A textbook example of '50s-era science fiction,
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers boasts not only a solid script and competent performances, but some genuinely impressive stop-motion effects courtesy of one of the industry's uncontested masters, Ray Harryhausen. Scientist Hugh Marlowe (who faced a more benevolent invader from space five years earlier in
The Day the Earth Stood Still) discovers that UFOs are responsible for the destruction of a series of exploratory space rockets launched by his space exploration project. The saucers' helmeted pilots land on Earth and deliver an ultimatum to humanity via Marlowe: fealty or complete annihilation.
Harryhausen's painstakingly intricate saucers and the destruction they wreak (particularly during an assault on Washington, D.C.) are the film's unquestionable highlights, but Marlowe and Joan Taylor (as his wife/partner) are capable leads, and veteran B director Fred F. Sears doesn't let the dialogue and expositional scenes fall apart in between the barrage of effects. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is a fun and effective slice of sci-fi that should please younger audiences as well as nostalgic return viewers. Sears later reused some of the effects footage for his jaw-droppingly awful 1957 effort, The Giant Claw. --Paul Gaita
1 Ray Harryhausen Vs. The Flying Saucers
EARTH Vs.THE FLYING SAUCERS is US Air Force-Defense Department's
PROJECT BLUEBOOK (once-&-future legendary study of UFO's) brought to the screen in BxW glory of astounding,super-dynamation SFX of tech master,Ray Harryhausen. Harryhausen's Flying Saucers are,in a word,awesome works of art. In my estimate,this aspect of the film is peer with both the wicked Martian War Machines of WAR of the WORLDS; and the Star Trek ENTERPRISE prototype,United Planets Cruiser C-57-D,of FORBIDDEN PLANET.
EARTH Vs...plot,acting;over-all production values(all competent; well above pedestrian)"lack" epic quality George Pal imbues his WAR with. And virtually no one...including Stanley Kubrick or George Lucas--though ALIEN's saga often comes close--matches the MONSTER from the ID and the Legend of The KRELL,which defines PLANET as still perhaps sci-fi's greatest adventure.
This film is Ray Harryhausen's showcase. A bigger budget(with color photography)may have lifted it from King-B status to undisputed wonder of cinema myth. JASON&THE ARGONAUTS;and CLASH of the TITANS(& numerous VOYAGES of SINBAD)displayed mythical qualities in FX renown. Nonetheless,EARTH Vs.THE FLYING SAUCERS is technically accomplished sci-fi fantasy deserving honored place on the top shelf of the genre.(4 & 1/2 stars)
2 Fantastic Movie
This is great. The acting is great. The speacial effects are great. Ray Harryhausen is the best speacial effects man ever. The speacial effects in this movie (mainly the flying saucers) are sometimes better than CGI. (CGI looks wierd beacause it looks different from it's background.) In the movie, rockets used for exploring space are inexplicably exploding and crashing.
They are actually being shot down by aliens who think the rockets are weapons against them. They try to contact earth peacefully but are treated with violence and they are forced to fight back. They assault on Washington D.C. in a few extreme scenes of destruction. Not all the monuments end up in good shape either. This movie is highly recommended.
3 Great representative of 1950's Sci-Fi genre'
"Earth vs. The Flying Saucers" debuted in July of 1956 and it's easy to see why it was a fairly successful film for it's time. Capitalizing on the wave of UFO sightings that were sweeping the country at that time, "EVFS" had to have had an impact on a large number of paranoid Americans.
The strength of the film, of course, in found in the believable saucers concocted by the great Ray Harryhausen. So believable, in fact, that the viewer slowly forgets that the saucers are only an effect and not really in the picture. Harryhausen was a master at mixing light and background with his effects and displays that genius in this film!
Rather than go into the plot of the movie (which has been done and overdone by previous reviewers), let me suffice to say that this film needs to be judged by the technology that was available at that time. Sure, it special effects are primitive compared to today's computer-generated blockbusters, but that shouldn't detract the viewer from appreciating the film on it's own level. One can definitely see the effect that this film had on the production of films like "Independence Day".
Unlike many of the DVD's of the 1950's Sci-Fi films produced today, "EVFS" contains some great extras. In particular, the "Harryhausen Chronicles" are almost worth the price of the disc alone. This semi-documentary gives the viewer some great insight from first-person interviews with Harryhausen. His great imagination and wit jump off the screen as he gives the viewer the background secrets to the creation of some of his greatest special effects. Also included are vignettes on the "making of" EVFS with Harryhausen and Joe Dante and "This is Dynamation".
This is great stuff and should be a part of every Sci-Fi collection! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
4 FUN HARRYHAUSEN FILM
As a Harryhausen fan I've always been disappointed that he didn't have a larger body of work. Perhaps it was by his choice but I suspect that part of it was that Ray's stop-motion animation technique was so time-consuming and costly, that it certainly proved to be his worst enemy at times, especially since he didn't exactly work on pictures with "A" budgets for the most part. But Ray's perfectionist zeal was a boon to his fans. His effects used in Earth vs. The Flying Saucers raises the bar on films that previously had relied on tying a flying saucer to fishing line and moving it across the screen. Harryhausen's flying saucers almost define flying saucers, and the "flat men" aliens are quite unique.
Dr. Russell Marvin (Hugh Marlowe)heads up Operation Skyhook, which is tasked with sending rockets into the upper atmosphere to probe for future space flights. Unfortunately, all the rockets are somehow disappearing. During the final rocket launching, a UFO lands and the military shoots at it, triggering the destruction of the installation and a cryptic warning from the aliens. In response, Marvin and his colleagues develop an anti-magnetic beam weapon to disable the flying discs. The weapon and the mettle of the populace of Washington, DC are soon put to the test.
Besides the Harryhausen effects, the other thing setting this film well above others of its ilk is the screenplay by Curt Siodmak, who wrote so many classic screenplays including the Wolf Man. As usual the biggest drawback in these 50's era sci-fi films is the wooden acting of its stars. Marlowe is passable but after that it's strictly B movie central from the rest of the cast.
