1951
Directed by Robert Wise
I brought this to a movie night with a few friends awhile ago and they all laughed at me for my horrible taste in films. They put in Thor instead. But this is truly a classic, even if people have not heard a lot about it. It is actually considered to be one of the first Sci Fi films. So Thor might not even have existed if it wasn't for this movie. So there.
It is very easy to laugh at the special effects of earlier movies. However, the influence of this movie is pretty much prevalent in all the major sic fi films. In fact, the landing of the aliens is so similar to Close Encounters of the Third Kind that I declare that I declare Spielberg a copycat!
An alien comes to Earth to deliver a message of peace to the humans. Naturally, everyone completely freaks out and does not listen right away. Damn humans.
This is actually a pretty good film, unless you are one of those jerks that will only focus on how bad the special effects look compared to today's. My brother was doing that when I had Buffy The Vampire Slayer on during Thanksgiving and I nearly kicked him in the face. But I digress. Check it out!
RATING: ****-
Interesting Facts:
Patricia Neal had a hard time keeping a straight face during filming because she figured this would just be another stupid B movie.
As a homage, George Lucas named three of his bounty hunters Klaatu, Nikto, and Barada.
Lock Martin was 7'7''. Holy crap.
This is not the first sci-fi, but admittedly one if the best of the fifties. I loved it as well. If you should ever be such inclined you can find a lot of reviews of great and not so great fifties science fiction on Flickers in Time. There is a link on my page.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'll check it out!
DeleteI'm so sad that you got mocked for taking this along to the film night. Philistines. Especially when they responded with some comic book CGI monstrosity .. Ha. Stick with us instead, we are with you (well, mostly)
ReplyDeleteYes, all criticisms of this (cheesy message storyline, effects etc) have some validity .. but, hey, it's of it's time ...
I trust you have treated with all valid disdain the remake? I've caught occasional snippets when it's been on telly, and it looks dire.
I didn't know this had a remake. Yikes.
DeleteI'm afraid so .. about 10 years ago (Fact Checked ..2008), with Keanu Reeves. I've not seen it, but I've seen TV trailers, and it looks dire.
ReplyDeleteThe Day the Earth Stood Still. THE Day. But the plot takes place over three or four days. And it was only half an hour when everything more or less stood still. Very confusing...
ReplyDeleteInteresting to be watching this when the latest North Korea crisis is dominating so much of the news. Basically, "We have nuclear weapons and have established a system which suits us very well, thank you very much. You're not part of our gang so we distrust you and don't want you to have even a small slice of the same weaponry that we have. Therefore, we come in peace yet will obliterate your entire planet and species if you do not bow down to our self-serving demands."
Nothing wrong with the special effects, although some of the 'normal' stuff was a little absurd. EG: the worst-guarded spaceship ever, where soldiers armed with rifles stand idly by an open gate where the public can walk right up to it.
Movie spaceships are never guarded well.
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