Rating: 
Summary: Harryhausen Fun Factor
Review: So far as story goes, the title says it all, and you won't find any brilliant performances, acclaimed writing, high-concept storylines, or big budgets here. But you will find Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion special effects, and that counts for a lot.This is not among Harryhausen's more elaborate works--those would come a bit later in his career--but even so he creates some very interesting effects. Unlike most sci-fi efforts, including recent ones with computer-graphic effects, Harryhausen's flying saucers actually move in a way completely unlike anything you've seen anywhere, suggesting completely alien intelligence and machinery. In fact, the saucers are so interesting to watch they assume the role of the film's main character! Kids weaned on Star Wars-style special effects will probably be bored by the film, and the even more forgiving fans of 1950s science-fiction flicks will find the over-all movie tepid. But the Harryhausen fun-factor cannot be denied, and fans of his work won't want to miss this one.
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Summary: Harryhausen versus the Sci Fi Cliches
Review: Here is a list - for people jaded by "Star Wars"-type digital special effects and Bruce Willis-type smart-aleck dialogue - of what the classic science fiction film "Earth versus the Flying Saucers" (1956) does not boast: it is not processed in Technicolor but only in (glorious) black-and-white; it does not show whole cities sprung sky-high by death-rays or fleets of numberless star cruisers nuking it out among the nebulae; its aliens do not look like the dripping unsought-for results of recombinant DNA experimentation, nor are they invulnerable so that stopping them depends on a hasty "deus ex machina" tacked on by the screenwriters; its scientist hero and his wife are mature people, not teenagers or "twenty-somethings" escaped from prime-time television; they act with deliberation and do not pump air or dance a jig when their efforts prove effective; when people die in the film, they die without bravado. People who insist on such things should know in advance that their particular adrenaline-addiction will not be fixed by this film. Intelligent and discriminating viewers, on the other hand, can expect the superb model-work of Ray Harryhausen deployed economically but satisfyingly throughout the film. They can also expect thoughtful, jargon-free dialogue from screenwriters George Worthington Yates and Raymond T. Marcus, working from a story by Kurt ("Donovan's Brain") Siodmak, and taught direction from Fred F. Sears. "EVFS" gratifyingly violates one of the formulas of 1950s sci-fi cinema: it does not make the audience wait to see the alien nemesis, continually postponing a disappointing appearance, but exposes its first saucer within two minutes of the opening segment. As Dr. Russell Marvin (Hugh Marlowe) and his newlywed wife (Joan Taylor) drive down a California desert highway toward the rocket test-site where Marvin directs his earth satellite program, an enormous craft swoops down on them, maneuvering around the speeding car. Both are fazed by the experience and don't quite believe their senses. When Marvin tries to launch another one of his "artificial moons," a saucer lands on the grounds; soldiers fire on the robot-like aliens, whereupon the craft takes to the air again and uses its ray to blast the installation. It is while waiting to be rescued from the bunker where they have been caught that Marvin and his wife discover that their tape-recorder contains a message from aliens, beamed at them during their close encounter on the highway. The message is apparently friendly, but the aliens turn out to be intent on taking the earth by force. Marvin and his scientist cronies race to develop a weapon to neutralize the saucer-fleet, which makes its attack on Washington D.C. in the film's brilliant finale. Supporting performances come from the ubiquitous Morris Ankrum and from Donald Curtis. Ankrum appears in nine out of ten 1950s sci-fi "B" movies, or so it seems. (See "Flight to Mars" or "Kronos.") Midway through the film, Marvin and his wife, in company with his wife's father, an Air Force general played by Ankrum, board a saucer that has landed on the beach, ostensibly on the Virginia shore. The location is actually Westward Beach, in Malibu, about a thousand feet from where I lived as a teenager, looking as deserted an alien as it is possible to imagine. It is a remarkably stark scene. The interior of the saucer is sparsely and therefore effectively conceived. The aliens regard themselves as supermen, classically "beyond good and evil." In the assault on D.C., Ray Harryhausen contrives to destroy every major national monument in the city. That the alien hardware is not indestructible lends the story credibility: the implication is that humanity is equal to the battle, provided that it does not panic. The DVD of "EVFS" includes two featurettes, "This is Dynamation," about Harryhausen's signature technique, and the more specialized "The Making of Earth versus the Flying Saucers." Presentation is in wide-screen, a real boon. (The VHS was in pan-and-scan television format.) This is a terrifically entertaining item from the black-and-white "alien invasion" genre. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: See Washington and duck!
Review: This 1950's sci-fi classic should not be reviewed for the skills of its actors, although Hugh Marlowe certainly pursues all the ernestness of a dedicated scientist who feels guilty for exposing all of manking to destruction. Morris Ankrum is included as a general as usual. While the direction of Fred Sears is inconsistent and the pace of the movie drags a bit, the special effects of Ray Harryhausen are excellent and Washington will not see such destruction again until Independence Day or Mars Attacks. In fact the Washington Monument is almost as played with as in Mars Attacks, although there is no Cub Scout troop underneath. Let's face it, with the S/fx sophistication of the present day, this movie appears dated. But in 1957, E/vFS was the epitome of space invasion opuses. The scenes of invader proclamations being broadcast around the world in various languages are hoots.