While this does not have the stature of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" or "Forbidden Planet", this film is still a classic. It is so stereotypical of the cold war alien paranoia films that I use it as the example in my film class. It is obviously the basis for films that came later, such as "Independence Day" and "Mars Attacks".
The nice DVD comes with a couple of very solid features on harryhausens Dynamation and the making of the film itself.
5 The Saucers Are Coming!!!
The 1956 Columbia Pictures presentation of "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers" plopped itself down into the midst of an America that was largely on tenterhooks because of very real Communist expansionist activities around the world (hence the spectre of an "invasion" mentality), as well as an America steeped in the awareness of strange things being seen in the skies since the mid-1940s (sporadic signtings of weird "airships" or "flying chariots' go far back into history, but EN MASSE incidents dated only to the Second World War in the skies over Europe...to little silver disks sailing through Allied bomber formations, to larger light balls soaring about everywhere, seemingly with "intelligent guidance"...things called "ghost rockets" and "foo fighters" that the Allies thought were German secret weapons, and the Germans thought were Allied secret weapons).
In June of 1947 an Idaho businessman named Kenneth Arnold was
involved in a Civil Air Patrol search near Washington's Mt. Rainier, helping the US Air Force in searching for a downed cargp plane, when he saw a group of strange aircraft sail past the mountain in an echelon formation like geese or ducks. He was close enough to tell they weren't birds, but crescent shaped metallic "whatzits". Arnold reported them, but believed they were some sort of classified, experimental aircraft on maneuvers.
The government denied this. In talking about these things he'd seen, Arnold said the "craft" (crescents, mind you) kind of moved forward through the air in a skipping sort of motion "like if you spun a saucer out (frisbee style) across the top of a pond and it skipped scross the water". Well, he used the word "saucer", and the things were supposedly flying, so the media put the two concepts together and the term "Flying Saucer" was born. The implication being these "must be" the craft of some kind of people from outer space. But what did they want? Why were they here? Imaginations were left to run wild with that...as well as memories of H.G. Well's novel "War of the Worlds" and the terrifying radio program done of it in the 1930's by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre Players.
People got a little "antsy" over these things (justfiably so) and interest in them was high (still is). The Air Force was charged with investigating this situation and set up several projects to investigate them, the most famous being Project Blue Book at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. Early on the AF had somewhat of an open policy with the public about "these things". but in 1952 that changed radically. In the summer of 1952 the greater metropolitan Washington, DC, area was besieged by "saucers" for several days in July. They were all over the skies over Washington and on out into the Virginia and Maryland countrysides. Jets took them on and got outflown and outmaneuvered. Rumors persist to this day that there were "shootdowns" on both sides. Maybe. Maybe not.In any event, after that wild summer the government cracked down big time on UFO reporting. The policy became "Deny it. Deny it all", the same policy that exists to this day. Project Blue Book was turned into nothing more than a "discrediting agency" for "PR" purposes and the real AF UFO investigation switched to a NEW unit, the 4602nd Air Intelligence Service Squadron, a group whose existence was only discovered in the past decade or so. It has operated under various code names, "Moon Dust", etc., ALL ALONG, while the public was told that THE "investigating agency" (Blue Book) had been SHUT DOWN in 1969 on the recommendation of a spurious, CIA-controlled "Scientific" Investigation at the University of Colorado. All this Colorado horseplay did was write official "finis' to Project Blue Book, the OFFICIAL AF UFO research project. But "deep black" clandestine government UFO investigations continued...and continue NOW...in full swing...under various covert code names. Surprise, surprise, the government lies! But not just ours...they ALL do!
The 1952 D.C. incident was made prominent in a classic expose book called "Flying Saucers From Outer Space" by Marine Corps retired Major. Donald Keyhoe, and this later formed the basis for the screenplay of "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers". "Earth" , in cranking out an exciting SF adventure for the younger crowd, does a sizable bit of exaggerating on what what really went on...with saucers destroying national landmarks in DC while the AF and the Army use newly brainstormed rayguns to shoot them down. Its an Us-vs-THEM shoot-em-up showdown in the sky.
The war-of-the-worlds scenario of a dying race looking to relocate on Earth was the basis for this invasion plan, and it works fine enough in this capacity in this film. The stop-motion animation effects by Ray Harryhausen are excellent for their time and technology level. Harryhausen's work is always a treat and is no less spectacular here than in any of the Sinbad series entries or any of his big gorilla or dinosaur work.
Hugh Marlowe (From "Day the Earth Stood Still") stars here and does a fine job in one of the few SF movies of the period that doesn't star either Richard Denning or Richard Carlson (or both). All supporting roles are handled competently.
"Earth" delivers all the thrills, chills, excitement and goosebumps you could ask for in a B-level potboiler and if you want to stuff yourself with hot chocolate and popcorn in front of the old idiot box while it rains a river outside sometime, pop this oldie-but-goodie in your DVD player, kick back, relax, and enjoy. It's a lot of fun.
6 Campy Conspiracy Theorist-Inspired 1950's Sci-Fi B-Movie
Almost 50 years ago (1956), Fred F. Sears (1913-1957) directed one of the more memorable sci-fi B-movies entitled "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers", which was based upon the book "Flying Saucers from Outer Space" written by Donald E. Keyhoe (1897-1988). (A retired marine officer, Donald E. Keyhoe became an advocate of government alien-cover-up conspiracy theories.) At only 83 minutes, film audiences were treated to a fictional scenario that focused on the U.S. being invaded by strange, powerful, humanoid aliens that arrive in seemingly unstoppable, spinning flying saucers (about 100 feet in diameter). They are first encountered by a husband & wife scientific team, Dr. Russell A. Marvin (Hugh Marlowe, 1911-1982) & Carol Marvin (Joan Taylor), who are testing high-altitude rockets. After Carol's father, Brig. Gen. Hanley (Morris Ankrum, 1896-1964), is kidnapped by the aliens, they realize that they must find a way to combat the aliens to stop their impending invasion of Earth (by attacking Washington, D.C.) using their powerful disintegrating-beam weapons.
