Rating: 
Summary: Build an interociter and see the universe!
Review: This classic early '50s Sci-Fi romp influenced a generation of writers and film-makers, not so much from what it was but what it promised and fell short of.In fairness, This Island Earth is quite a good movie for its time. Unfortunately, repeated viewings only hold up as an unintended comedy. The early scenes of the film, with their overtones of cold war espionage and shady goings-on are both interesting and effective. Exeter, the alien hero, is likeable and oddly believeable. However, once the film moves into outer space and becomes true science fiction, it's like trying to walk on a sliding board with greased shoes. While the premise of a beseiged planet struggling to survive is plausible and sympathetic, the combination of poorly done matte paintings, exploding raisins on strings and bipedal lobster sentries is just a bit too much. When watching this movie, enjoy it for what it is and resist the temptation to compare it with modern science fiction. Remember, it's a classic of its time.
Rating: 
Summary: Space Opera at its finest!
Review: The 1955 film version of Raymond F. Jones sci-fi classic THIS ISLAND EARTH is a visual wonder and thematically solid. Released about 1 year before the genre masterpiece, FORBIDDEN PLANET, some regard TIE as predecessor to STAR WARS ( the way Forbidden Planet paved the Star Trek phenonmenon). This Island Earth...the movie...is SPACE OPERA at its finest. It is complete with "glowing green" flying saucers; sinister alien bad-guys; and perhaps the greatest BUG-EYED MONSTERS ever filmed: The Metalunan LOBSTERman... Interestingly, what holds the film together is Jeff Morrow's role as Exeter (Jorgasnovara in the novel)the alien leader torn between duty to his home planet, Metaluna, and sympathy for the Earth scientists who are...in the film...both his colleagues and prisoners. Faith Domergue and Rex Reason are fine as earth physicists who are tricked into working for an alien race (The Metalunans) fighting...and losing...an intergalactic war for survival. As is often the case, the novel's plot is more complicated and different. THIS ISLAND EARTH, (the novel)...refers to the irony that "good" aliens and their bad guy adversaries...regard earth as merely a combat staging-area...to be used and abandoned when strategic advantage dictates. In the novel, THE WAR is essentially a never-ending battle, and woe to "pebble in the sky" planets like earth when their utility is nada mas. In the movie, Metalunans are on the verge of losing the war, and their planet, not merely subjugated, but wiped-out of existence. Earth scientists represent a desperate effort to restore the PLANETARY DEFENSE/ENERGY FIELD. They fail. In the spectacular climax, the planet is solar bombarded ( enemy ships are comet-like energy entities; telekinentically piloted) into firey oblivion. THIS ISLAND EARTH is a class production all around. Much of its FX employs superb matte backgrounds, excellent animation and set-pieces ((the flight through the thermal barrier; the apocalyptic annihilation of Metaluna; and yes, the epic battle with the ARCHETYPAL BEM!)). So tac-up your Interociter and warp-out to This Island Earth......
Rating: 
Summary: "The two of you are about to take incredible journey"
Review: I'm so glad I picked this dvd up when it was a reasonable price tag
I don't know how "Goodtimes" gets the rights to release "Universal"
prints but I'll take what I can get. If you had to timecapsule any techincolor sci-fi film from the 50's
it would be a toss up between this and "Forbidden planet". Would we
go to see this at a big screen film revival...sure we would,classic
sci-fi never gets old (just recycled) The story is that of "Carl"/Atomic researcher/(jetpilot?)
and his assistant who come across a weird energy in the form of a
condenser that's more stronger than anything they've seen from a
company they cant contact except thru mailorder. Curiously enough
they order an 'interosetor" a device in which few men are capable
to construct. These are the words spoken to them after they plug
in the contraption to reveal on its screen the highbrowed'xceter'
The strange man offers an invitation to learn more at his mystery location and the Scientist Carl (minus assistant) accepts. Upon arriving at the Xcetor's grounds via remote controlled plane
He is promply meet by an old fellow grad student "Ruth" who oddly
enough doesn't remember him even though he remembers a passionate
"swim" some years back. The Scientist is introduced to the staff including one other scientist who is wary of the whole set-up. After meeting Xceter & Brac(his right hand man) who explains that
that his plans are just to research new applications for newtreno
rays a beam that can pass thru mountains of solid rock, The three
scientist become become nervous and plan an escape,discovered the
three try to drive to safety but are almost force off the road by
the destuctive newtreno ray developed earlier. Carl & Ruth escape
just in time to see the car and thier fellow friend destroyed and the unbelievible vision of a flying saucer rising in the distance Taking control of one of the small passenger planes the scientist
look in awe as the saucer destroyed the mansion and staff inside
The saucer then catches up to them as they are beamed up into the
craft's belly. They agian meet xcetor who in a vain attempt tries
to explain his "actions" and tells them that they are being taken
to his world of Metaluna. And so sets the groundwork for what was probably the biggest film
event of 1955 "2-1/2 years in the making!" the ads would boast on
what is to this day still a joy to watch.With a casting call that
includes Rex(Rhodes)Reason,Jeff Morrow,Faith Domergue,Lance Fuler
and Richard Johnson. This film is must to have in any true sci-fi
collection My 4 star was decided by lack of a trailer (but at the
cover is the original poster art) the overall quality & sound are
great but I wish Criterion would get a hold of this gem.
