"Star Trek's" Dr. Leonard McCoy, aka Bones, always said it best when confronted with a new and unknown alien, "Why do we always call it it or that thing?"
Universal Pictures has made some great horror and sci-fi pictures during the twentieth century. One of the most original was the 1953 sci-fi film adaptations of the famous author Ray Bradbury's story of the xenophobic and paranoiac from both sides of the point of view of human and alien: "It Came From Outer Space".
This was a 3D film, of course lost on the TV and DVD transference. It would be awesome to see the original 3D film in the theater. Regardless, this relatively new DVD black and white transference is very good, atmospheric, dark but not muddy, and silver when it counts.
The story is about an alien space craft that crashes accidentally on Earth. The aliens want to repair their ship and leave. To further their cause, the aliens kidnap humans and take over their physical likeness to aid in the repair of their space craft.
Interwoven in this theme is the typical sci-fi romance, a macho confrontation, and the town posse sent to destroy the aliens.
Regardless of this typical contrivance, most of the script is literate, with Bradbury's unique introspection, woven within poetry as prose.
In the ending, the aliens do leave Earth somewhat peacefully, and we humans are left with a sense of wonder. This is the stuff of future Spielberg's "E.T." and "Close Encounters" type films, which are the ultimate alien encounter movies. In these stories both human and alien are xenophobes (fear of the outsider), not understanding each other, always with early mutual mistrust, and then with communication comes an understanding.
A word about the cast. Richard Carlson portrays the dreamer and stoic astronomer that first meets the aliens and believes in them in this play. Carlson is somewhat known for his cast in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" as a heel, and his scientist cum tough guy performance in "The Creature from the Black Lagoon".
His girlfriend in this film is cast with such breathtaking femininity, by the incredibly beautiful Barbara Rush, who is the hero's rock, and lioness in belief of her man. Barbara Rush is one of the 1950's almost forgotten but unforgettable women. She was so lovely, and when ever I see her on the silver screen, my heart always skips a beat. And like all sci-fi heroines of that age she gets wide eyed and SCREAMS really well when terrified.
This movie is intelligent, well written, aptly acted, with eerie score, and filmed in the lonely desert with the adept eye of the macabre.
Highly recommended as one of the really great sci-fi films of the the golden age of the genre, the 1950's.
I give it four stars out of five.
Universal Pictures has made some great horror and sci-fi pictures during the twentieth century. One of the most original was the 1953 sci-fi film adaptations of the famous author Ray Bradbury's story of the xenophobic and paranoiac from both sides of the point of view of human and alien: "It Came From Outer Space".
This was a 3D film, of course lost on the TV and DVD transference. It would be awesome to see the original 3D film in the theater. Regardless, this relatively new DVD black and white transference is very good, atmospheric, dark but not muddy, and silver when it counts.
The story is about an alien space craft that crashes accidentally on Earth. The aliens want to repair their ship and leave. To further their cause, the aliens kidnap humans and take over their physical likeness to aid in the repair of their space craft.
Interwoven in this theme is the typical sci-fi romance, a macho confrontation, and the town posse sent to destroy the aliens.
Regardless of this typical contrivance, most of the script is literate, with Bradbury's unique introspection, woven within poetry as prose.
In the ending, the aliens do leave Earth somewhat peacefully, and we humans are left with a sense of wonder. This is the stuff of future Spielberg's "E.T." and "Close Encounters" type films, which are the ultimate alien encounter movies. In these stories both human and alien are xenophobes (fear of the outsider), not understanding each other, always with early mutual mistrust, and then with communication comes an understanding.
A word about the cast. Richard Carlson portrays the dreamer and stoic astronomer that first meets the aliens and believes in them in this play. Carlson is somewhat known for his cast in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" as a heel, and his scientist cum tough guy performance in "The Creature from the Black Lagoon".
His girlfriend in this film is cast with such breathtaking femininity, by the incredibly beautiful Barbara Rush, who is the hero's rock, and lioness in belief of her man. Barbara Rush is one of the 1950's almost forgotten but unforgettable women. She was so lovely, and when ever I see her on the silver screen, my heart always skips a beat. And like all sci-fi heroines of that age she gets wide eyed and SCREAMS really well when terrified.
This movie is intelligent, well written, aptly acted, with eerie score, and filmed in the lonely desert with the adept eye of the macabre.
Highly recommended as one of the really great sci-fi films of the the golden age of the genre, the 1950's.
I give it four stars out of five.