Earth Sciences Movie Reviews

I just picked this up recently and it's quickly become one of my favorite SW DVDs. The two films are quite different: Scum of the Earth, David Friedman/H. G. Lewis's final nudie as partners (with virtually no nudity!) comes across like a high school play about pornographers, while The Defilers has the look and feel of an early-1960s B&W TV drama punctuated with ... unsettling violence. Both movies feature several cast members from Blood Feast and the other Blood Trilogy movies.
Scum of the Earth's world-weary, boozing photographer Harmon (William Kerwin [Blood Feast]) snaps photos of pert blonde cheescake model Sandy, who's anxiously awaiting "retirement." (All her shots are taken with a scarf covering her chest.) She's also forced to pose in (implied) B&D shots ("Remember, I'm not double-jointed!") with hulking, violent misogynist brute Ajax. The chief smut peddler, Lang, smokes a big cigar, quotes Mozart, and plays with head-nodder dolls and a wind-up mechanical monkey. Harmon and Sandy recruit Kim (Adults Only regular Vicki Miles [Allison Louise Downe], one of the worst actresses of all time) to be groomed as her replacement. Mal Arnold (Blood Feast's mad caterer Fuad) plays surly, menacing, violent Larry, one of Lang's salesmen and apparently world's oldest teenager ("Don't forget, I'm a minor"). Harmon convinces Kim to show "the upper half" for $500 badly-needed tuition money, and she freaks out at another shoot when they photograph her face! Kim pleads with Lang to let her out of the deal in the hilarious "straight talk" scene: he excoriates her at length ("Deep down inside you're dirty. Do you hear me, dirty! You're damaged goods, and this is a fire sale."), working up a literal lather as the camera cuts in closer and closer on his sweaty, contorted mouth. Blackmail, (implied) violence, and more G-rated porn shoots ensue before the finale, which includes a baseball bat murder, shooting, police chase, suicide, and surprise wedding engagement between Harmon and Sandy! It all sounds quite lurid on paper, but it's actually rather quaint; you really expect Wally and the Beave to stroll around the corner any second. Scum of the Earth does share a rather, um, deliberate pace and minimalist production values with Friedman/Lewis's gore movies, but delivers plenty of entertainment value for aficionados of this sort of thing. Similar to Ed Wood's Sinister Urge, but with even funnier, highly quotable dialogue.
In The Defilers (directed, photographed, and edited by Lee Frost [Love Camp 7, Chrome and Hot Leather, Incredible Two Headed Transplant, etc.]), Carl Walker Jr. and Jameison "Jim" Marsh, two bored, jaded hipster hedonists, cruise their convertible to cool jazz and neck with their big-haired, ponytailed girlfriends (four of them) on the way to the beach, where they drink, skinny-dip, make out, and frolic in the sand (lyrical EZ-listening interlude here). Sadistic misogynist Carl (Byron Mabe, director of She Freak, The Acid Eaters, etc.) demonstrates his theories about women ...by variously pinching, spanking, and cigarette-burning his girlfriend Joanie. He further elucidates, "There is only one thing in this whole crummy, square, infested life that counts. Kicks! Kicks! Kicks! You dig me?", but his rich daddy (also obviously played by Mabe in glasses and mustache) is threatening to cut him off financially if he doesn't start showing up at the office. Meanwhile, virginal blonde aspiring actress Jane Collins ("introducing Mai Jansson") arrives in Hollywood from Minnesota on a Greyhound Scenicruiser and rents a room from degenerate Mrs. Olson. In a dingy "dungeon" love nest at his father's factory, Carl spanks frosty Kathy into submission ("Don't! Stop! . . . Don't stop!"), while Jim seduces Ellen in the car ("You wanna feel my muscle? Start the countdown.") While copping from creepy Mrs. Olson, Carl and Jim meet Jane, and later, after Jim reels off a list of possible kick-producing activities ...She's kidnapped, terrorized, and assaulted, mostly by Carl, mostly off screen. Eventually the more sensitive Jim rebels, and Carl meets a gruesome end straight out of one of Friedman's gore films. Defilers plays kind of like a really kinky episode of Surfside Six or Perry Mason, Mabe is really over the top (better as an actor than director), and Jerome Eden (Blood Trilogy) as Jim occasionally bears an uncanny resemblance to Ben Stiller (!!). The violence is sporadic and not very graphic by today's standards, but still packs a bit of a jolt; gorehounds will find it very mild, while sensitive fuzzy-sweater types will probably be appropriately shocked and sickened. I found The Defilers mildly disturbing at times, but for the most part campy and entertaining, with rich early-'60s atmosphere, some screamingly funny dialogue, and Frost's crisp, moody B&W cinematography major assets.
Extras include an entertaining and informative commentary by David Friedman and Mike Vraney (apparently distributors were disappointed in Miss Jansson's "charms"); a wild trailer collection, some fun and campy (All Women Are Bad, Confessions of a Psycho Cat, Banned, Curse of Her Flesh), some REALLY sick-looking (The Pick-Up, Ultimate Degenerate), some just stupid (Sex Killer, Sock It To Me); two OK shorts, "Intimate Diary of Artist's Models" (4:00, color) featuring "Ajax" and "Sandy" from 'Scum' in standard nudie-cutie photo hijinks (see what's under Sandy's scarf!), and Naked Fury (10:00, color) wherein a photographer shoots photos of twin girls wrestling in their undies; and another 8-minute Trash-O-Rama exploitation art gallery. Prints of both features exhibit the usual light speckling and blemishing, but are otherwise plenty sharp with excellent tonal values and detail. A must-have for exploitation and Adults Only fans!

