This Island Earth had the best use of colors of any film ever made. It was obviously taking advantage of the new media of color films. And it had a good plot, good aliens, and spaceships towing meters and using them as weapons. One of the top 5 of the 50's.
This Island earth is the most beautiful space film in the golden age of 1950s science fiction movies. Good adventure and fabulous visuals especially the second half of this movie. Another film also released the same year shot also in the 3-strip technicolor process was conquest of space. Gorgeous space scenes but, with a weak script, slowly paced and a very obnoxious character sinks what is a great looking film.
Yes in 1955 I was 8 years old when I saw this for the first time on the big screen at our local neighborhood theater! Fascinating to me... I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I was with a bunch of friends seeing it and one of my friend's little sister oohed in a combination of disgust and fright at the appearance of the mutant!
LOVE this film. Very interesting commentary by the great Joe Dante - I hadn't realised, for instance, that the look of Kubrick's monolith, from '2001', derives from a slab of lead shielding used in this movie
The Jack Arnold story persists, in spite of fact, as Joe says, a lack of any evidence that he did much of anything on the film. I interviewed the director, the producer, the writers, designers, editor, along with many many many others who worked on the film and no one remembered Jack being involved in ANY way, and Jack himself, when I interviewed him, backed WAY off his previous statements that he directed big chunks of this film. In fact, his only involvement seems to have been turning in some notes to editorial department expressing his opinion on how he would've done it differently. For better or worse, it is Joseph Newman-William Alland's film.
One of the Best Epics from the Golden Age of Science Fiction-The 50's. The Same Era that gave us such Classics as Forbidden Planet, The Day The Earth Stood Still, War of the Worlds, The Thing, and Earth vs The Flying Saucers.
It may have been hyped at the time, but it's become a very underrated film. Way better than "interplanetary spectacle" for kids. Politically intelligent, with plenty to say about the Cold War, the cult of "science" and the realities behind it. Out hero is introduced with a state of the art jet trainer that the military has given him because .... errrr because? And curiosity leads to techno-wonders alright but also to enslavement to war production, mass murder and witness of genocide. (You're never told who are the good guys in this war - the Nazi-blond Metalunans facing extermination? - the faceless voiceless Zagons?). Exeter is wonderful - his brief cutting defense of why he must be evil way more profound than Morbius's (form Forbidden Planet) "monsters form the id". Challenged he replies, "I learned it on Earth". Quite!
This film is in full frame on the DVD I have. However I am able to change the ratio to 1:85 without compromising the image and losing people's heads etc which truly brings the picture up to scratch. I view on an 8ft screen using a Benq video projector with a 50,000 to 1 contrast ratio. All good fun, and yes, I saw this movie as a kid. I always wondered if Clint Eastwood was still at Universal as an extra whether he might have played Jeff Morrow's assistant instead of Lance Fuller!
I recently read the book. The plot is much deeper and makes more sense. Tis movie was the first film or TV show to portray aliens with an enlarged cranium.
this was issued as a BluRay in it's "original" widescreen format. Unfortunately the "widescreen" (aprox 1.77 ish) was achieved by cropping the original HD 1.33 Transfer, so it is soft and fuzzy. Fortunately the original HD Transfer is available in 1.33 as a "special feature" on the BluRay, delivering more picture and more FX -- and worth every penny. The character of The Monitor was played by Douglas Spencer, better known as "Scotty" ("Watch the Skies!") from The Thing. His reaction to Rex Reason's comments about God make the whole movie worthwhile.
Most widescreen films were shot on academy ratio film which was then cropped. What makes it originally widescreen is whether it was composed for widescreen (or not) and the intentions of the director and distributors. I would have thought any film released at this time would have been intended for widescreen release.
@@DANIELMABUSE Good point. Kubrick's post 2001 movies were all shot this way. However I suspect the transition took several years, and until studios actually began masking their prints, the aspect ratio was frequently chosen by the projectionist -- i.e. whatever gate was in the projector when the print arrived. The movie was (thankfully) shot full frame with clean edges -- no boom mics or stands. And the full-frame compositions are excellent.
@@guy_incognito Thanks. Actually just watched the Blu Ray of Touch of Evil yesterday in 1.33 and this is a case in point, where it looks perfect both ways.