Rating: 
Summary: Harryhausen at his best
Review: Ray Harryhausen, the genius behind Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, the Sinbad movies and countless others, tackles flying saucers instead of fantastic creatures in this tale of man versus aliens. Really nifty flying saucers begin to be spotted around the world. Who are they? What do they want? Our hero manages to decode one of their signals (slows it down) and determines that the aliens are peaceful. But peaceful aliens would make for a much different story, and their true agenda is soon discovered and the Earth finds itself at war with the flying saucers. Ray Harryhausen's special effects showing the saucers and crumbling buildings (the US Capital Building being one of the best) are some of the best he has done (although his sword-wielding skeletons are still better than any CGI attempt made so far). Harryhausen is a true artist as well as technician and few movies have the impact that his battle of the saucers has. This is a great invasion movie that has inspired countless other film makers and is a must-see for science fiction fans.
Rating: 
Summary: It's easy to see why Ray does not like this movie....
Review: It was a very difficult movie to make as Ray recounts in the making of featurette, He used models that were tedious to move one frame at a time, he was using cameras that could not photograph them correctly, he prefered using cameras with high speed filming abilities but the budget did not allow it. The budget for this movie was actually so low that he had to make all the models with the cheapest of materials. Glue, wood, plastic, and just hope they would last until filming was complete. It was a hard movie and much of this footage was used in later B-movies, a kind of insult to Ray, I belive. It's no wonder that he wanted to move toward making movies on stories on Greek Mythology afterward.
Rating:
Summary: The essential Alien Invasion flim of the 50s. Great effects!
Review: Released in 1956, "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" was the second film visual effects genius Ray Harryhausen did with producer Charles Schneer. They had previously worked together on the gigantic octopus vs. San Francisco film "It Came from beneath the Sea," and would go on to craft a long series of color fantasy movies that remain favorites with all ages today. "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" (or "E v. FS" if you prefer) arose from Schneer's interest in the flying saucer-sighting craze of the day. Curt Siodmak, author of many of Universal's classic monster films, hatched the original story of a full-scale invasion by alien craft, but the final script is credited to George Worthing Yates and Raymond T. Marcus. Harryhausen found himself animating not monsters, but futuristic spacecraft. Thus, the film is quite a departure from his usual fare, but nevertheless Harryhausen infuses the movie with his genius and personality. "E v. FS" is the ESSENTIAL alien invasion flick of the decade, far more entertaining than George Pal's stuffy "The War of the Worlds." Everything you want from 50s science-fiction flick is here, and with Harryhausen's visual effects, it all looks damn cool too! The husband and wife science team of Hugh Marlowe and Joan Taylor (both fun performances) investigate a rash of saucer sighting. The aliens have come to Earth to seek aid, but when they land the trigger-happy military opens fire and the aliens retaliate with a ruthless war of destruction. But don't fear, our peppy scientist couple have come up with a wild invention that may stop the destructive alien visitors. It all concludes in a wild scene over Washington D.C., and not all the monuments end up in good shape. Ironically, Harryhausen doesn't have very positive feelings about the film: "It remains for me the least favourite of all our pictures. There is a dividing line between science fiction and fantasy, although they can occasionally overlap.... Fantasy has a poetic appeal radiating romance and warmth, whereas science fiction, with all its preoccupations with machines, politics and scientific apparatus, has a tendency to reflect coldness and indifference." Well, Ray is certainly entitled to his own opinions about his work and his preferece for fantasy, but I think "E v. FS" works amazingly. There's a general giddiness about it, and a sense of invention, that speaks directly to modern viewers tired of the overblown and grim action and science fiction films of today. Harryhausen's flying saucers astonish, moving with jittery speed and very animated motions. The aliens themselves wield awesome technology, like death rays, brain probing beams, and vibrating shields that protect their ships (stunning effects, all of them). The budget limitations resulted in alien suits that are bit simplistic, but they still work. And the finale in Washington is a humdinger. Harryhausen's models and the intricate portrayal of the destruction still look astonishing. He even manages to make creative use of stock footage, instead of merely relying on it for a cheap shortcut as so many other 50s science fiction pictures did. This excellent DVD presents the film in its original 1.85:1 format (I'll bet you didn't know it was a widescreen film) enhanced for widescreen TVs. Also included is "The Harryhausen Chronicles," a feature-length documentary on Harryhausen's work; it appears on all of Columbia's Harryhausen DVDs, so you might have seen it before. New for this DVD is an interview between Harryhausen and director Joe Dante ("Gremlins"). It's short, but you learn some great secrets about the film straight from its creator's mouth, and you also and get to see the original saucer models. Dante also shares his personal memories about seeing the film as a child. This is a must for any Harryhausen fan or anybody who loves the 1950s Golden Age of alien invaders.
Rating:
Summary: Ornery aliens...when will they learn?
