Science Fiction & Fantasy > 1951 Science Fiction & Fantasy

Alien invasion and bondage 50's style!

Advantages: Cleverly filmed and well acted
Disadvantages: Low budget forced changes to the original story

Many of you might remember the John Carpenter film 'The Thing' made in 1982 and you might get it confused with this film from 1951 with good reason since both are based on the classic science fiction novella 'Who Goes There?' written in 1938 by John W Campbell Jr. John W Campbell Jr. was a big inspiration to other great writers like Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein, the story is an inspired choice for film adaptation. In the original novella the ...
...contact with. This aspect of the story doesn't appear in this version mainly due to the lack of special effects technology available in the 1950's and the constraints of the films budget. Although Carpenter's 80's version is certainly scarier and more faithful to the original story this version is still a fine example of 50's sci-fi and is still very watchable. THE PLOT The scientist and US air force personnel working at a remote Arctic base find ...

Mauri 09.07.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Thing From Another World (DVD)

Could happen

Advantages: Good story
Disadvantages: Unclear ending

...openly killing this planet but the powers that be are. This planet is not ours to distroy and if I had to make a decision about our future, it would have been the same as the main character made. This movie also points out the fact that violence solves nothing becaues there is always a bigger dog on the block. In the end humanity is given a second chance that it doesn't give to its own citizens. I guess we can only hope that in our future we can ...

sstt22 30.05.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of The Day The Earth Stood Still (DVD)

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE - BRILLIANT

Advantages: Good old Science fiction
Disadvantages: Not many special features

'When Worlds Collide' is the type of Science Fiction film that inspired me to become involved in collecting Science Fiction films. Made in 1951 and directed by Rudolph Mate (The 300 Spartans) and produced by the World famous George Pal (War Of The Worlds, The Time Machine). A good plot and strong characters makes this a good film for all the family. Using cutting edge Special effects (in those days) to represent the alien world. Which won the film ...
...The World faces extinction by a runaway star, but the World Scientists cannot agree as to what will happen to the Earth. Some say it will pass by, others say it will collide with the Earth and destroy it, but the American Government won't listen and decides to ignore the threat completely. Private industrialists invest in a project to save mankind, by collectively financing the building of a rocket ship to take a small pre-selected body of men and ...

pc2308 16.05.2007 · Read full review
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Review of When Worlds Collide (DVD)

A Terrible Remake of a Classic Sci Fi Movie

Advantages: Nice Effects
Disadvantages: Bad Acting, Bad Remake

...where near as good as the original motion picture that gave me nightmares as a child! The simplicity of the original plot would never have taken well to a modern motion picture without a little 'beefing up' but I was hoping for a movie with a little less 'ego' than is apparent here. I found most of the characters to be insubstantial and boring to watch- with the accept ion of john cleese! I found the young child playing the scientists son extremely ...
...said there were elements of the film I enjoyed; the CGI was excellent and the metal eating bugs were brilliantly done, as were the floating orb like capsules, I was mesmerized at times with the beauty of the cinematography, its a shame the acting did not have the same effect. Overall if you want to watch this, only do so to learn how to ruin a brilliant opportunity to remake a classic science fiction movie. ...

techie_fairy 15.01.2009 · Read full review
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Review of The Day The Earth Stood Still (DVD)

Ah, sod off back to your own planet, and take this film with you!

Advantages: Acting, delivery, misplacement of fx
Disadvantages: Quality of the special effects, the message

When I first saw the trailer for this, I must admit: I expected good things of it. It was only once the poor reviews started seeping through that I explored a little further and found out that it hadn't really been received very well following its initial box office success. Undeterred, I borrowed the DVD off a friend, and watched it with an open mind, willing it to defy its critics and astound me. Sadly, I found myself siding with them, as I struggled ...
...and morals that completely lacks the killer punch. That Keanu Reeves is the lead role is no reassurance. The often mercurial star has had some great hits as well as some great flops in the past decade or so, and I find his method acting in this kind of role to be repetitive to say the least. He plays Klaatu, an alien who assumes human form in order to judge whether or not the human race deserves to inhabit the earth. And that's it in a nutshell. ...

pmcds 24.09.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Day The Earth Stood Still (Special Edition) (DVD)