This Island Earth

I had always heard of this movie, but now that I've finally seen it, I'm glad I ordered it. For an old movie it is very imaginative and enjoyable. The effects were well done and the script is quite clever.

Great quality, no defects, and one I hadnt seen before, shipped fast and its a great flick! A must for any collection!

One of the best science fiction movies of the 50s. The video quality of this Blu-ray is amazing! I was surprised by how good it looks. Even watching it on my laptop, it looks great.

Here's an interesting bit of trivia (okay, maybe not so much interesting, but worth noting, at least)...seems the film This Island Earth (1955) was one of the first major science fiction features filmed in Technicolor, a process that actually had been around, in various states, since the early twentieth century. Directed by Joseph M. Newman (The Gunfight at Dodge City, Tarzan, the Ape Man), the film stars Rex Reason (The Creature Walks Among Us), Faith Domergue (It Came from Beneath the Sea, Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet), and Jeff Morrow (Kronos, The Giant Claw). Also appearing is Lance Fuller (The She-Creature), Robert Nichols (Giant), and Russell Johnson (Attack of the Crab Monsters), probably best known as `The Professor', from the mid 1960s series "Gilligan's Island". As the film begins we meet a scientist named Dr. Cal Meacham (Reason), preparing to leave Washington D.C. after attending a conference on atomic energy. Anyway, Cal borrows a jet to fly home (must be nice), and upon arriving, his plane conks out due to some showboating (nice play, Shakespeare), but Cal is saved as a mysterious force takes control and lands the vehicle safely, much to the amazement of Cal and his dopey assistant named Joe (Nichols), who I think is supposed to provide a comedic element for the film, failing miserably I might add. But wait, there's more...shortly after Cal's return he receives a catalog featuring advanced electronic components related to assembling something called an `interocitor', which turns out of be a fancy, schmancy triangular television with some pretty amazing and far out capabilities (actually, it looks a bit like the drive-thru order box at a fast food restaurant, but that's neither here nor there). Once constructed, Cal receives a message from a melon headed, white haired nerdlinger type named Mr. Exeter (Morrow), who invites Cal to join a mysterious brain trust whose purpose appears to be development of new forms of atomic energy. His curiosity piqued, Cal hops a plane (one which he isn't piloting, thankfully), and ends up in a remote location somewhere in Georgia where he hooks up with Exeter (apparently he's dropped the `Mr' routine), Dr. Ruth Adams (Domergue), another scientist named Steve Carlson (Johnson), among others...eventually Cal learns Exeter is not of this Earth (well duh) and his motives for assembling Team Brainiac not as altruistic as originally stated, which leads to Cal and Ruth trying to escape, only to get beamed aboard Exeter's spacecraft (commence the probings), complete with swishy doors, and transported to Exeter's home planet called Metaluna (once you reach Neptune, hang a right and go about three billion miles, look for the Stuckeys and you're there). As far as what happens next you'll just have to watch the film, but I will share this, there's aliens, an honest to goodness flying saucer, ookie mutants with huge brains and oversized claws with a penchant for pinching, killer remote-controlled meteors, some dude named The Monitor (sound ominous, doesn't it?), matte paintings of fantastic alien landscapes, and so on... I really liked this film a lot...sure, the acting leaves something to be desired (Rex Reason probably could have been replaced with a tree and few would have noticed), but there appeared to be a real sense of ambition towards the presentation of the material. The main strength of this film is the special effects, which, in my opinion, come off pretty well. Certainly compared to today's standards they'll seem hokey, but I'm betting when the film was originally released audiences were amazed and I'll doubt few left the theater feeling like they didn't get their money's worth. The bits I thought really odd were how some of these so called scientists, at least the ones who didn't have their minds `toyed' with, at the Georgia facility seemed so slow on the uptake with regards to figuring out their host was an alien (I would have thought the ginormous cranium a dead giveaway). And then once they did figure it out, no one seemed that surprised or shocked. Honestly, had it been me being abducted and taken a bazillion miles into outer space, ending up on some alien planet I would have been seriously freaking out, but neither Cal nor Ruth really seemed all that upset. Perhaps scientists are made of sturdier stuff than us non-brainy types, of which I consider myself one. As far as the characters there was some promising development early on, but it eventually faded as those introduced fell into homogenous roles (Reason the rugged, masculine hero type, Domergue the attractive screaming mimi in peril, etc.). Morrow's character of Exeter did seem to have the most potential, in terms of his altering certain plans based on his developing an understanding of humans after spending time with them, but this sort of petered out a bit, taking a backseat to the visual aspects present in the film, which is a fairly common pitfall in the genre, especially in today's films, in terms of flashy effects superseding the more substantial elements of the story. All in all you can certainly find plenty of fault with this feature, but I'd suggest viewing the film with a slightly less critical eye, as not to miss all the fun. The picture, presented in fullscreen (1.33:1), does look really good, despite areas that exhibit some minor signs of age (there weren't any frames missing, but there was some specking here and there). As far as the Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio, I thought it came through very well and had no complaints. There's not much in the way of extras except for an original theatrical trailer and subtitles in English, Spanish, and French. I was a little surprised at the lack of an audio commentary, especially since I've always considered this staple film in the classic science fiction genre, maybe not to the extent of those like The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The Thing from Another World (1951), or Forbidden Planet (1956), but one still worthy of attention. Cookieman108 Incidentally, This Island Earth was given the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment, as it was the flick featured when the show made the leap to the big screen back in 1996.