Though the film is entertaining, it does suffer from several obvious flaws that are due, in part, to a weak film budget:
1. The armored aliens walk stiffly like robots, or if they are suffering from severe arthritis. This doesn't make them seem very menacing, except for their disintegrating-beams that can emanate from stiffly raised arms.
2. The notion of a spinning flying saucer does not seem like a very comfortable way to travel. Unless the aliens can counteract basic physical laws of motion (as described by Sir Isaac Newton, 1642-1727), it would be very difficult to maintain a non-spinning interior with a fast-rotating exterior of the ship. This was the basic physical law that had to be overcome in order for helicopters to be feasible.
3. Though quite entertaining, the alien attack on Washington, D.C. includes a supposed, nearby U.S. military counter-attack. However, the stock footage used was of rockets being launched from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and anti-aircraft artillery that is located in a mountainous desert-southwest location.
4. The alien invasion itself appears stopped after only about half a dozen (or slightly more) alien flying saucers are downed. Given the amount of effort that would be necessary for an invading alien force to successfully invade and subdue an entire planet, a successful invasion seems rather ostentatious, foolhardy and fruitless with only a handful of ships.
Despite the flaws, the film's ability to entertain was due in large measure to the visual effects supplied by Ray Harryhausen; whose other film visual effects include the 1963 "Jason and the Argonauts" (1963), "One Million Years B.C." (1966) and "Clash of the Titans" (1981); as well as a descent script written by George Worthing Yates (1901-1975) & Bernard Gordon. (Bernard Gordon was one of the unfortunate victims of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's, 1908-1957, House Un-American Activities Committee.) Though memorable as a B-movie, "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" is not on the same par as some of its better contemporaries that include "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951, which also starred Hugh Marlowe), "The War of the Worlds" (1953) or "Forbidden Planet" (1956). It was, however, one of the inspirations for Tim Burton's humorous 1996 sci-fi spoof, "Mars Attacks!". Overall, I rate "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" with 3.5 stars out of 5, rounded up to 4 stars.
7 re: Wide screen DVD? Not really
To add to what FlickFlack (NM, USA) said previously: The most obvious evidence of top and bottom clipping can be seen early in the movie when Dr. Marvin (Hugh Marlowe) is describing, with the use of an animated graphic, how his "birds" (satellites) will be orbited around Earth. In the original film and the VHS tape, you can see the complete circular orbit paths. In the "widescreen" DVD, the graphic has been significantly butchered.
The IMDB ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049169/ ) says that "Earth vs" was originally shot at a widescreen 1.85:1 ratio, but they've been wrong before. E. Lentoni (Long Island) in the preceeding message says that it was filmed at 1.33:1. I don't know who's correct, but I do know that I've never seen a true widescreen version on either tape or disc. Although many 1950's films were shot at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (the same shape as a TV picture tube, as a matter of fact), there were a lot of wider formats after about 1953. With the introduction of the DVD, I've certainly seen the "shortscreen" version.
Here's an irritating fact: Assume that the original film really was 1.85:1. Then trim the edges to make a fullscreen 1.33:1 image for the VHS tape. You have just removed 28 percent of the picture, leaving 72 percent. Now take that reduced image and trim the top and bottom off to make a "fake" widescreen 1.85:1 DVD image This is what Columbia did. You have now reduced the image to 72 percent of it's already shrunken size, and 52 percent of the filmed size. That's what you get with the DVD- only about 52 percent of the original filmed picture remains. You've lost essentially HALF of the picture information!
8 questionable transfer
This quick review addresses the decision of Columbia to sell this dvd as a widescreen version, though the film wasn't shot that way. As reviewer FlickFlack (NM, USA) pointed out, the top and bottom of the film were basically chopped off or 'blacked out' giving the impression of a widescreen version. I have this film also on vhs. I used an A/B switch to compare the versions while they played concurrently. The vhs vesion, which is in the original aspect ratio, has MORE to see. Respectfully I disagee with FlickFlack that not much important info is lost on the dvd. To my eyes I believe some pertinent information WAS lost by changing the aspect ratio of this film.
Anyway, I'm just trying to help. I wouldn't have bought this dvd had I known what Columbia Tristar did to this movie.
Five stars for the special effects, three stars for the script, and one star for the transfer.
9 Wide screen DVD? Not really.
"Earth Vs the Flying Saucers is a classic - read most of the other reviews. The Columbia Pictures (Columbia Tristar) release of the DVD contains a very good transfer, with picture quality as good as one could get from a 50-year-old film, and the sound quality is much better than the video tape, so it's worth buying for those reasons. BUT...
The IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) says that the film was shot at an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and the image seen on the TV screen does indeed seem to be about that shape. However, Columbia's claim that this is a wide screen DVD is false. The DVD's image is exacly as wide as my full screen (1.33:1) VHS copy (from Good Times Video). The difference is that Columbia has just chopped off the top and bottom of the full screen version to make it look like wide screen. The full screen VHS actually contains more picture "information" than the "wide screen" DVD. If you are buying the DVD thinking that you'll see a wider picture than is on the full screen tape, you'll be disappointed. You will see nothing new. I must say that you don't really loose much important stuff, but on the other hand you're certainly not gaining anything- the information that was cropped from the original film to make the full screen tape is still missing from this "wide screen" DVD.
10 For what it is,
a classic 1950s alien invasion film, this is way at the top of the heap! The Harryhausen magic, the not-very-effective actors, the overall mystique. Well worth the price!!
11 It's easy to see why Ray does not like this movie....
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.
12 The essential Alien Invasion flim of the 50s. Great effects!
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.
13 Ornery aliens...when will they learn?
"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...does this sound familiar? It should, as we've seen it so many times before, in films like Independence Day...the plot for that Emmerich film is basically lifted from here, with main difference being the inclusion of 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
14 Earth vs. Ray Harryhausen...
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...
15 It Looks Fake, Fake, and more Fake. CGI is better.
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.
16 People of Earth ... Attention! People of Earth ... Attention
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.