One of my absolute favourites. Took forever but i have the BluRay version. Pristine. Love this so much. Funny story: the leading man had a fake Hollywood type name that he hated. For this film he used his real name - Rex Reason. Doesn't sound Hollywood at all 😮😅😂
I remember there were complaints when this was mocked in the MST3K movie...when I compare to other sci-fi films of that era (Forbidden Planet,War Of The Worlds,Invaders From Mars,etc.),I find this movie comes up a little short;the whole trip to and from Metaluna feels like it was tacked on,and the conflict of the Metalunans' plan to colonize Earth is resolved so quickly,it's almost ludicrous.We needed more backstory regarding the war (WHY are the Zagons attacking?),and the scene where Exeter takes Cal and Ruth on a tour of his ruined planet...by pointing off-screen at what they're supposedly looking at...is downright ridiculous!
The author expanded his 3 part serial into four parts for the novel but the film is only based on the first three parts of the serial. The novel goes beyond the story presented in the film.
The plot. This team of scientists are given these crates to make a visual communicator to see this big headed alien on a viewscreen. Later, A scientist and his girlfriend are kidnapped in their plane on a flying saucer, stuck in some tubes where their skin is turned purple, and they are transported to the aliens planet which is ravagedd by war, they are attacked by one other mutant creature with an exposed brain. The big headed alien then takes the humans back to earth and deposits them in their plane just and then crash lands his saucer into the ocean where it explodes....
It was only indicated that they were simply bad. But then the head guy of Metaluna was clearly bad himself (He wanted to fry the earthling's brains) maybe the Zagons wanted an unconditional surrender.
@@alexalex13131 The Monitor was none other than "Scotty", the reporter who helped battle "The Thing from Another World" while waiting to publish his scoop story.
This is far superior then Forbidden Planet IMO. I don't like FB because of the corny "oh gosh golly" chef in the movie, he ruins it IMO as well as the cartoon monster. I also don't care for any "love interests" going on as I find that boring. I watch TIE 7 nights a week and have every part memorized.
Arthur C. Clarke personally screened this for Kubrick in preparation for the making of 2001. The monolith was a translucent crystal slab in Clarke's novel and a crystal obelisk in "The Sentinel."
@@paulmurphy42 How do you know that? According to books I have read on Kubrick films Clarke did show Kubrick many SiFi films while they were thinking of a story line for 2001. So it's definitely possible this was one of them. Clarke highly recommended "Things to Come" staring Raymond Massey to Kubrick and he hated it.
@@jcf20010 I've read enormous amounts by and of Arthur C Clarke and I've never heard any mention of him personally screening it. Clarke wasn't interested in TIE. Where is K Rhetor's source?
Joe Dante is very precious about these 50s science fiction movies and is known to slam MST3K (notably on his podcast with Josh Olson). Personally, I think he should really just relax.
I knew Joel when the MST3K film was in the works, and he thought this was a huge mistake. He left the group, largely because he wanted to do other things, but also because he felt they were making fun of very worthwhile, classic movies. As he put it, they shouldn't have been making fun of films that they themselves weren't talented enough to make. They had to do a lot of cutting of the original film to make it seem more like it was a cheap film. In fact, the only reason they chose this film was because they had a deal with Universal to make a film, on condition that they picked on a COLOR film in their library. Well, turns out that the ONLY SF film that they had from the era in question was THIS ISLAND EARTH, which led to this, probably the lamest decision that could've been made. And even tho I was something of a fan of that MST3K group, this one laid an egg. Not funny, not creative, just an opportunistic grab-a-buck moment.
@@RSEFX I saw this movie at a drive-in in1955. LOVED IT!!! The 3 best Sci-Fi movies in the 50s were this, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers and Forbidden Planet.
The 3 strip technicolor is excellent, clearly more so then forbidden planet. Just a visual treat for the eyes.
This Island Earth had the best use of colors of any film ever made. It was obviously taking advantage of the new media of color films. And it had a good plot, good aliens, and spaceships towing meters and using them as weapons. One of the top 5 of the 50's.
This Island earth is the most beautiful space film in the golden age of 1950s science fiction movies. Good adventure and fabulous visuals especially the second half of this movie. Another film also released the same year shot also in the 3-strip technicolor process was conquest of space. Gorgeous space scenes but, with a weak script, slowly paced and a very obnoxious character sinks what is a great looking film.
LOL! Color was hardly "new" to films in 1955.
Yes in 1955 I was 8 years old when I saw this for the first time on the big screen at our local neighborhood theater! Fascinating to me... I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I was with a bunch of friends seeing it and one of my friend's little sister oohed in a combination of disgust and fright at the appearance of the mutant!