This review is for the Blu-Ray edition of 'This Island Earth' released by Kino Lorber on July 9, 2019 Most people who are ordering this release are probably more interested in the quality of the picture and/or the extra's. If that's the case, just look right below under 'BLU-RAY' and 'EXTRA'S'. BLU-RAY: The picture is a 4K scan made from the original film elements. The movie is shown in both 1.37:1 and 1.85:1 widescreen versions. You can only listen to the additional audio tracks with the movie when it is shown in 1.85:1. The original Perspecta Sterophonic sound has be restored by 3-D Film Archive. The picture is nice but it isn't what I'd call perfect (then again, what is?). Overall, I'm happy with the picture. The colors are vivid and bright. These very bright colors are part of the reason that this movie is fondly remembered (Of course, dubiously, this is also probably part of the reason why it was picked for 'Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie). However, the picture is a bit soft at times. The audio is in 2.0 and 3.0 formats. This movie was one of the last movies shot with the original Technicolor 3-Strip process. EXTRA'S: -Poster Art on the inside sleeve - There is some nice art on the inside. There is a poster that covers 3/4 of the inside sleeve. The other 1/2 has pictures of 3 other posters including a foreign poster. -Audio Commentary with author and visual effects artist Robert Skotak - Skotak says that he knew the director, Joseph F. Newman well. Therefore, he has some first hand knowledge of 'This Island Earth'. -(Audio Commentary) Interview with film historian David Shecter - Shecter discusses the score for 'This Island Earth' and the people involved as you watch the movie. He literally goes through the entire movie. I listened to this as I was doing house chores. -Interview with filmmaker Luigi Cozzi - Cozzi is the Italian filmmaker who made the movie 'Starcrash'. This interview is about 21 minutes long and has film clips along with some stills. Cozzi talks about his opinions of 'This Island Earth'. He compares the format of the movie to 'Dracula'. He discusses color science fiction films and the reasons that studio's were reluctant to use color after 'Forbidden Planet'. He also discusses the influence that 'This Island Earth' had on his production of 'Starcrash'. -Trailers from Hell by Joe Dante - This was made in 2013 and Joe Dante does his usual good job of discussing the trailer as it runs. -"Two and A Half Years in the Making: The Extended Documentary" - The Making of 'This Island Earth' - This is an excellent, 48 minute long documentary on the production of 'This Island Earth'. It is filled with movie clips, movie posters and other photographs. It features many film experts such as Joe Dante, Ted Newsom, David Shecter, Tom Weaver, Robert Skotak, Bill Burns and others. It discusses the entire 2 1/2 year production of the movie and goes over every aspect of the movie. -War of the Planets, 8 mm and 16mm films - 'War of the Planets' is the shortened version of 'This Island Earth' that was made for home projectors that was sold to the public through magazine advertisements such as 'Famous Monsters in Filmland'. The 8mm version is only about 2 1/2 minutes long and has very poor picture quality. The 16mm version is a step up in quality from the 8mm and is about 8 minutes long. -Facts About Perspecta Stereophonic Sound by Bob Furmek - This is simply a bunch of photographs of numerous articles about this sound system. -Theatrical trailer -Behind the Scenes Gallery -Publicity Stills Gallery -Poster and Lobby Card Gallery -Subtitles in English *****WARNING - THERE ARE LOTS OF SPOILERS BELOW***** PLOT/SUMMARY: Dr. Cal Meacham (Rex Reason) is flying to his laboratory when his Air Force jet's engines fail. The plane is surrounded by a green glow and the plane is brought down safely. Once Meacham is in his lab, he finds an electronic condenser that is unlike what he ordered. It is far smaller. At first, he thinks it's just a mistake but his lab partner, Joe Wilson, tells him this is not the case. The condenser's prove to be far superior to anything they have ever seen. Meacham then finds instructions for a device called an 'interocitor'. Together, they build the device. Once it is complete, a person named Exeter (Jeff Morrow) appears on the screen of the interocitor. He tells Meacham that he has passed a test and invites him to join him. He tells him that he will be picked up at a designated time and if Meacham wants to join him then he should be there. Meacham shows up and is picked up by a plane with no pilot or windows. The plane takes off and lands in Georgia. Once in Georgia, Meacham is picked up by Dr. Ruth Adams (Faith Domergue). Meacham recognizes her as a girl he had a fling with years agon but Adams acts as if he is mistaken. Once inside, Exter shows Meacham to his lab. Exeter and his assistant, Brack, both have an unusual appearance. Meacham is introduced to another scientist named Steve Carlson (Russell Johnson, of Gilligan's Island fame). When the trio are alone, Adams reveals that she was pretending to not know Meacham. There is some strange stuff going on and they all want to leave the facility. The three take off. Back at the facility, Brack uses a laser weapon to attack them. Carlson tells Meacham and Adams to run away and he will distract Brack. Carlson is incinerated. Meacham and Adams get to an airplane and take off. The