17 This movie still rules.
This is the mother of all invasion movies here. Filmed in gorgeous black and white, and coming out two years before the Technicolor blitzkrieg of War of the Worlds, EVTFS is still superior on just about every level. The special effects, laughable to some who judge only by today's standards, are still eye-popping. The first half of the movie is mostly dialogue driven and is designed to up the suspense ante by stages. The second half is the reason to see it as the flying saucers (and Harryhausen!) pull out all the stops and go whole-hog on the invasion. The painstaking model work is just extraordinary, especially the destruction of the capitol building. Although an obvious product of the coldwar and the McCarthy eras, the movie, with its Us vs. Them mentality, is still very relavant today. You need only look at the headlines about American foreign policy to see this. Although EVTFS may come across as an exercise in coldwar paranoia, I would like to think that it is an exercise in optimism. For anyone living in those times and having to face the fact that almost two thirds of the world was on the way to becoming communist, if not already there, those must have seemed like dark times indeed. Like its modern day version, Independance Day, Earth shows that any problem can be overcome if people just put down their differences and work together. This, I think is the greatest strength Earth vs. The Flying Saucers. It's a good belief-for any time or age.
18 Best of the Best
Years ago, I had the opportunity to meet Ray during a science fiction festival and he was so happy with the way his movie turned out that he responded to me like this, "You know, I made that movie so real that everyone thought I had actually met someone from out in space" I believe he was German and what a nice, humble man. I wonder if he is still living today. Anyway, this is the "best of the best - and it was made at a time when everything was clay-mation, imagine no computers. Now since it is in DVD it will hold the clarity and picture quality needed for this priceless gem.
19 Entertaining 50's scifi, with plenty of extras
"Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" is one of those movies that helped define the science fiction thriller of the 1950's. It features a lantern-jawed scientist as hero, his intelligent but doting love interest, and a very straightforward flying saucer invasion.
Like "Independence Day" the movie is a race against time -- the scientists and military must find a way to defeat the aliens before they succeed in their plan to conquer the Earth-- but "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" is a better movie than "Independence Day". It's leaner, meaner and better-written. And Ray Harryhausen's special effects still look great today.
And what a great, great job Columbia did with this disc. The film has been digitally cleaned up and presented in widescreen, and there are some great extras -- Joe Dante interviews Ray Harryhausen about the film, and there is a short promotional film about Harryhausen's Dynamation process. A commentary track would have been welcome, but for a B-movie from the 50's, this is above and beyond. Thanks to everyone at Columbia who made it possible.
20 In its day, a cut above your average flying saucers!
I have heard a few people opine that EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS is their LEAST favorite Ray Harryhausen movie (Ray being the director of special effects). I disagree for one main reason -- I saw this movie on first run, and it was a blast at that time, and at that age. The poster for this movie is now among the most valuable in the world, along with those for KING KONG and FORBIDDEN PLANET -- because, I suppose, the artwork outside the theater promised gaudy, wonderful invasion goings-on inside.
The movie delivers flying saucers -- boy, does it. The only saucer ever to come close to these is the one in FORBIDDEN PLANET. It's a testament to the excellence of Ray Harryhausen's effects that the camera lovingly lingers over these magnificent machines, which have spinning internal parts and fly the way saucers should fly -- in formation, at crazy angles, and fast -- up, up and away fast! These are saucers in all their glory. It's no accident that clones of these saucers down to the last detail (except for the landing gear) turn up in MARS ATTACKS. They've never been outdone. As another reviewer put it so succinctly, the saucers are the main character. Oh, Hugh Marlowe (who also appeared in DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL) and the rest of the cast are good, but the point is aliens and saucers, and very little time is wasted on anything else.
The other wonderful and fascinating thing about this movie is that Harryhausen chose to set the final battle in Washington, D.C. and have his saucers crashing into the various monuments -- making for some sensational imagery for viewers in 1956. Since the scenes were mostly filmed using Ray's own miniatures, they actually look far better than some of the effects in other films of the period which attempted the same stuff -- the fall of the Washington Monument onto some unlucky tourists is particularly "cool!"
This is a personal favorite of mine, despite its silly science and its brevity. Frankly, my own least favorite Harryhausen film is either 3 WORLDS OF GULLIVER or even IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA -- which offer less screen time for their special effects. And after all, at a Harryhausen movie, effects are kinda the whole point...! ;^D
21 Harryhausen at his best
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.
22 Alien brainteasers
Too many rockets seem to be going astray lately. Combine this with mysterious lights in the sky and you have some suspicious scientists. This is explained early on in the movie when recently married Dr. Marvin and Carol Marvin are making thinly valid romantic overtures and they are approached by (you guessed it) a flying saucer. What can this encounter mean? What are the consequences if they do not figure it out soon, as "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers"?
This movie has just about everything you need for a good sci-fi film. It has a 50's feel (probably because it is a 50's movie.) It has Ray Harryhausen effects Vs nondescript CGI. And you recognize Hugh Marlowe from "The Day The Earth Stood Still". At one point you can say don't look up (oops too late). More to the point it is just down right fun to watch.
23 Good old Science Fiction.
I loved this movie as a kid and I still like to watch it now. I think it had the best flying saucer special effects in it's time. You can see where the movie "Mars Attacks" gets a lot of it's plot from. There are lots of good extras on this DVD including a nice interview with Ray Harryhausen.
24 Flying Saucers! Paranoia! Aliens Attack!
_Earth vs. the Flying Saucers_ is vintage sci-fi from 1950s cold-war America. Plotwise, the title says it all.
The film's acknowledged highlights are the impressive special-effects sequences by stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen. Harryhausen manages the difficult task of giving these flying saucers a personality of their own. In fact, these spinning machines display more nuance and character than any of the film's human actors. But perhaps that's as it should be. After all, if you plan to watch a film called _Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, you're not really looking for taut psychological drama.
The extras on this DVD are adequate, but no better. Two of the disc's three featurettes have been featured on other Harryhausen discs, so if you already own a title in the "Harryhausen Collection," you'll discover quite a bit of overlap. A photo gallery and some trailers round out the package.
P.S. The flying saucers (along with a good deal of the plot) in Tim Burton's hilarious _Mars Attacks!_ were lifted from this film. See the original first, and you'll get most of the jokes.