LOVE this film. Very interesting commentary by the great Joe Dante - I hadn't realised, for instance, that the look of Kubrick's monolith, from '2001', derives from a slab of lead shielding used in this movie
This Gilligan's Island Earth is a true classic Gilligan saved the crew from certain death.
The Jack Arnold story persists, in spite of fact, as Joe says, a lack of any evidence that he did much of anything on the film. I interviewed the director, the producer, the writers, designers, editor, along with many many many others who worked on the film and no one remembered Jack being involved in ANY way, and Jack himself, when I interviewed him, backed WAY off his previous statements that he directed big chunks of this film. In fact, his only involvement seems to have been turning in some notes to editorial department expressing his opinion on how he would've done it differently. For better or worse, it is Joseph Newman-William Alland's film.
One of the Best Epics from the Golden Age of Science Fiction-The 50's. The Same Era that gave us such Classics as Forbidden Planet, The Day The Earth Stood Still, War of the Worlds, The Thing, and Earth vs The Flying Saucers.
It may have been hyped at the time, but it's become a very underrated film. Way better than "interplanetary spectacle" for kids. Politically intelligent, with plenty to say about the Cold War, the cult of "science" and the realities behind it. Out hero is introduced with a state of the art jet trainer that the military has given him because .... errrr because? And curiosity leads to techno-wonders alright but also to enslavement to war production, mass murder and witness of genocide. (You're never told who are the good guys in this war - the Nazi-blond Metalunans facing extermination? - the faceless voiceless Zagons?).
Exeter is wonderful - his brief cutting defense of why he must be evil way more profound than Morbius's (form Forbidden Planet) "monsters form the id". Challenged he replies, "I learned it on Earth". Quite!
I saw it in the dorm tv room in college late saturday night, my girlfriend and I tripping on acid. 45 years later it is still a favorite !
And it has Russell Johnson, the bamboo engineering Professor!
A man who could build a nuclear reactor out of coconuts and sea water, but couldn't patch a ten-foot hole in a boat.
They did a excellent job.
With the beautiful and seductive Faith Domergue of the great, underrated noir classic WHERE DANGER LIVES.
Will be getting this movie on DVD!👽👾🛸
BUY THE BLURAY THE FILM HAS BEEN CLEANED UP NICE
This film is in full frame on the DVD I have. However I am able to change the ratio to 1:85 without compromising the image and losing people's heads etc which truly brings the picture up to scratch. I view on an 8ft screen using a Benq video projector with a 50,000 to 1 contrast ratio.
All good fun, and yes, I saw this movie as a kid. I always wondered if Clint Eastwood was still at Universal as an extra whether he might have played Jeff Morrow's assistant instead of Lance Fuller!
That must be nice. I watch this movie 7 nights a week while laying down to sleep. I prefer this to Forbidden Planet any day.
I recently read the book. The plot is much deeper and makes more sense.
Tis movie was the first film or TV show to portray aliens with an enlarged cranium.
this was issued as a BluRay in it's "original" widescreen format. Unfortunately the "widescreen" (aprox 1.77 ish) was achieved by cropping the original HD 1.33 Transfer, so it is soft and fuzzy. Fortunately the original HD Transfer is available in 1.33 as a "special feature" on the BluRay, delivering more picture and more FX -- and worth every penny. The character of The Monitor was played by Douglas Spencer, better known as "Scotty" ("Watch the Skies!") from The Thing. His reaction to Rex Reason's comments about God make the whole movie worthwhile.
Most widescreen films were shot on academy ratio film which was then cropped. What makes it originally widescreen is whether it was composed for widescreen (or not) and the intentions of the director and distributors. I would have thought any film released at this time would have been intended for widescreen release.
@@DANIELMABUSE Good point. Kubrick's post 2001 movies were all shot this way. However I suspect the transition took several years, and until studios actually began masking their prints, the aspect ratio was frequently chosen by the projectionist -- i.e. whatever gate was in the projector when the print arrived. The movie was (thankfully) shot full frame with clean edges -- no boom mics or stands. And the full-frame compositions are excellent.
@@guy_incognito Thanks. Actually just watched the Blu Ray of Touch of Evil yesterday in 1.33 and this is a case in point, where it looks perfect both ways.
I remember this from Explorers.
One of my absolute favourites. Took forever but i have the BluRay version. Pristine. Love this so much. Funny story: the leading man had a fake Hollywood type name that he hated. For this film he used his real name - Rex Reason. Doesn't sound Hollywood at all 😮😅😂
I love the novella on which this movie was based. The movie's OK too, but the original is superb.