On one DVD, Something Weird Video has paired the classic films "The Defilers" and "Scum Of The Earth." "The Defilers" warns that everything they touch is stained. This flick answers the question, what do two hedonistic punks do to get the ultimate kicks? They're getting drugs from a shady lady who also happens to be the landlady of some crummy apartments. While they're hanging out there, they meet an innocent girl who has just moved into town and decides to rent a room. They figure this girl would be the perfect victim, since she has no family and they're the only ones who know she's in town. They kidnap her and keep her locked up in a squalid cellar. They don't want ransom money, they want to use her as their sex slave. It's more fun than it sounds, and one of the punks gets what he deserves in the end.

"Scum Of The Earth" follows the travails of a beautiful good girl (and bad actress) who starts out as a fashion model earning extra money to get into college, but is soon talked into posing topless. If that's not bad enough, the sleazy cons running this racket threaten to show her dear old Dad those topless pictures unless she agrees to model nude! The scene where she appeals to the head man to get out of the deal is priceless. He chews her out with one of the greatest speeches in movie history. "Deep down inside, you're dirty. Do you hear me? Dirty! You're no better than the girl who sells herself to a man. You're worse, because you're a hypocrite...You're damaged merchandise, and this is a fire sale!" The camera keeps zooming in on him. In several extreme close-ups, all you can see is his mouth talking! He gets more and more animated as his speech goes on. By the time he's finished, he's worked up such a sweat that he has to mop his brow with a handkerchief! This DVD also includes theatrical trailers for similar movies, short subjects, and audio commentary by producer David Friedman. It's a must-have for all fans of exploitation movies.

Undoubtedly one of the greatest films in the sci-fi pantheon, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is one of the few science-fiction flicks from the McCarthy era that is not an anti-communist allegory. A literate and thought-provoking film, it presents extraterrestrials as humanoid in appearance and intelligent and peaceful in demeanor, as opposed to the reptilian, googly-eyed creatures with a bent for world domination that are the norm in most other Hollywood space operas of the early 1950s.

The story revolves around Klaatu (Michael Rennie), an extraterrestrial being who comes to Earth as the representative of an intergalactic peacekeeping organization. Now that the people of Earth have reached the nuclear age, they have become a potential threat to life on other planets, and the violent history of earthlings indicates that, if left unchecked, a threat is what they will indeed become. So Klaatu's league of interplanetary peacekeepers have sent him to offer an ultimatum: Either the Earth agrees to join the league and abide by its rules--basically, a no-nukes, no-aggression policy--or the Earth will be utterly annihilated. And to demonstrate that he and his fellows have the power to carry through, Klaatu arranges for all non-essential electrical devices to completely cease functioning for a full 24 hours. (The Earth stands still for an entire day--get it?)