25 Lollapalooza sci-fi thriller
Long before Independence Day a squadron of very cool-looking flying saucers (designed by sfx whiz Ray Harryhausen, the Picasso of the genre) destroyed Washington DC -- one saucer even sliced off the Washington Monument -- ouch! Yes its a B-movie & most of the effects are saved for the last three reels, but you will love them, and the black-and-white photography remains crisp and shiny. A lovable classic about cute little monsters from outer space who travel amongst the planets in style.
26 These UFOs are not our friends
Although not one of Harryhausen's best efforts, Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers is better than most films from the same time frame. The script has a number of nice imaginative touches (the alien's are so frail despite their technology that they whither away if their suits are removed; the way they communicate initially with Hugh Marlowe's character is interesting).
The effects work is top-notch although not as showy as other efforts (interestingly, when one of the buildings explodes to save money there's a quick cut to a stock shot of the destruction of the Los Angeles city hall from Paramount's War of the Worlds). Harryhausen manages to give the flying saucers character (something that can't be said about the performances by the lead actors). Made after The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms and It Came From Beneath The Sea, Earth demonstrated that Harryhausen was ready for something far more ambitious.
The script is a bit stodgy and the acting capable if uninspired (Hugh Marlowe's one dimensional acting style fits well into the static direction by b movie vet Fred Sears). Fred Sears' direction does keep the movie moving along. This was just a stepping stone for Harryhausen to his future classic films. The DVD picture is pretty good given the age of the negative and the extras are nice. Harryhausen has wisely chosen not to do an auto commentary as he has always feels it robs a movie of its magic.
27 Harryhausen versus the Sci Fi Cliches
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.
28 Earth vs The Flying Suacers
I thought the DVD was great because with the special features segment you could appreciate the time and effort that went into the special affects of the movie. The reproduction onto DVD was superb and the basic story line kept you focused through the whole movie.
29 The Best of the SF Mid-50s
Many of the science fiction movies of the 1950s had an effective combination of surprisingly good acting and swift pacing that runs competitively with the big budgeted but far less interesting counterparts of today. In EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS, director Fred Sears manages to use the superlative special effects of slow-motion master Ray Harryhausen as a backdrop for a tale that points the way for such future and similar movies as STAR WARS and STAR TREK.
By the the time this movie was filmed (1956), the Second World War had been over for more than ten years, but the movies of this next decade still retained the harsh, documentary film style that demanded a ubiquitous use of soldiers, tanks, and warplanes. Typically, monster films of the 50s required a military type solution to an alien invasion, usually resulting in a reverse storming of the beachhead of Tarawa, with the defenders as the valiant but overmatched earth soldiers. It was just three years earlier that earth's stalwart defenders failed to repel invading Martians in WAR OF THE WORLDS. In EVFS, earth's initial defense is led by a face familiar to science fiction movies of the period--Hugh Marlowe, who had similar such roles in WORLD WITHOUT END and THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. Here he plays a scientist whose technical wizardry forms the basis for a defense against an aggressive race of aliens who look like pint sized versions of the robot Gort from THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. The aliens wobble along stiff legged, blasting into smithereens all opposition. One of the most interesting parts had nothing to do with combat but everything to do with what happens when alien and human finally talk face to face. Morris Ankrum, another well-known second banana type of the 50s, plays an army general who is kidnapped so that the aliens can pick his mind apart with a brain scanner. The scene in the saucer in which Ankrum stands before his daughter as a modified zombie is chilling in its intensity. Up til this point, the confrontation between human and alien which had been strictly business morphed to brutally personal. The battle scenes that culminate in the Armegeddon type destruction that lays waste the national capital at Washington still resonate even with a generation that expects the latest cutting edge in computer-assisted special effects. Finally, there is the believable interaction in the love interest relation between Marlowe and the lovely Joan Taylor, who plays his wife-science partner.
In judging the relative merit of any movie, the critic ought to focus on how succesfully and seamlessly that movie accomplishes its implied goals. In EVFS, director Sears promised to deliver a thrilling movie that featured terrific special effects, a competent script and acting, and a subtext that suggests that human beings had better co-operate in the face of a common danger. He delivered, and that is why I give it five stars.
30 Classic 1950's sci fi effort with memorable finale
"Earth Vs The Flying Saucers" would have to go down as one of the all time classic titles in Science Fiction movie history. Being very much a product of the decade it was made in (1950's) it has everything that a sci fi fan could ask for, gruesome aliens intent upon taking over the world, fantastic space crafts,the essential supporting love story, and a spectacular attack on a well known city or monument. It's all there in this film and it really stands up as one of the very best efforts in this genre from that period.
The main attraction in "Earth Vs The Flying Saucers' is undoubtedly the magical special effects work accomplished by that wizard of wonder Ray Harryhausen. An absolute genius in his field who worked without the assistance of all the computer know how employed today,he created one masterpiece after another over many years and here he manages to create breath taking effects that are still wonderous and are the basis from which all modern sci fi story draw their inspiration. His creation of the unforgettable attack by the aliens on Washington DC where all the familiar monuments are destroyed by the space ships has gone down in sci fi folklore and is still as thrilling to watch today as it was when first released.
The story of this film is simple and very straight forward. The members of an alien space fleet from a disintergrated solar system attempt to make contact with Earth in their search for help which is mistaken for an attack and results in them attempting to take over by force. Hugh Marlowe is very effective in the lead role of scientist Dr. Russell Marvin and it is to his credit that he delivers a believable performance that doesn't get overshadowed by the spectacular effects . His work with his love interest Joan Taylor is well done and never once gets in the way of the proceedings. Director Fred Sears a well known expert in this type of production keeps the action moving and never allows the action or pace to lag.
I guess my only let down in the story is the aliens themselves. When they make their appearance I found their look to be unexciting and stiff. The scenes inside the spaceship where their voices are heard is very effective and extremely creepy however I thought their actual appearance a bit disappointing. Despite this I feel the writers have done well here with their presentation of the aliens technology. The whole concept of them being able to infiltrate the humans minds with a laser beam was an interesting concept and was very eerie in its execution in the film.