I remember there were complaints when this was mocked in the MST3K movie...when I compare to other sci-fi films of that era (Forbidden Planet,War Of The Worlds,Invaders From Mars,etc.),I find this movie comes up a little short;the whole trip to and from Metaluna feels like it was tacked on,and the conflict of the Metalunans' plan to colonize Earth is resolved so quickly,it's almost ludicrous.We needed more backstory regarding the war (WHY are the Zagons attacking?),and the scene where Exeter takes Cal and Ruth on a tour of his ruined planet...by pointing off-screen at what they're supposedly looking at...is downright ridiculous!
Although the beginnings of it did take place on earth the scenes were very well written and largely engrossing.
This Movie accurately predicted Flat Screen TVs. They were completely off about the Picture Screen being Triangle Shaped, though.
This movie, for me, is better than Forbidden Planet. Just on a personal level, that is. It’s just more fun.
The author expanded his 3 part serial into four parts for the novel but the film is only based on the first three parts of the serial. The novel goes beyond the story presented in the film.
Why does Jeff Morrow always get top billing, when clearly Rex Reason is the main character?
The plot. This team of scientists are given these crates to make a visual communicator to see this big headed alien on a viewscreen. Later, A scientist and his girlfriend are kidnapped in their plane on a flying saucer, stuck in some tubes where their skin is turned purple, and they are transported to the aliens planet which is ravagedd by war, they are attacked by one other mutant creature with an exposed brain. The big headed alien then takes the humans back to earth and deposits them in their plane just and then crash lands his saucer into the ocean where it explodes....
yeah made it worth watching
A great looking movie,but badly in need of backstory....WHY were the Zagons attacking Metaluna?
snarkus63 Watch out! Hollywood is prequel crazy. We might get BEFORE THIS ISLAND EARTH!
It was only indicated that they were simply bad. But then the head guy of Metaluna was clearly bad himself (He wanted to fry the earthling's brains) maybe the Zagons wanted an unconditional surrender.
@@alexalex13131 The Monitor was none other than "Scotty", the reporter who helped battle "The Thing from Another World" while waiting to publish his scoop story.
They were racists
The Star Warss of 1955? give me aBREAK!
What was THIS ISLAND EARTH to you when you first saw it back then?
This is far superior then Forbidden Planet IMO. I don't like FB because of the corny "oh gosh golly" chef in the movie, he ruins it IMO as well as the cartoon monster. I also don't care for any "love interests" going on as I find that boring. I watch TIE 7 nights a week and have every part memorized.
Oh, c'mon, Joe. Do you really think Kubrick modeled the monolith in 2001 after the slab of lead shielding in This Island Earth?
Arthur C. Clarke personally screened this for Kubrick in preparation for the making of 2001. The monolith was a translucent crystal slab in Clarke's novel and a crystal obelisk in "The Sentinel."
@@KRhetor "Clarke personally screened this". No he didn't.
@@paulmurphy42 How do you know that?
According to books I have read on Kubrick films Clarke did show Kubrick many SiFi films while they were thinking of a story line for 2001. So it's definitely possible this was one of them. Clarke highly recommended "Things to Come" staring Raymond Massey to Kubrick and he hated it.
@@jcf20010 I've read enormous amounts by and of Arthur C Clarke and I've never heard any mention of him personally screening it. Clarke wasn't interested in TIE. Where is K Rhetor's source?
The mst3k guys made this film so much better
A pity that such a good film is most noted by some for the mockery heaped upon it by MST3K.
Joe Dante is very precious about these 50s science fiction movies and is known to slam MST3K (notably on his podcast with Josh Olson). Personally, I think he should really just relax.
I knew Joel when the MST3K film was in the works, and he thought this was a huge mistake. He left the group, largely because he wanted to do other things, but also because he felt they were making fun of very worthwhile, classic movies. As he put it, they shouldn't have been making fun of films that they themselves weren't talented enough to make. They had to do a lot of cutting of the original film to make it seem more like it was a cheap film. In fact, the only reason they chose this film was because they had a deal with Universal to make a film, on condition that they picked on a COLOR film in their library. Well, turns out that the ONLY SF film that they had from the era in question was THIS ISLAND EARTH, which led to this, probably the lamest decision that could've been made. And even tho I was something of a fan of that MST3K group, this one laid an egg. Not funny, not creative, just an opportunistic grab-a-buck moment.
@@RSEFX I saw this movie at a drive-in in1955. LOVED IT!!! The 3 best Sci-Fi movies in the 50s were this, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers and Forbidden Planet.
No it didn't.
Very inferior compared to Forbidden Planet