It Came from Outer Space

Rating:
Summary: A classic from the Golden Age of science fiction
Review: It Came From Outer Space is one of the better films brought to life in the golden age of science fiction. It is not an alien invasion story; rather, it develops and explores the ambivalence of man's own scientific progress in regards to the unknown. The aliens are not Martians; they are quite un-E.T.-like "monsters" who hide themselves. They seem to know one of the tragic secrets of humanity--it very often hates and destroys that which it does not understand. The story starts with amateur astronomer John Putnam (Richard Carlson) and his fiancée Ellen Fields (Barbara Rush) looking at the stars and engaging in some lovey-dovey conversation; suddenly, a giant fireball goes sailing across the sky and strikes the earth with a terrific impact. Putnam and Fields rush to the site via helicopter, and Putnam goes down into the crater to examine the "meteorite." He finds a ship lodged in the ground and senses a presence there; before he can peer into the ship's interior, the door closes and a landslide covers everything up. Putnam fearlessly tells the authorities what he saw and is, of course, laughed at. The sheriff, who obviously has the hots for Ellen, is particularly hard to convince. Eventually, some townspeople disappear and, even more mysteriously, reappear with whole new personalities (or lack thereof). The resolution of the movie has a philosophical aspect to it; there are no bad guys and no good guys, and one is left to ponder the real standing of Earth and society in a universe in which alien life does exist. This thought-provoking movie is based on a story by Ray Bradbury, which does much to explain its success. Some viewers may also be interested to know that Darrell Russell (the Professor from Gilligan's Island) has a co-starring role in the picture.

In its theatrical release, this movie was shown in 3-D, and it is unfortunate that today's viewers cannot enjoy it in its original format. However, it is the story and not the special effects that makes this movie a success. While its themes do not captivate modern audiences the way they did viewers in the 1950s, the movie retains a moral clarity and vision that distinguishes it from most science fiction movies of its era. It asks the viewer to trade places with the aliens and consider how things would look if he were the outsider arriving in a foreign land, which is a refreshing theme to emerge in a Cold War American motion picture.

Rating:
Summary: Great Buy, Very Informative commentary by Tom Weaver.
Review: Tom Weaver, author and expert on classic films and the people who appear in them. Here he gives us a very informative and lively 80 minutes of behind the scenes goings on of one the best remembered 50's sci-fi outings 'It Came From Outer Space'.
Full frame format doesn't distract from the enjoyment of this film. Other special features include a Universal doc about the film (and also a reason to sell you other Universal titles that are available) Let us hope that some of the other Richard Carlson films such as The Magnetic Monster and Riders To The Stars find their way to DVD soon. Hopefully Mr.Weaver will be able to add his special touch to these as well.

Rating:
Summary: 5 for the movie and 5 for the DVD
Review: Universal did a great job with the quality of transfer on this DVD. Perhaps the best of 50's sci-fi, i have loved this movie for 35 yrs and cant say enough about the sound and picture quality. If you have the vhs and like it the DVD is a must have and if you have not seen it, give it a try you wont be dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: The DVD Falls Just Short of Meteoric
Review: This is a wonderful movie, even in the flat 2-D we are offered on this DVD. I've actually never seen this movie in its original 3-D splendor, but I've been told it was stunning.

The story is, by today's standards, typical for the 1950's science fiction film. Handsome, rugged scientist (Richard Carlson of Creature From The Black Lagoon fame) and beautiful girlfriend (Barbara Rush) witness a meteor crashing to ground in the Arizona desert, only to learn it is a spacecraft from another world. No one believes them until people begin to disappear, and later return as almost robotic zombies. But this story was based on a Ray Bradburry short story, and that story, combined with wonderful script writing, takes this from a bland sci-fi popcorn muncher to a thinking man's (at least on the B-grade movie level) story of paranoia and terror that ultimately shows the weaknesses, and the strenths, in humankind.

What most young people today don't realize is that this film was a first of many kinds. It was the first science fiction movie to portray aliens as anything but blood thirsty. It was the first of the desert sci-fi films. It was one of the first films to use the theremin for the eerie, wavering, electronic music we all associate with science fiction films from that era. It's the first time a movie used the perspective of the "monster", by letting us see through its cyclopian eye.

The lonely desert landscapes are almost alien in themselves, sweeping and harsh, and seen many times in the long shadows and gray light of dusk. The soundtrack is mono that has been encoded to stereo, which sound wonderful on a home stereo system. The acting is top notch, and the special effects, though dated, have that comic book Buck Roger's feel that was bigger than life in the 1950's.

The extras here are nice, as well. There's a really nice documentary about the movie and a few other films in the same genre. There's a audio commentary with film historian Tom Weaver. There also a nice photograph and poster gallery, as well as the theatrical trailer, production notes, and a brief cast and filmakers section.