"Earth Vs The Flying Saucers" is tremendously entertaining and a classic of its kind. Personally I dont think it can compete with my other favourite film on invading aliens, the stunning and quite scary "War Of The Worlds". That film is alot more sophisticated however this production is sure to entertain those who love good old fashioned science fiction told in a straight forward manner with great special effects that still have a heart.
31 Crop shop?
Good transfer of a favorite film. The new transfer adds quite a bit to the sides of the image (great news!). As another writer pointed out, it also crops the top and bottom a bit. While I lament the loss of that data, I am very happy to see side info that I've NEVER seen. I compared this to the laserdisc fullscreen version to come to these conclusions.
It's like the Super 35 problem; two versions of T2, one cropped on the sides, the other cropped on the top and bottom. Sometimes I wish they would just give us the whole enchalada!
32 It's a classic 'B' sci-fi
I am a fan of the B-scifis of the 50's and 60's, considering its budget it didn't do a bad job. If you enjoy the B movies of that era, you could do a lot worse.
33 Something wrong with DVD aspect ratio
This was a favorite movie from my childhood. The Harryhausen special effects were awesome for the time, and are still impressive. However, there is something wrong with a the aspect ratio on this DVD. The actors all have long narrow heads, the cars are short and overly tall, etc. The VHS tape is much better in this regards. The DVD does feature "The Harryhausen Chronicles" which alone is worth the price of this DVD. Too bad they could have made the DVD where people look normal.
34 I Just Like It
What can I say other than I remember this one from the drive-in
theater. I was enthralled then as a kid and today as I rewatched it once again I became a kid in the back seat of the family station wagon. The special effects by Master Ray Harryhausen make it wonderful fare for a classic Sci-fi buff like myself. Enjoy!
35 Why this mania for cropping?
We must be glad to have this Harryhausen classic on disc, but the producers have committed the Second Sin. The First Sin is chopping the sides off widescreen film images to make "full-screen" video transfers, during which process we often lose as much as half the picture. The Second - usually less damaging - is to kiss up to (and to deceive) the widescreen TV owners by shaving 1:1.33 images on the top and bottom to make phony "widescreen" images. (Even Criterion has done this with, for instance, "The Blob" and "The Horse's Mouth".) A comparison with the old VHS tape of this film shows considerable (though not catastrophic) loss top and bottom. There must be some avenue by which we could protest this sort of thing. Otherwise, the disc is great: good print, nicely transferred, plenty of extras (though we have seen some of them before on previous Harryhausen re-issues). But really, one would rather see the film - any film - as it was intended to be seen in cinemas originally.
36 IT GOES AROUND THE WORLD
It has subtitles in the THAI language. I know that is a abrupt way to start a review for such a sci-fi classic making its way onto DVD for the first time, but I can't get around the idea of how interesting it is watching this film with THAI subtitles. It actually adds something to the film, perhaps not in story, but in scope, that EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS has ceased being simply an American film, but now truly belongs to the world. COLUMBIA PICTURES has done right by this sci-fi gem, releasing it with a clean and clear widescreen presentation, excellent sound, and a host of extra's, from a excellent documentary THE HARRYHAUSEN CHRONICALS, a making of feature, and a pop quiz on what "dynamation" is. The photo gallery is a bit small, but does feature one oddball promotional image that will have you doing a double take. The only thing missing here is a commentary track, and while EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS deserves one, it does not really need one... it can speak for itself, in six different languages no less. For fans, EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS is a must, no collection could be complete without it. For those first time buyers to either E.VS.T.F.S. or the works of Ray Harryhausen, this is a solid and entertaining start.
37 Very good transfer, but not the full picture.
Very good movie. Of course most of the acting is cheesy, but that's one of the reasons I love all those old 50's sci-fi movies. The transfer is very good. If I happen to have a video copy of a movie that I've just bought on DVD, I like to play them at the same time to compare picture quality. It always amazes me how much cleaner and crisper the DVD version is. BUT...as I've noticed on many, many DVDs, this appears to be the common full-screen version--but with black bars superimposed on top of it. Am I missing something in movie-making? I always thought (and you can see it in truly widescreen presentations) that a full-screen cut simply is the widescreen with both ends chopped off to fit the squareness of a TV screen. On a lot of DVDs that I've bought over the past couple of years, the so-called widescreen (compared to a full-screen version) is actually missing portions of the film (the top and bottom). This DVD is the same. The sides of the screen did not yield any extra picture than the full-screen, but images at the top and bottom of the full-screen were now covered by the black bars. If someone can explain this to me other than to say that the studio is leading you into believing that it's widescreen when it actually isn't, please let me know. If not, the only reason I can think of why they do this is to save money. It must be a lot cheaper to take the more common full-screen version and digitally impose black bars on it than it is to dig up the original widescreen and digitally animorph it. I don't know. Otherwise, this is a good movie to add to your sci-fi collection, just don't think that you're seeing it in it's original version.
38 Very Cool Sci-Fi
Having not seen this movie I didnt know what to expect when i purchased the DVD. I have heard it compared with War of the Worlds, and for pure enjoyment, its in the same league. Although its not in color, the wide screen presentation is wonderful along with good sound quality. If you like the old sci-fi its one of the better of the genre.
39 New DVD edition - comments
A new DVD edition of this classic sci-fi movie was released on Sept. 17, 2002. The audio and video has been digitally remastered, and the video changed to a 16:9 wide screen format. The quality is noticeably improved over the VHS version.
In the supplemental goodies package, there is an interesting interview with Ray Harryhausen, who describes some of the techniques used to produce the special effects. He also revealed that much of this film was shot at the Hermosa Sewage Treatment Plant, and that the sound used for the flying saucers was the sound of sewage being pumped through the pipes. Yuck ! I won't attempt to review the entertainment merits, as many others have already done so, but I will always have a special fondness for this movie. ...
40 First rate sci-fi
Meet the "grandfather" of "Independence Day", the father of "War of the Worlds" a TRULY jaw dropping, eye popping display of SFX for its time! Watch UFOs create havoc on Washington D.C. A GREAT film with LOTS of excellent SFX
41 Warning: Popcorn required for viewing
OK, it doesn't command the respect of, say, War of the Worlds or Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But for my time and money, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more purely entertaining vision of 50's alien invasion escapism. You know you have to have it.