Although there is no real evidence to support it, many contemporary fans of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL have wondered if director Robert Wise and scriptwriter Edmund North were not waxing prophetic about the global role the U.S. was, circa 1950, poised to assume. Since WWII--and even more so after the fall of the USSR--the United States has grown to become the dominant world power both militarily and economically, and it has used this position to muscle the other nations of the world into conforming to its basic principals or, at the very least, into maintaining a non-combative relationship with its allies. In retrospect, then, Klaatu and the organization he represents can easily be viewed as an allegory of the U.S., with the Earthlings in the film representing the other nations of the world. And the dropping of THE BOMB on Japan can therefore be seen as the U.S.'s demonstration of power--its proof that it can, indeed, make the Earth stand still.

Prophetic allegory or not, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is a well-written and well-directed motion picture. Wise and North's powerful storytelling techniques create concepts and images that are hard to ignore and not easy to forget. Indeed, it's likely that Klaatu and his towering robo-cop sidekick, Gort, are cinematic icons that will remain in the sci-fi lexicon long after other 20th-century film characters are considered to be grossly passé.

The DVD offers a beautiful restored version of the film; an excellent feature commentary with the film's director, Robert Wise, and renowned writer/director Nicolas Meyer (Meyer spurs Wise with pertinent questions and comments); theatrical trailers; an interesting documentary/featurette on the making of the film; a period newsreel; and more. At Amazon's price, adding this science-fiction classic to your DVD collection is well worth the investment!

This film, directed by Robert Wise, shows what truly competent direction can give to science fiction without all the Jim Cameron razzle dazzle. The hint of love and development of intrigue and compassion between handsome Michael Rennie and lovely Patricia Neal compels from their first glance, and Gort is just downright chic. I love this film. It never dates. But I'm always sad to see Michael Rennie wave bye to Patricia Neal, and I still am unclear how long he survives after the spaceship exits. Bernard Herrmann (Taxi Driver) score is classic and minimal, with early use of Theremin.

Nearly everyone who has seen THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL hails it as a classic of science fiction, even if they are not quite sure why. For a film that has withstood the test of time, it cannot be because of those elements that mark other and similar successful science fiction films. There are no corresponding battle sequences that stamp, say, INDEPENDENCE DAY, or special effects that characterize any of the ALIENS saga. What director Robert Wise did was to adapt the original short story, "Farewell to the Master," by Harry Bates to transform a tale warning Earth to forego its mutually assured nuclear destruction into a riveting story that forces viewers to ponder some serious issues of why they are here on this planet and how they can avoid massive self-genocide. Surprisingly enough, Wise does this without allowing the film's didacticism to dilute audience involvement.

Michael Rennie is Klaatu, an emissary who lands on Earth with the stated intention of saving humanity from itself. He offers the olive branch of his race, a device that would have eliminated some of man's most persistent problems only to find that a collective fear of the unknown blasted that device to pieces and severely wounded him. Rennie plays Klaatu as an earnest Christ figure so subliminally that the film morphs into an allegory of man's turning on the One who would die for their collective sins. Klaatu escapes from a hospital to assume the name of Carpenter, Jesus's occupation. He performs miracles: where Jesus turned stone to water, Carpenter turns motion to non-motion by literally turning off Earth's electricity, thus the day of the title. Jesus here is Tom Stevens (slimingly played by Hugh Marlowe), who betrays Klaatu, not for thirty pieces of silver but for the love of a woman (Patricia Neal), who painfully learns that behind the smiling face of that Judas lies the smallness of the insecure mind. Then there is the resurrection of Klaatu, who ascends, if not to heaven, than at least to his spaceship, which is almost the same thing. Yet all these allusions to traditional Christianity do not intrude suffocatingly. Indeed, most viewers scarcely recognize them, and it is only after repeated viewings that such correspondances suggest why audiences continually flock to witness Klaatu's Good News.