The only reason I don't give this DVD five STARS is because they didn't include a 3-D version of the movie. Maybe that's asking too much for the ... price tag, but darnit, Univeral has been so commited to releasing wonderful horror and sci-fi gems to DVD in wonderfully restored condition, that I can't help but wonder why it was decided not to offer this rare and exciting way of viewing the movie. Especially after the glowing way it is described in the docummentary included on the DVD. What a missed opportunity for Univeral and for the fans of this wonderful movie. That aside, this is a lovely package and a wonderful edition to any science fiction film fans collection.

Rating:
Summary: First-class presentation of a great, fun film!
Review: Universal has given IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE the same quality treatment it gave their initial batch of "Classic Monsters" titles. The 30 min. documentary is wonderful, covering not only this movie, but other 50's sci-fi flicks. The Tom Weaver commentary is informative, and he is one of the more pleasing "historians" to listen to.

And then of course, the film itself has never looked better. If you're a fan of 50's sci-fi, this has to be an essential component of your collection.

Now. . .how about a deluxe treatment for THIS ISLAND EARTH??

Rating:
Summary: Meteor Ship
Review: The movie starts out where a spaceship, shaped like a meteor, crash lands on earth. It has crashed because of mechanical-problems. Soon thereafter local citizens are being replacing with alien doubles that are used to find parts and help make the ship repairs. As the aliens need more and more help, the local town folks decide to take action against the stranded aliens. Carlson learns that the aliens mean no one any harm and protects them in the end. Once the spaceship is repaired, the missing towns-people are returned and the ship leaves.

This movie is based upon Ray Bradbury's story The Meteor.

Rating:
Summary: Great 50s sci-fi on dvd!!
Review: Very neat little sci-fi film from Universal. The dvd is great and features 30 minute documentary on Universal sci-fi films of the 50s(mostly this film and THIS ISLAND EARTH) plus a film historian commentary. On top of that, the movie looks really good. A very enjoyable story of alien invaders and one man's quest to make people believe that they can clone humans and walk around in disguise. Feels different than most other sci-fi from the period.

Rating:
Summary: Much superior to other sci-fi of the era
Review: You can spot a Jack Arnold film by the pacing and initial dialog. This one gave me nightmares as a kid. However now when I watch this film now, I can enjoy the DOWN TO EARTH portrayal of misplaced aliens. You get the alien view from its innards. I was disappointed to find that this is not a 3-d film. I also have the children's book of this with still shots. Your next film to view is "OUT THERE" It shows real alien interaction with people and accordions.

Rating:
Summary: The absolute pinnacle of 'B-grade' movies
Review: In Melbourne during the Sixties, these types of movies were featured on late night television every Friday night - but I only saw this particular movie for the first time about 5 years ago. I must say that 'It Came from Outer Space' was responsible for rekindling my childhood interest in this genre.
I rate ICFOS equal first with 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' and 'The Blob'. What great movies!

These 1950's Sci-Fi classics far surpasses the movies being served up today. I love the feel of the movies from this era - a kind of innocence that has been lost today.

I was also surprised by the clarity and definition of this film compared to the VHS copy I taped from television. For any contemplating the purchase of this classic, I can't recomend it enough.

Rating:
Summary: 3D Or Not 3D, That Is The Question
Review: In the 1970s I had the privledge of seeing IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE on the big screen in its original 3D format, and as such it was a visually fascinating film. But like all 3D films, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE suffers in the translation from big screen 3D format to a standard television screen: the special effects, which seemed so spectacular in 3D, seem only so-so. And that is truly regrettable, for in its original format IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is a classic of 1950s science-fiction.

The story, created by Bradbury, concerns an amateur astronomer who discovers that aliens have crashlanded in the desert--but no one will believe him. Although the basic premise has been done to death, at the time OUTER SPACE was released it was still fresh, and Bradbury gives the tale an unusual spin that lifts it out of the realm of later 1950s and 1960s teenybopper flicks. But shorn of its 3D effects, the film lacks impact, and the creatures that were so impressive on the big screen become literal and slightly silly. Viewers who have never seen the film in its original 3D will be apt to wonder what all the fuss is about.

And this poses a question. Why can't we have 3D films--a roster that includes THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, Vincent Price's WAX MUSEUM, and IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE--on tape or DVD in their original format? Admittedly the glasses are cumbersome, and there might be some issues about including them in the package, but other (and considerably less interesting) films have been released to video in 3D; why not the great classics, so we can see them as they were intended to be seen--and enjoy such films as IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE to their fullest? The original 3D version deserves a five-star rating, but in flat presentation it is worthy of only a three. I'm splitting the difference.