42 Pure Entertainment
Is this movie low budget?yes...stock footage?yes...repeated shots?yes...actors running in place in front of a moving backround?yes...Is it entertaining?YES!!
Unlike some reviewers,I enjoyed Hugh Marlowes' performance in this picture.He makes for a believable scientist and Joan Taylor is someone I would have liked to see more of in these type of films(shes also in 20Million Miles To Earth).
As far as the script goes,Everything In This Film Is Explained!It requires a suspension of disbelief to buy into it but that just adds to the charm that makes these movies so great.Think of it as being written by Michael Crichton as a young boy and you'll get the idea.
What can be said about Ray Harryhausen?If you like classic sci-fi you already know about this guy.Admitedly,this isnt the type of film you'd expect Ray to do(wheres the monsters?)but with his unmatched imagination your garrenteed to be entertained.
If your just starting your collection of 50's sci-fi I'd say to wait on this one but if you already have War of The Worlds then this would make a great companion piece for a late-night double feature.
43 Harryhausen Fun Factor
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.
44 Earth vs the Flying Saucers
To begin with, I never saw this movie. And the first time that I saw it was only a small piece of it in a documentary about Sci-Fi movies on HBO back in 1980. And since VCRs were not invented yet-and even if they were I could not afford to buy one I soon forgot all about the movie. Then back in 1996 I was fortunate enough to purchase a copy of same and I still watch it from time to time. Now as far as the movie is concerned, just like all of the other Sci-Fi movies from the 50s the special effects alone are worth a five-star rating. And the movie itself also deserves a five-star rating; because they don't make them like that anymore!
45 You would be shocked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This movie isn't to impossible. Starting with a content that is more believable than you could ever think. Focusing on an event which possibly be truer than we can consider. However man could not controll situations that are above our limited way of total and complete controll. (But the movie has good has good story line until the end.) MAN is not a dominate factor as we are led to believe.
46 Use caution if ordering
I watched this movie once and then sold it. The special effects were done well based on the time they were produced but the screenplay was dull and did not inspire me. If you collect these movies, go for it... otherwise save your money.
47 Saturday matinee extravaganza.
Alien survivors of a disintegrated galaxy attack the Earth in saucer shaped spaceships armed with death rays. Despite its pulp magazine origins, this film exceeds expectations due to Ray Harryhausen's magical special effects and a literate script. The astonishing stop-motion animation by RH is the real star of the film. The constraints of the B&W photography are a hindrance, but RH rises to the occasion. The only thing missing is a rampaging radioactive beast from outer space. The generic spaceships alone don't satisfy this wish. The aliens are covered by body armor that supports their atrophied muscles and conceal their withered facial features. Things get intense when the spaceships attack Washington. Familiar landmarks and buildings suffer explosive destruction. Conventional military hardware has no effect on the force field protecting the alien craft. Earth people suffer alien abductions, brainwashing, and thought control. McCarthy style, '50s paranoia creeps into the story. The script is otherwise intelligent, and avoids many of the typical cliches. The action moves swiftly along and doesn't waste time on subplots. Fans of Ray Harryhausen's animation definitely need this classic sci-fi flick for their collection. This is great Saturday matinee fun for 12 year old kids of all ages. Enjoy the ride. ;-)
48 By far one of the best 50's sci fi movies
This movie has it all: 50's special effects, lots of property damage, and a high (if mostly unseen) body count. The aliens want to take over the world, and we won't let 'em! Of course, the solution doens't come until we almost lose, but that's just the formula you gotta follow when you make this kind of movie.
This movie has its many imitators, but perhaps the most obvious is "Independence Day".
A true Hollywood "B" original that has heavy rotation in my home.
49 Fun to watch, actually better than some stuff out now
This movie was entertaining to watch. I liked a lot of the details and concepts presented in the story, even most of the acting was all right. The storyline seemed to be fairly well developed although there were a few flaws. I did like the talk of satellites years before anyone really had them (especially the proposed satellite with a TV camera and transmitter) and the science stuff (even if it was technobabble). Our guys shot first, asked questions later at first contact all because they didn't understand the first attempted message, something that has turned up in other stories since then. In this case they were right to shoot, which is a switch. The alien ships appeared all over the world then converged on Washington D. C. for the final battle, I'd call that a low budget solution for a way to end the war. Our weapon would probably kill the operator but who knew that in 1956? I wasn't thrilled with the FX, thought that The Day The Earth Stood Still( Hugh Marlowe also in that one)did better on them, both movies good to have.
50 Surrender or die, earthlings
Above-average 1950's sf flick that, unlike some (_This Island Earth,_ for example) does not because campy or unintentionally funny unpon repeated viewings. It's always able to maintain its seriousness, and some parts are even fairly scary, such as when the saucers decide to dump some humans from way too high up. The special effects, even today, are impressive; Ray Harryhausen was a genius. The scene with the saucer crashing into the Washington Monument is a classic, forever burned into my memory (watch Tim Burton's _Mars Attacks_ to see where he got his saucers from). From the reviews obviously not everyone enjoyed the film, but if you're a fan of 1950's sf flicks, don't miss this one.
51 One Of Benjamin's Favorites
"Dr. Russel Marvin. This is a voice speaking to you from thousands of miles beyond your planet". I wish you could hear Benjamin (4 years old) say that while gently patting his mouth to warble his voice to sound like the aliens. We must have seen this video at least 30 times. If there's one thing in life you must remember, never stay in the raygun truck if Dr. Marvin gets out and walks away! They always get zapped by the aliens. Benjamin has become quite astute at finding Dr. Marvin (Hugh Marlowe) in other movies, "The World Without End", "Day The Earth Stood Still", "Rocketship X-M".
52 Alien invaders plot the downfall of mankind.....
Highly enjoyable 1950's sci-fi melodrama sees alien spaceships knocking US Air Force rockets out of the sky and then destroying head quarters for "Operation Skyhook", before launching major attacks across the globe !!