It is not only the religious coating that marks this film as a classic. It has a literate script that requires one to listen to well-reasoned ideas rather than to ooh and aah at FX. Rennie's interpretation of Klaatu is both fluid and soothing. In his exhortations to mankind to rise from the muck of squalor and viciousness, Klaatu is seen ultimately not so much as a representative of an alien power seeking to impose its will on a protesting humanity, but more as an inverted symbol of that humanity. If Jesus were crucified for being both mortal and semi-devine, then surely Klaatu is meant to be the scapegoat for man's failure to heed his wisdom. In nearly every scene that Klaatu is in, he is scorned, hunted, shot at, and mocked. In lashing out at him, the Sanhendrin-like government and mass media exhibit the same lack of acumen that stamps most of the citizens.

The number of special effects are kept to a minimum. The robot Gort is huge and menacing, but his lethality rests more in what he can do than what he does do. Klaatu's spaceship does little but squat serenely on the White House lawn, with Klaatu spending only one brief scene aboard. Some of the film's best moments are of the quiet sort, usually with Rennie in contemplative dialogue with others. The words that pass back and forth suggest a subtext that if human beings are to avoid self-immolation, then it can occur only through the medium of verbalized reason that will negate the mushrooming clouds. If and when the nukes fall, it will be because no one had the sense to cry out,"Klaatu Barada Nikto," to stop the madness.

It's very surprising that Fox (which is known for putting together good DVDs) kind of played the cheap route for this movie. I would have liked to have seen a "Behind the Scenes" feature on how this movie was done. I'm sure they could have put together something for it, like they did with "The Day The Earth Stood Still". This is a good movie and deserves better treatment on the DVD format. I feel like I wasted my money.

I had fond memories of this for 30+ years. Sitting in front of the TV, cross-legged, stuffing popcorn in my mouth, while watching the greatest sci-fi/ adventure flick of it's time. I just watched it again and loved it! James Mason (20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Lolita) is professor Lindenbrook. He leads an expedition to the earth's core after uncovering a strange artifact encased in lava rock. The group of underground explorers includes Pat Boone as Macuen, Arlene Dahl as the wife of Lindenbrook's rival (who was murdered early on), A giant icelander named Hans, a duck named Gertrude, and two evil sabotuers who plan on knocking off our heroes and cashing in on their discovery. This movie has earthquakes, rockslides, floods, a giant whirlpool, a thundering styrofoam boulder, an explosion, a volcanic eruption, AND not 1, but 2 giant lizard attacks!! Be still my heart! James Mason is pleasantly irrassible. Pat Boone is astonishingly believable (I'm not a big Pat fan). Arlene Dahl is, well, absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend JTTCOTE. Get that corn a-poppin'...

Pat Boone Rules in this superb film"Journey to the Center of the Earth"but where are his other great movies including musicals that his starred in that unfortunately never been released on video during the 50's and 60's including Bernardine-1957,April Love-1957,Mardi Gras-1958,All Hands on Deck-1961,The Main Attraction-1962,The Yellow Canary-1963,The Horror of It All-1963,Never Put it in Writing-1964,The Perils of Pauline-1967.Video Distributors both large and small including Fox Home Entertainment should aggressively inquire about releasing these very,very long overdue and overlooked movie gems on vhs/dvd.I mean Elvis as great as he was shouldn't get all the glory!!!

Unlike many examples of early sci-fi cinema, TDTECF combines a thought-provoking storyline with superb acting to create a very credible thriller about the countdown to Earth's destruction as a result of a decaying orbit brought on by nuclear testing.

Edward Judd is excellent in the role of Peter Stenning, a cynical newspaper columnist who has fallen from the top of his profession into a whiskey bottle but rises to sobriety once again admist the crisis. Janet Munro is adorable as Jeanie Crane, the weather ministry worker who leaks the story of the ages to Judd and ends up falling in love with him in the process. Leo McKern, widely known for his later role as Rumpole of the Bailey, is simply superb as Bill McGuire, the paper's science expert and Stenning's best friend. His sharp wit and tongue make his character a joy to watch.