Review: "Warning! Take Cover! Flying Saucers Invade Our Planet! Washington, London, Paris, Moscow Fight Back!" That's the tagline for the film Earth vs The Flying Saucers (1956) directed by Fred F. Sears, who also acted in and directed a whole mess of B westerns throughout the mid 40's through the mid 50's. This film stars Hugh Marlowe as Dr. Russell Marvin, head of the military operation called Skyhook, a project involving launching a series of satellites into orbit around the Earth, paving the way for manned expeditions into space. I remember Marlowe best as Tom Stevens from the 1951 quintessential sci-fi film, The Day the Earth Stood Still. Joan Taylor, who is very easy on the eyes, I might add, plays his secretary and recently wedded wife, Carol Marvin, and was in another Harryhausen classic, 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957). The plot involves flying saucers coming to Earth with nefarious purposes...sounds like the film Independence Day (1996)? It should, as the makers of that film lifted the plot from here, and threw in tons of special effects to dazzle audiences (which they succeeded, even with this viewer). Anyway, there is miscommunication, things happen, words are said, and the aliens start blowing stuff up...blowing stuff up real good. Bad aliens...but they didn't want it to be this way. They were hoping for a friendly takeover, but us Earthlings don't take kindly to technologically advanced beings from outer space in their fancy-schmanzy flying/spinning discs throwing their weight around our neighborhood. One thing that really surprised me about this movie is that it was really well scripted. The whole story was intelligently written, and almost believable. The writers, dealing with the fantastic elements of the story, didn't seem to over reach their grasp, and seemed to allow for enough detail to keep the viewer from saying "Yeah, right..." in disbelief. Also, there were no real over the top performances, drawing the viewer out of the story. I have to admit, though, the appearance of the numerous saucers didn't seem to illicit the reaction I would have expected, one of terror and fear of this great unknown... The effects by Harryhausen in this movie, considered by some not to be among his best, worked most effectively for me. The saucers, the destruction of various Washington institutions and monuments, really looked wonderful. They displayed a charm you just don't see anymore with computer-generated graphics nowadays. The aliens might have seemed a bit hokey, in their metal, robot-like suits, and the production values may have been lacking at times, but the well-crafted story, tight dialogue, and superior acting compensate nicely for this, allowing for most viewers to enjoy this science fiction classic. There are numerous special features, including an hour-long documentary, "The Harryhausen Chronicles", detailing Ray Harryhausen's career in films, from his earliest days working out of his parents' garage to his latest achievements. There is also a featurette called "This is Dynamation", which basically shows what 'Dynamation' is, and how it was used in various movies. Also, there are some trailers and a neat little photo gallery. The picture is in wide screen format, and looks beautiful. I am unsure if any restoration was done for this release, but Columbia should get credit for releasing such a fine print on DVD. Oh yeah...if anyone ever asks to show you their 'Knowledge Index Accumulator', take a pass...alien no goodniks... Cookieman108
Rating:
Summary: Earth vs. Ray Harryhausen...
Review: Hughe Marlow stars as Dr. Marvin in this 50s sci-fi epic. Joan Taylor is his blushing bride and assistant in his work as a rocket scientist. Several sattelites have been lost in strange "accidents", causing concern, but not enough to postpone another launch. Marvin and wife encounter a flying saucer on their way to the space-lab, which they inadvertantly record on tape. Later, the saucers appear at the launch site, causing military types to open fire immediately (of course). Both men and guns are obliterated by the invaders' superior firepower. Marvin finally figures out that the burbled noise on his tape recording is actually the aliens trying to communicate with him. Too late! The invasion is under way. Mrs. Marvin's father (an army general) is abducted and zombified by the aliens, after they've sucked his mind dry (We get to see the ship interiors. Check out the cool, ultra-modern viewscreen! It looks better than some of our actual widescreen TVs of today!) Dr. Marvin must now race against time and develop a weapon that can save humanity! As others have said, Harryhausen's flying saucers are excellent. The characters are believable and the story is good. If you are a sci-fi addict you must own this...
Rating: 
Summary: It Looks Fake, Fake, and more Fake. CGI is better.
Review: Traditionally it has taken a long time for special effects to become really good and creative at the movies. A lot of people speak of the 1950's as the golden age of science fiction, but please. There are very few films from that era that have survived the passage of the years. In 1955, they were making dozens of UFO B-Pictures every week. Filmed on very low budgets and with hardly being taken seriously, these films show both weak acting and the most terrible effects work ever done. This movie was just another one of them. It is no better then the Roger Corman pictures, nor Hammer Films. nor Toho. These were the low budget giants of their time and did nothing to make science fiction to be treated seriously as a story genre. Only a man Stanley Kubrick finally was able to acheive that.
Rating:
Summary: People of Earth ... Attention! People of Earth ... Attention
Review: I'm a big fan of Ray Harryhausen from when I was a kid. I remember seeing this moving on TV about 40 years ago and just being awe struck. It looked so real back then. I still like it and in fact, I replaced my VHS copy of this with the DVD. The story is pretty typical and the low budget forced a lot of clips from newsreels of rockets (some look like V2's) blowing up but for it's day it's really good. Its fun to watch today too.
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