facility is completely destroyed as they take off. Once in the air, the airplane is brought into a flying saucer by a tractor beam. Exeter tells the couple that he is from a planet named Metaluna. Metaluna is being attacked by another race called the Zagons. Metaluna has an energy shield that is supported by uranium, however the Metalunans are running out of the mineral. Exeter had come to Earth to find scientist's to help them develop a way to change lead into uranium. They have run out of time and Exeter was forced to return to Metaluna. Once on Metaluna, they are brought to Monitor, Metaluna's leader. He tells the couple that they will have their will subjugated so that the Metalunan's can take over Earth. Exeter disagree's with Monitor and helps the couple escape. While escaping, Exeter is injured by a mutant servant. Exeter, Meacham and Adams get on board the flying saucer and take off. The shield on Metaluna has been eliminated and the Zagons destroy Metaluna. Once back at Earth, Exeter tells the couple to get in their plane and fly home. Exeter is dying and remains in the the flying saucer as it flies into the ocean and explodes. PRODUCTION: This movie was released by Universal in 1955. -The movie was released as part of a double feature with 'Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy'. -The director, Joseph M. Newman, purchased the rights to the book based on this film. He planned on making an independent movie but ultimately couldn't raise the money. He sold the rights to Universal with the condition that he would direct the movie. -The house used for the Metalunan's headquarters was the same house that was used in 'Tarantula' and 'The Creature Walks Among Us'. -Jeff Morrow, who plays Exeter, was responsible for the character being sympathetic to humans. He didn't want to play a heartless character and asked that the script be changed to give his character morals. -Most of the equipment that you see in the first part of the movie is re-used in the basement lab of the Metalunan's mansion. The production team repainted and rearranged most of it. -All of the scenes in this movie were shot in California. There are no scenes actually shot in Georgia. -The actor who plays 'The Monitor', Douglas Spencer, was the reporter, Scotty, in 'The Thing'. -The transport vehicle on Metaluna was made from a prop built for 'Abbott and Costello Go to Mars'. WHY IS THE MOVIE CALLED 'THIS ISLAND EARTH'? WHAT'S EARTH GOT TO DO WITH ISLAND'S?: The answer to this question is answered by the author, Raymond F. Jones. Jones said that he got the idea from U.S. strategy used in World War II. The U.S. hired natives in the South Pacific to build warehouses and landing strips for them on these islands. They were oblivious to what was going on in the world. In this movie, humans on Earth take the place of the natives in the South Pacific islands. The Metalunans were at war and they hired humans to help them with the defense of their world, while the Earthlings were oblivious to what they were doing. -There have been other reasons put forth. It has been said that Earth is just an insignificant island in the middle of space among many other far superior intelligent races. -It should also be pointed out that a comma is missing from the title. Really it should be 'This Island, Earth'. DID JACK ARNOLD DIRECT THIS FILM?: It's been said that Jack Arnold was called in to film some scenes after Universal executives viewed footage of the movie and were not happy with it. This has not been proven. Robert Skotak says in the audio commentary that Jack Arnold did not direct any of the scenes. He says that he actually asked him. Bill Warren, the definitive expert on 50's science fiction films stated in his book 'Keep Watching the Skies' that he thought that Arnold did indeed direct some of the scenes on Metaluna. The truth will probably never be known. THE STORY SEEMS DISJOINTED, WHAT IS IT BASED ON?: The story seems disjointed because it is. It basically has three distinct parts. The book that this movie is based upon, 'This Island Earth' by Raymond F. Jones, is a story that takes three short stories (or novelettes) from Pulp Fiction magazines and combines them into a novel length story. The three stories were originally published in 'Thrilling Wonder Stories' magazine. The three stories are: 'The Alien Machine' (June, 1949) 'The Shroud of Secrecy' (December, 1949) 'The Greater Conflict' (February, 1950) The three stories were then published as a novel in 1952 under the same title as the movie, 'This Island Earth'. -The movie follows the book closely up until the mansion is destroyed. From the point onward, the movie deviates quite a bit from the book. Most of the novel takes place on Earth. -There is no romance between Cal and Ruth in the novel. THE METALUNA MUTANT IS UNUSUAL AND IT DOESN'T DO A WHOLE LOT. WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR IT COME FROM? The Metaluna Mutant was put into the movie for the simple reason that the movie needed a monster. If not for a monster, the movie would be viewed as an adult film and kids wouldn't want to go see it. The idea for the monster itself came from a rejected design for the alien creature in 'It Came From Outer Space'. The costume caused all kinds of problems and it was modified. It wasn't supposed to have pants! Ultimately, the mutant doesn't do a whole lot because it was basically 'shoehorned' into the movie. I should point out