Rating:
Summary: A 50's Magazine Cover Brought To Life!
Review: THIS ISLAND EARTH is a 1950s science-fiction pulp magazine cover brought to life: clunky spacecraft, battling planets, evil aliens, and screaming heroines in distress. The special effects are 1955 state-of-the-art, and they still hold up very well today, for unlike ultra-realistic computer generated graphics they have a fantasy feel that is very, very entertaining--a sort of "Wizard of Oz goes sci-fi" look that is very appealing to the eye. As already noted, the story concerns several of earth's best minds who are kidnapped by aliens and ordered to create an endless source of energy for a dying planet. The script is laced with 1950s sexism--one line, for example, is "Don't tell me that as woman you're not curious?"--but this is actually less offensive than it is rather amusing, in keeping with the magazine cover sensibility that pervades the piece. The cast plays with great sincerity: Rex Reason is appropriately heroic, Faith Domergue screams the house down, and the aliens all have high foreheads--excepting, of course, that really evil looking one with claws for hands! Some humorless-type science-fiction fans won't enjoy it, and if you're not the type to get a kick from period visuals you might want to give this one miss. But for pure 1950s matinee fun, you can't do better than THIS ISLAND EARTH.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the worst looking DVDs I've seen
Review: It's hard for me to take "This Island Earth" very seriously after seeing "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie," but it's actually a pretty good '50s Sci-Fi flick. I bought this edition because Image Entertainment usually an excellent job of restoring films for DVD (see, for example, "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe"). Unfortunately, the picture quality of this disc is very poor (grainy, dull colors, and lots of white speckles) and there are ZERO extras. The only redeeming quality is the excellent cover art. It's a shame, because "This Island Earth" - with its groovy futuristic matte paintings, laser blasts, glowing spaceships, and bleeding 'Mut-ants' - is tailor-made for the DVD format. Let's hope this title will be properly restored and reissued in a Special Edition sometime in the near future.
Rating:
Summary: "The two of you are about to take incredible journey"
Review: I'm so glad I picked this dvd up when it was a reasonable price tag
I don't know how "Goodtimes" gets the rights to release "Universal"
prints but I'll take what I can get. If you had to timecapsule any techincolor sci-fi film from the 50's
it would be a toss up between this and "Forbidden planet". Would we
go to see this at a big screen film revival...sure we would,classic
sci-fi never gets old (just recycled) The story is that of "Carl"/Atomic researcher/(jetpilot?)
and his assistant who come across a weird energy in the form of a
condenser that's more stronger than anything they've seen from a
company they cant contact except thru mailorder. Curiously enough
they order an 'interosetor" a device in which few men are capable
to construct. These are the words spoken to them after they plug
in the contraption to reveal on its screen the highbrowed'xceter'
The strange man offers an invitation to learn more at his mystery location and the Scientist Carl (minus assistant) accepts. Upon arriving at the Xcetor's grounds via remote controlled plane
He is promply meet by an old fellow grad student "Ruth" who oddly
enough doesn't remember him even though he remembers a passionate
"swim" some years back. The Scientist is introduced to the staff including one other scientist who is wary of the whole set-up. After meeting Xceter & Brac(his right hand man) who explains that
that his plans are just to research new applications for newtreno
rays a beam that can pass thru mountains of solid rock, The three
scientist become become nervous and plan an escape,discovered the
three try to drive to safety but are almost force off the road by
the destuctive newtreno ray developed earlier. Carl & Ruth escape
just in time to see the car and thier fellow friend destroyed and the unbelievible vision of a flying saucer rising in the distance Taking control of one of the small passenger planes the scientist
look in awe as the saucer destroyed the mansion and staff inside
The saucer then catches up to them as they are beamed up into the
craft's belly. They agian meet xcetor who in a vain attempt tries
to explain his "actions" and tells them that they are being taken
to his world of Metaluna. And so sets the groundwork for what was probably the biggest film
event of 1955 "2-1/2 years in the making!" the ads would boast on
what is to this day still a joy to watch.With a casting call that
includes Rex(Rhodes)Reason,Jeff Morrow,Faith Domergue,Lance Fuler
and Richard Johnson. This film is must to have in any true sci-fi
collection My 4 star was decided by lack of a trailer (but at the
cover is the original poster art) the overall quality & sound are
great but I wish Criterion would get a hold of this gem.