Added into that mix is an amazingly authentic recreation of a newspaper work environment. I don't know the actor who plays Mr. Jefferson, the newpaper's editor, but he should have gotten an Oscar for his portrayal. I heard somewhere that he was a former newspaper editor--and it shows in his performance.

The special effects are minimal and unsophisticated, but the tension in the story builds as the lethality of the crisis becomes apparent to everyone and mankind makes a frantic, last-second attempt to prevent its ultimate undoing.

As far as the DVD goes, it is a very nice package. It includes commentary from Val Guest, the director; a nice set of production stills; and radio advertising spots for the movie. The audio sync does appear to be a hair off in some spots, but it wasn't all that noticeable. The picture quality is crisp and the audio is clear. I especially like the colorized (sort of) opening and closing sequences. Overall, a very nice packaging of a wonderful movie. One of the top sci-fi films of all time in my opinion.

Director Val Guest delivers one of the finest science fiction films ever made.With its real locations,literate script, documentary feel and a complete lack of the usual blaring music typical of the period this is a stand out movie of the genre.
You can almost feel the temperature rising as the film progresses.A great demonstration of what may happen if mankind continues to stupidly detonate nuclear warheads.

I have to confess the only reason that I bought "The Day the Eath Caught Fire" was due to its premsis of the end of the world. I LOVED IT! I thought that the acting and storyline was great. The Director is a excellent job. The movie kept the viewer guessing right end about the fate of the earth. A Great Job!

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.

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.

"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.

First off, let me say that I am a huge Bowie fan, owning and loving all of his original albums. But I simply did not enjoy this movie. Not at all really.
The story itself is neat, but it takes, well, a paragraph to describe (which I'll let you read in other reviews), and then you've got it. There's nothing more to it, there are no plot twists, nothing amazing or new. The movie moves so slow, it seems to go on for hours, and it's never exciting, just boring.
The acting from all performers in the movie is just fine, but the way the movie was put together is pretty bad. The script is barely there at all, the cinematography is dull and unoriginal, the alien design seems much older than it is, and doesn't impress. There's also a lot of sex in this movie, which I have no objections to, but it's put together in such odd ways, and never really makes sense that it's in there.
To put it simply, I guarantee you that if this movie didn't have David Bowie it wouldn't be remembered at all. The only thing neat about this movie is that I saw where the cover for "Station to Station" and "Low" came from. Sadly, you're really not missing anything, but if you're a huge fan like me, you'll have to see it for yourself.

It's a shame that only 5 stars can be given to this classic film.
David Bowie, whom I adore anyway, makes an excellent debut in this superb film.

The film follows Walter Tevis's novel very well and adapts to the screen to create a very saddening tale of corporate America and how it can be a boon or a bust to some, including aliens.

That alone is a scary thought.

Upon his arrival from a dying planet, Thomas Jerome Newton sets out to create an empire to obtain money to purchase water for his dying planet. Occasional scenes are shown of him leaving his wife and children behind, and throughout the film we see other scenes of them waiting for his return.

What is never shown is how he is going to transport this to his home planet.

Along the way to his path to success, he is plagued by metaphorical leeches who will do anything to stop him. Greed, lust, and several other deadly sins are thrust upon our protaganist as he tries in vain to overcome them in the process.

David Bowie was the perfect person to be cast for this movie. He moves along in it with an icy perfection that is or was appropriate to his character at the time.

Keep in mind, this film is not without it's flaws. Some scenes were restored to make this the original theatrical release. One involving Rip Torn and his student could have been done without as it makes no sense and attributes nothing to the overall affect of the movie. Again, that is just an opinion, and die hard fans of this movie will be happy that it is included.

This film, upon it's release, was well ahead of its time and to this day, many of the themes implied still are appropiate to what constitutes success vs. failure in the American business sense.

The films ends on a saddening note, however, and should be a reminder that what goes around, comes around. You do not have to be a fan of David Bowie to appreciate this film, he just makes it all work and the end result is stunning. Nicholas Roeg did everything possible to steer away from the persona of David Bowie and his music. The end result is a very good solid acting part on his behalf. Ironically, some of the incidental music later became working pieces on David Bowie's LOW album, which has a stunning shot from the movie. Highly recommended, and not for anyone looking for a quick plot or storyline and a happy ending, this film is chock full of storylines and plots that keeps you interested throughtout it's prescence.