that there is some dispute as to whether or not the Mutant was included in the script from the start. -The producer, William Alland, hated the Mutant. He disparaged it throughout his life. -For the record, Rex Reason did not like the Mutant either, though Faith Domergue did. I LIKE FAITH DOMERGUE. SHE IS A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN. WHAT OTHER SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES IS SHE IN?: Well you aren't the only person that has the 'hots' for Ms. Domergue. Howard Hughes is the person who 'discovered' her. The two dated on and off for awhile and Domergue wrote a book about their relationship called 'My Life with Howard Hughes' (1972). Domergue died of cancer in 1999 at the age of 74. -Domergue starred in a bunch of movies but if it's science fiction/horror you are looking for, she had quite a prolific year in 1955. In addition to 'This Island Earth' she also starred in... 'Cult of the Cobra' (1955) 'It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955) 'Timeslip' or 'The Atomic Man' (1955) -Domergue's career came to an end in 1974 when she starred in the low budged horror movie, 'The House of Seven Corpses'. REX REASON HAD A LEADING MAN LOOK AND A TERRIFIC VOICE...WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM? Rex Reason lived a long life and actually just died a few years ago in 2015. Unfortunately, he never acted again after 1963. He starred in another 50's science fiction classic, 'The Creature Walks Among Us', but then went on to television. He was up for the leading role in 'The Manchurian Candidate' and walked out on his studio contract. He left Hollywood for whatever the reason. He went into real estate design and also recorded some Christian Albums. -As a side note, the director, Joseph M. Newman, had unrealistically hoped to get William Holden for the starring role played by Reason in 'This Island Earth'. COMMENTS: MARS NEEDS WOMEN: All right, not really, but the Metalunans need humans to help them. Why? They spent a lot of time and resources recruiting humans to help them. This makes no sense. They are obviously far more intelligent than humans. Why not just use their own people to do research? They could have brought them to Earth if necessary. ONCE AGAIN, WHY NOT JUST ASK? I feel like I've written a lot of reviews asking this same question. Why don't the aliens just ask if they can come to Earth. I'm sure mankind would welcome their technology and give them all the land they needed to settle in. There is no reason for them to 'reprogram' the human mind. DOES THIS MOVIE REALLY DESERVE TO BE ON MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000? It is my opinion that the answer is a resounding 'No'. What really angers me is that this movie was used as the movie in the feature film. As a result, this movie has gained a reputation for a movie that deserves ridicule. In reality, in my opinion, this is one of the better 1950's science fiction movies. In fact, Bill Warren, author of the definitive book on 1950's science fiction, 'Keep Watching the Skies' calls it the best science fiction film of the 50's. THERMAL BARRIER IN OUTER SPACE?: A thermal barrier in space does seem like quite a far fetched plot device, doesn't it? There being no air and what have you... This was put into the movie as a cost cutting measure. The idea derived from the theory that on the outskirts of our solar system, there is some sort of electrical activity. For budgetary reasons, they changed this idea to thermal activity. OTHER COMMENTS: -I don't understand why it was so important for Brack to kill the humans. For what reason would he do this? They Metalunans were leaving Earth to head back to their planet anyway. Why even bother to blow up their headquarters? If they were planning on returning, why would they do this? If they weren't going to return, then why would it matter if Earthlings found their plans? -This is pretty much the first movie in which humans travel to an alien world. -I forgot to check into why everyone was so blue during the sequence on Metaluna. I don't know the reason for this. -Why was the Spanish speaking fellow in the movie? Who was he? He shows up speaking Spanish and is just vaporized. I wonder if this was due to a script change or a scene being deleted. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: If you are a fan of 1950's science fiction then this release is a must have. You get a good picture, a good audio commentary and an excellent documentary along with a bunch of other extra's. My personal opinion of the movie is that it is a good movie for it's day but not excellent. There are other 50's science fiction movies that I like better. Even though the structure of the movie has been criticized, I like the unusual nature of it. Anything that is different is always worth something. The beautiful color adds quite a bit to the movie and the science fiction fan gets it's first look at an alien world in full color. I think the plot is interesting and keeps you engaged. The Metaluna Mutant is one of the most famous movie monsters even if it doesn't do a whole lot. RATINGS: Picture: 7/10 - This movie always had a reputation for having very nice colors but the I feel like the transfer could have been better. Plot: 8/10 or 4 stars - Not in the excellent category, but very good. SFX: 9/10 - The effects were excellent for the era. Extra's: 9/10 - Lots of good stuff here. Overall: 5 stars

