Bronxgirl48 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Better than I remembered, although honeymooner Hugh Marlowe slobbering over his wife's neck AS SHE'S DRIVING THE CAR still has me screaming "Idiot -- you'll both get yourself killed!" Not really Harryhausen's spfx cup of tea I'm sure, but he does a great job with those saucers, and the Washington destruction is unsettlingly realistic (whatever your political views) The aliens in their protective suits clumping around are rather eerie, as is their garbled warnings to Earth in foreign tongues. Touches like the glowing white overhead thingamabob that comes down and absorbs brains lends an INVADERS FROM MARS-like nightmarish quality, and there's a satisfying un-helmeting that reveals what the invaders really look like. Hugh Marlowe trying on a helmet looks pretty stupid, but boy the fun things he can see and hear! "I feel just like Superman!" he exclaims. What a jerk. Well paced, decently acted, no distracting comedy relief or dumb dialogue (except for the "tea and cookies" line, but even that is said with an almost earnest sardonic humor) and an ambiguous ending make for an above-average 50's sci-fi entry. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsclassic Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I agree, not the best movie from Harryhausen but I still want it with my others..I ordered the new disc editions of Earth vs the Flying Saucers and It came from Beneath the Sea with both B&W & Color...I probably will check out the color for curiosity.. I used to have that Box set with the first release of his movies, but the box was a pain in the arse to get to the DVDs & I think these prints are upgrades from their first release.. I love the Harryhausen movies, I wish I could meet him someday.. The only film I really wasnt into was 3 Worlds of Gulliver.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Haven't seen THE THREE WORLDS OF GULLIVER. Better meet Harryhausen and probably Ray Bradbury soon; they're gettin' up there in years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Did you notice Hugh Marlowe's hairy back in the last scene??? And is it just me, or do his characters always have a certain amount of "prickiness" to them, as in DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, WORLD WITHOUT END, SEVEN DAYS IN MAY.... Also, the scenes where they are "running" through the burning woods are horrible ... they appear to be jogging in place while the set moves behind them. But this is a fun picture, I must admit. The saucers look great (although the spacemen don't). And the "tea and cookies" line has always been one of my favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 THE THREE WORLDS OF GULLIVER is coming up soon on TCM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joefilmone Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 The saucers are Harryhausen best conventional fx work. I wish he had animated the aliens in his "An Animated Life" book there is a drawing form some worm like invaders too bad he did not used them. This is a very good B-picture. The scenes aboard the saucer are eerily effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OllieTSB Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 One of my favorite bad films. It's amazing what destruction and FX can do for a film's ratings! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainingviolets21 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I watched it and thought it was just fine--the aliens reminded me of the weak aliens in COCOON for the time, the special effects were top draw--Hugh Marlowe trying to get it on with his wife while she was driving was a hoot, hairy back and all. This was a real, old-fashioned drive-in movie and has a place in it's category as a classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 No, you're correct, there is a self-righteous prissy obnoxiousness about Marlowe -- it even comes through a bit in ALL ABOUT EVE. I must have bent down for my chips and salsa, because I missed his hairy back. YUCK. Another turnoff, but not apparently for Joan Taylor. The top half of the aliens looked somewhat like, well, I can't say on a family message board. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Yay! Kerwin Mathews is a real cutie-pie. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Those saucers didn't look anything like Ed Wood hubcaps, they really were believable to me. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 I liked the aliens on the Capitol steps. Or am I being redundant? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 They weren't aliens, they were "undocumented Americans" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 lol, call Lou Dobbs! He'll get his own personal death ray. (Actually I was referring to the politicians being really "out there", but, I can see all sides....) And btw, Morris Ankrum fans -- and I'm sure that's all of us -- must be warned about what happens to him here. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Poor Morris .. almost as bad as what John Emery did to him in KRONOS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 I haven't seen KRONOS in a long time and don't remember it too well. Tell me Morris LIVES!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Watch the trailer and decide for yourself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 Thanks! I think I'll choose to believe that he gets absorbed into the electrical energy and himself becomes Kronos. Let me have my little illusions, life is tough enough, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Actually, he was just someone who got a charge out of current events .. I think I stole that line from Forrest Ackerman regarding some other movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 lol, FJA loved his puns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 And what about poor Tom Browne Henry? He played a Vice-Admiral in EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS, a Major General in 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH, and his final screen credit goes like this: Airport (1970) (uncredited) .... Passenger who comes out of bathroom behind Guerrero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 I love the ending -- why, the aliens JUST CAN'T invade again, because it's SUCH A WONDERFUL WORLD, according to Joan. Nothing bad can happen to us because we're the Earth. And did you wonder as I did, what about the other nations? Are we to assume they successfully repelled them as well? Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 That's really sad.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Yeah, I wondered about those other nations too ... did the US give the plans for the weapon to Russia, for instance? Were we all in this together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 I can't imagine America giving the Russians anything in 1956, not even to save the Earth. We probably gave the weapons plan to the non-Communist countries. Message was edited by: Bronxgirl48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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