Many may call it dull and disjointed, too abstract or just give it a pass, since they haven't heard of it anyway! But they'd be missing a great movie, a unique and intellectual work of art. And that it is. I myself have never been much of a sci-fi fan so I don't particularly enjoy movies about space when they're too complicated and technical, but THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH is written in such a simple, but meaningful way- unlike most films nowadays- that makes it ageless, even after 30 years it cannot be considered outdated. Another thing I admire about it is a certain touchy feeling it has; it's hard to explain as it's so surreal, something out of this world! The first time I saw it, I was left with a sense of confusion and melancholy even, without consciously knowing why. I can't rally say I completely understand it to this day because there are so many hidden messages and feelings that make each time I watch it a whole new experience!
Despite my being a Bowie (super-) fan, I think everyone looking for a new experience in an interesting, smart and thought provoking, non-linear film should definitely buy the special edition DVD! It's worth every penny because it's a movie you can't just watch once, the VHS edition does not do it justice and the 2nd disc offers a very interesting and helpful 'Watching The Alien' documentary!

First off, let me say that I am a huge Bowie fan, owning and loving all of his original albums. But I simply did not enjoy this movie. Not at all really.
The story itself is neat, but it takes, well, a paragraph to describe (which I'll let you read in other reviews), and then you've got it. There's nothing more to it, there are no plot twists, nothing amazing or new. The movie moves so slow, it seems to go on for hours, and it's never exciting, just boring.
The acting from all performers in the movie is just fine, but the way the movie was put together is pretty bad. The script is barely there at all, the cinematography is dull and unoriginal, the alien design seems much older than it is, and doesn't impress. There's also a lot of sex in this movie, which I have no objections to, but it's put together in such odd ways, and never really makes sense that it's in there.
To put it simply, I guarantee you that if this movie didn't have David Bowie it wouldn't be remembered at all. The only thing neat about this movie is that I saw where the cover for "Station to Station" and "Low" came from. Sadly, you're really not missing anything, but if you're a huge fan like me, you'll have to see it for yourself.

It's a shame that only 5 stars can be given to this classic film.
David Bowie, whom I adore anyway, makes an excellent debut in this superb film.

The film follows Walter Tevis's novel very well and adapts to the screen to create a very saddening tale of corporate America and how it can be a boon or a bust to some, including aliens.

That alone is a scary thought.

Upon his arrival from a dying planet, Thomas Jerome Newton sets out to create an empire to obtain money to purchase water for his dying planet. Occasional scenes are shown of him leaving his wife and children behind, and throughout the film we see other scenes of them waiting for his return.

What is never shown is how he is going to transport this to his home planet.

Along the way to his path to success, he is plagued by metaphorical leeches who will do anything to stop him. Greed, lust, and several other deadly sins are thrust upon our protaganist as he tries in vain to overcome them in the process.

David Bowie was the perfect person to be cast for this movie. He moves along in it with an icy perfection that is or was appropriate to his character at the time.

Keep in mind, this film is not without it's flaws. Some scenes were restored to make this the original theatrical release. One involving Rip Torn and his student could have been done without as it makes no sense and attributes nothing to the overall affect of the movie. Again, that is just an opinion, and die hard fans of this movie will be happy that it is included.

This film, upon it's release, was well ahead of its time and to this day, many of the themes implied still are appropiate to what constitutes success vs. failure in the American business sense.

The films ends on a saddening note, however, and should be a reminder that what goes around, comes around. You do not have to be a fan of David Bowie to appreciate this film, he just makes it all work and the end result is stunning. Nicholas Roeg did everything possible to steer away from the persona of David Bowie and his music. The end result is a very good solid acting part on his behalf. Ironically, some of the incidental music later became working pieces on David Bowie's LOW album, which has a stunning shot from the movie. Highly recommended, and not for anyone looking for a quick plot or storyline and a happy ending, this film is chock full of storylines and plots that keeps you interested throughtout it's prescence.