I love this wonderful science fiction classic movie, it never gets old to watch.

I have wanted a decent DVD of this film for a long time and at this price I couldn't refuse. It arrived on time and not in a box twice its size. This is an often overlooked classic 1955 sci-fi film with a difference. Much of what happens for the majority of the film happens here on earth and mostly in laboratories. It's quite an atmospheric and moody film with an exciting climatic end. If you like sci-fi and love films like 'Forbidden Planet' and the original 'Day The Earth Stood Still' (and not the ghastly 2008 remake) then this is for you. 10 out of 10

Voici un film de science-fiction absolument mythique ! Pensez un film réalisé en technicolor par J. Newman en 1955 racontant les aventures de 2 scientifiques chercheurs en énergie nucléaire, manipulés par des extra-terrestres venus sur terre pour qu'ils les aident à combattre leurs ennemis sur leur lointaine planète ... L'histoire, assez classique en SF, est bien ficelée et se regarde avec plaisir, voire même un peu de suspense. Mais ce qui vaut le détour n'est pas là. Ce sont les trucages faits avec les moyens du bord de l'époque, qu'on qualifierait de kitsch aujourd'hui mais que je trouve touchants. Les couleurs, les rayons paralysants ou pas, les machines avec de gros potards qu'on bouge de 18 degrés sur la gauche ou de 45 degrés sur la droite, la soucoupe volante plus vraie que les vraies sans oublier l'interociteur, appareil multi fonction de communication, surveillance, etc... Et puis la cerise sur le gâteau, on voit le scientifique faire un calcul avec sa règle qui ressemble pour ce que j'en ai vu, à ma vieille Graphoplex, que je conserve comme une relique, qui m'a accompagné dans mes études. Alors là, je dis bravo ! Et c'est vrai qu'en 1955, il n'y avait pas d'ordinateur portatif et qu'il était sûrement difficile d'imaginer que les règles à calcul allaient être supplantées une vingtaine d'années plus tard par les aujourd'hui incontournables calculettes. Et je trouve ça tout-à-fait émouvant d'entendre le scientifique dire qu'il fallait travailler dans le domaine de l'électronique qui serait certainement important dans l'avenir... Je savais le film mythique et je mesure aujourd'hui à quel point c'est vrai. Les jeunes aujourd'hui souriront de dépit, les plus vieux souriront de tendresse et nostalgie. Tant pis, pour moi, ce sera 5 étoiles ! D'un point de vue technique, film remastérisé avec une bande son et image impeccable

One of the best Sci-Fi films of the fifties. The transfer is excellent, the colours are bright and the contrast clear. A great cast brings this tale of a doomed alien race to life. Some of the best special effects of the day. Absolutely gorgeous to watch. A true classic.

another classic schlock movie. movies of this type you don't have to think too much with. you can come in and out with out missing too much of the movie.

J'ai apprécié ce film. Une très belle découverte.