Rating:
Summary: "They're pulling us up!"
Review: About a year ago when suddenly there were no copies of this available through the retail market, I took notice of the incredibly high asking prices that some individual online sellers wanted. I knew there was no way I would spend big bucks for something that was originally worth a lot less. Then I happened to find a brand new copy of the DVD in a local record store. I bought it cheap, never opened it and sold it on the Internet for a huge profit. I believed a lot of the reviewers on Amazon that the DVD transfer of"This Island Earth" was nothing to write home about so had no problem with making a little money on it. The problem is, where is a re-release of this film from Universal? What's taking them so long? Are they planning to wait until the film is destroyed? This is an important science fiction classic that needs and deserves to be preserved and presented on DVD. "This Island Earth" is arguably the most imaginative science fiction film of the 1950s and it seems Universal is brushing it aside. C'mon, get with the program, Universal. You got this film and a whole bunch more from the fifties like "Tarantula," "Monster on the Campus," and "The Mole People" that a lot of fans would like to see offered on DVD. Let's get rolling on this stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Alien Abduction...
Review: A rocket scientist (Rex Reason) is recruited by an alien race and taken (by remote control plane no less) to a compound in Georgia full of other renowned scientists. Once there, he meets Exeter (Jeff "Kronos" Morrow with a big forehead and a white wig) who explains that his people are from the planet Metaluna, and need us to increase their output of atomic energy before their enemies destroy them. You see, the metalunians are being exterminated by the evil Zahgons, who are crashing through their force fields with guided meteors! Faith Demergue (It Came From Beneath The Sea) and Russell Johnson (It Came From Outer Space, Attack Of The Crab Monsters) star as scientists trying to get away from Exeter and his fellow aliens. They get Reason's character to join them and flee in Exeter's "woody" station-wagon. The escape is foiled, Russell Johnson is killed by a death-ray blast, Reason and Demergue are abducted and (finally) taken to Metaluna aboard a ship resembling an extra-terrestrial toiletseat. The leader of the Metalunians explains that they will be going back to earth to subdue and rule it. This doesn't sit well with our heroes or Exeter, who helps them escape. Unfortunately, we are only on the planet for a few minutes before the big finale. The metaluna-mutant bug monster is pretty cool, but not in the movie long enough. I wanted to see more of him and less of the big-foreheaded guys! THIS ISLAND EARTH is pure 50s sci-fi hokum. An excellent way to spend an evening of beverage slurping and popcorn munching...
Rating:
Summary: Count me in: this film's a winner!!
Review: An impressive, imaginative early science-fiction thriller, in which Earth's best scientists are drafted to work for an imperiled alien civilization. The characters are all paper-thin, but the plot is reasonably dense, and the special effects -- particularly the sets and minatures used for the outer-space sequences -- are brilliantly ambitious and creative. A nice bridge between the hokey serial films of the 1930s and '40s and the 'Sixties era of "Star Trek" and "2001." Recommended! [Cast notes: also-ran Jeff Morrow plays the too-butch lead, Faith Domergue (who specialized in this kind of role) plays his bullet bra-ed co-scientist. And check out young Russell L. Johnson (best known as The Professor on "Gilligan's Island") as one of their colleagues.]
Rating:
Summary: Certainly a classic...
Review: I can say nothing about the merits of this film, as well as its landmark place in SciFi film history, that hasn't been said before. To buy this film at its going rate would involve hocking my first-born and mortgaging my life. With all the pure garbage that's available on DVD, I really want to know what's holding up the general release of this great classic. I don't get it. It's such a worthy film.
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