replacing them so that they can get the materials to repair their ship and keep a lid Carlson's wild story about their arrival.
Jack Arnold's subtle direction works wonders with the budget and the 3-D format. He manages to create a film that has aged exceedingly well. Bradbury's original concept is mostly intact as well. In fact, it sounds like screenwriter Harry Essex may have incorporated dialog from Bradbury's treatment largely intact during a number of important scenes.
It benefits from being create in the wake of The Day The Earth Stood Still and it also benefits from its unusual setting (the Desert). Sadly, I can't wholeheartedly recommend this DVD. Universal has done a great job of restoring this classic film. Unfortunately, they don't offer the option of viewing it in 3-D. That's a pity as Arnold made effective use of the gimmick using a number of subtle tricks (and a couple of dramatic ones as well) to artfully blend the 3-D format with the narrative of the film. Since It is presented on a dual layer disc, I'm surprised that Universal didn't figure out a way to present the film in it's element. Unfortunately, some of the film's most powerful sequences suffer from the flat presentation here. Given the extra effort that went into the restoration and the extras, it's a pity that Universal didn't go the extra mile and present this fine film in the format it worked best in.
The extras including the documentary (The Universe According to Universal)includes interviews with illustrator/collector Vincent Di Fate, film historians and collectors (such as Bob Burns). All discuss the circumstances around the making of the film as well as the impact it had when it was presented in its original format. Additionally, they bring up the little known fact that the creatures were never seen in the original cut that Jack Arnold prepared. Universal executives went back and took reshot a couple of sequences with shots of the aliens. While this doesn't work against the film, it would have been much more powerful with the aliens presence only suggested via Arnold's idea of showing the alien-human encounters from the alien's point of view.
The photograph and poster gallery is interesting but hardly essential and the production notes informative about the cast and Arnold. The documentary will probably show up in a number of variations on other Universal science fiction and horror thrillers coming to DVD. Perhaps This Island Earth (Universal's attempt to make a picture on the scale of MGM's Forbidden Planet)will eventually be re-released to DVD with the same care. A bit of trivia on This Island Earth--Jack Arnold isn't credited but he directed many of the scenes involving the aliens and their world.
Regardless of this reissues shortcomings, It is an impressive package for the most part. It's a pity that Universal missed their opportunity to reissue this minor classic the right way the first time on DVD.