Whenever I watch films such as "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers" I'm reminded of a time when talented men such as Ray Harryhausen created amazing effects without the benefit of computer animation, but rather through labourious hours with complex models. Harryhausen's flying saucers look fantastic, and the destruction of Washington (done on a meagre budget) is equally impressive !!
Hugh Marlow heads up Earth's defence team as Dr. Russell A. Marvin (although I never forgave Hugh Marlowe for turning in Klaatu to the authorities in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" !!) as they struggle to find a way to beat the invaders through scientific methods !
Lots of fun to watch on rainy Saturday afternoons or late at night with the lights off !! Definitely a key contribution on my list of the memorable science fiction films of the 1950's !
53 Take us to your leader
A misunderstood message from an alien race starts a war between Earth and would be peaceful visitors -- or are they really all that peaceful? A classic B&W sci-fi supported by a good story and decent acting, this film is packed with action and sports spectacular special effects (could they be anything less with Harryhausen behind them?).
When I sit and watch this, I find it impossible not to put it into historical context as applied to stories of UFO sightings and abductions. Being filmed long before these were as commonplace in the media as they are today, I am almost convinced that many of the sighting and abduction stories we now hear are, in fact, subconsciously inspired by this film; if not, how do we explain all the similarities between these tales and salient elements of this film? Coincidence?
I must say, it's sad to see how today's kids (assuming they are kids) review many of these classic films. I will freely admit that many of the sci-fi films of this era sport cheesy effects, and will also admit that I find these not only quaint, but a large part of the attraction. But, when films like this one get ratings like we see below, I've just got to assume that many of today's viewers simply can't tell the difference between good filmmaking and the advanced technologies of CGI.
A "must see" for true sci-fi fans and a "must own" for collectors into classic sci-fi. This film gets 5 stars from me only because this is the highest possible rating on Amazon.
54 Enjoyable mid-50s sci-fi flick
Ray Harryhausen did well with his special effects despite the obvious limited budget. The script and setting are typical mid-50s look, but the movie goes along well, particularly in the latter half.
I love these old classics from the 40s, 50s and 60s, and considering all of the blood, gore and shoot-em-up they show today, if I had children, I would much rather have them watch these old movies in the days before Hollywood deemed it necessary to throw about 100 gallons of ketchup per film.
This movie won't win any awards, but it wasn't intended to. It was intended to be entertaining and to make you think "what if," and it does just that.
With all of the corruption going on in Washington today, what happened to it in this movie has probably entered the thoughts of a lot of people in this country.
55 B-Movie Garbage.
In this typical B-movie from the 1950's, aliens in fake looking ships invade Earth useing phoney animation rays, and blowing up cardboard looking buildings of Washington DC. The low budget effects are added by wooden acting from actors who clearly wished they had never made this film.
This film deserves to be forgotten.
56 CLASSIC Saucer SLUGFEST!
Just watched this one again with my two sons, aged 8 and 10, the other night (be sure it's at night!) and, other than making a few comments about the (edited) Mars Attacks homages, the lads indicated flick was VERY well received! Of course I prepped them with TWIXT bars and made a few pithy comments about the 'pioneering' nature of the video to put it in context. NOW they are begging me to collect ALL the B+W alien-invasion fifties' films!
57 See Washington and duck!
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.
58 Earth verses Flying Saucers
This film is one of the real 50-60's classic si-fi flicks. As a young child - it was one of the most terrifying flicks of all time. Especially after the "Roswell Incident" - if you are from a later era, you should take this with "tongue in cheek"; however, if you were young during this era, you would have been glued to your seats. A real top notch "B" thriller! - B. Neely, M.D., Neurosurgery, Austin, Texas
59 Can you spell "Up-side-down pie plate?"
One of the earliest of the classic Sci-Fi films, this one is a study in inconsistency. The acting is exactly what you'd expect in a "B" movie, but doesn't have much impact, since the star of the show is Ray Harryhausen's special effects wizardry. Unfortunately, some of the effects clearly depict the limitations imposed on filmmakers of the time. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable earth vs badguy alien shoot-em-up that includes some great shots of Washington D.C. getting redecorated. The signature scene is a saucer-in-distress slicing into the capitol dome like a ladle into ice cream. Maybe it's not academy award calibre, but it's a fun way to waste a Saturday afternoon.
60 LIGHT ON SCRIPT, GOOD S.E.
THIS MOVIE IS A "B" CAST REUNION. THERE IS SOME GOOD SPOTS. WATCH FOR THE DISTRUCTION OF MOST OF D.C. IT MAKES A GOOD DUBBLE FEATURE. SO GET SOME POP CORN, YOUR BEST GAL AND GET INTO THE PAST. HAVE FUN. JAS
61 Invasion of A Classic
Harryhausen was a wizard when it came to special effects. The movie's script was sluggish at times but the effects more then made up for it. A personal pic is the sceen when a saucer crashes with the capital building. This movie was often imatated but never duplicated. It remains one of my personal pics (along with When Worlds Collide and War of the Worlds).
62 good effects, bad acting and script
although ray harryhausen's special effects are still amazing to this day, the plot is dull and the acting is simply awful. worth watching only for the genius of harryhausen
63 The quintessential 1950's flying saucer movie.
If anyone could give character and believability to flying saucers, it's Ray Harryhausen. This early Harryhausen effort was designed to capitalize on the flying saucer craze of the time, and as such it succeeded well. Harryhausen's special effects work does much to make this otherwise "B" movie effort appear to be much more than it is, lending a much needed sense of scope and grandeur to the film.
Several of Washington D.C.'s most well known landmarks are convincingly destroyed near the end of the movie, making for a rousing climax. The aliens themselves are well designed and nicely rendered, lending a sense of mystery and foreboding to the movie. Unfortunately, the film was flatly and statically directed by Fred Sears and whenever the flying saucers are elsewhere the movie slows down considerably. However, the flying saucer sequences make up the bulk of the film, which keeps it from bogging down too badly.
Trivia buffs will enjoy this fact- Ray Harryhausen's father was a machinist and he fabricated the memorable saucer models from his son's sketches.