Many may call it dull and disjointed, too abstract or just give it a pass, since they haven't heard of it anyway! But they'd be missing a great movie, a unique and intellectual work of art. And that it is. I myself have never been much of a sci-fi fan so I don't particularly enjoy movies about space when they're too complicated and technical, but THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH is written in such a simple, but meaningful way- unlike most films nowadays- that makes it ageless, even after 30 years it cannot be considered outdated. Another thing I admire about it is a certain touchy feeling it has; it's hard to explain as it's so surreal, something out of this world! The first time I saw it, I was left with a sense of confusion and melancholy even, without consciously knowing why. I can't rally say I completely understand it to this day because there are so many hidden messages and feelings that make each time I watch it a whole new experience!
Despite my being a Bowie (super-) fan, I think everyone looking for a new experience in an interesting, smart and thought provoking, non-linear film should definitely buy the special edition DVD! It's worth every penny because it's a movie you can't just watch once, the VHS edition does not do it justice and the 2nd disc offers a very interesting and helpful 'Watching The Alien' documentary!

In the mid-1950's, Colombia Pictures did more then their fair share of creature features. But not a lot of them were any good. Case in point is this disapointment from 1955. Made alongside It Came From Beneath The Sea, it also suffers from a low budget, terrible script, and bad casting. The Ymir really looks like a "creature test" that Ray was doing in order to create the more realistic effects work of the Cyclops in "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", as that movie was done in a much more creative/entertaining/and style way which is really lacking in this film.

This is a good genre film and cult movie. Don't expect something as fancy or artistic as Murnau's Nosferatu. This a B movie. However, it has some attractive of its own.
The Ymir was really well animated for its time (OK, for today's standards, the "stop motion" technique might seem a little bit crude), but you can't help but notice that, although the creature looks fake, it "feels" real. Once again, Harryhausen shows his mastery.

There's really not much to this one. Earth sends a spacecraft to Venus, it comes back with an alien life form that starts out at six inches high then grows into a 20-foot beast that wreaks havoc on the city, etc., etc. Character depth? Why bother, this monster has a lot of character on its own. Plot intricacies? What the heck for, the monster is on a rampage and has to be stopped, what more do you want?

That's 50s sci-fi for you. No frills storytelling, and it's darn good fun. But what makes this entry especially enjoyable is, you guessed it, the monster itself. The Ymir (curiously, that name is never mentioned in the film) is another in the long list of stop-motion wizard Ray Harryhausen's creations. Unlke many of the mythology-based creatures in his other films, this one was entirely his own design, and let me say this, it looks really great. It's a neat mix of reptilian features reminiscent of the dinosaurs and humanoid form with fully-developed and functional arms (a decidedly non-dinosaur feature). Now that's cool.

I mentioned earlier that the monster has a lot of character. It really does. This isn't your basic carnivorous beast that devours any living thing in its path. It feeds on sulphur (!), and is actually non-aggressive. In one unforgettable scene, the Ymir stops and growls at a grazing sheep, then walks right by, leaving the sheep unharmed. (The growl probably translates roughly as, "excuse me, do you know where I can find some sulphur? You don't? Ok, thank you.")

The problems start when the humans, in their typical fear of what they don't know or understand, set out to destroy the creature. Naturally, it becomes violent. What the humans don't know is, the big guy is really just an unfortunate victim of circumstances that wants to be left alone. But then again, how do you leave a 20-foot Ymir alone?

Speaking of leaving things alone, this was Harryhausen's last black-and-white film. Nobody better even think about releasing a computer-colored version. That would take away so much of the nostalgic enjoyment we classic sci-fi fans get from watching films like this.

This is a wonderful film from the 1950s, with a harder, noirish edge lacking in bigger budget studio films of this period. However, this so-called "widescreen" movie is actually presented in full screen, and very bad full screen at that. I tried to change the settings in my DVD player but all I got was a smaller picture, with the right and left side of the credits still cut off.

Nice menu and extras--but where the heck is the widescreen?

VCI did a good job restoring this vintage sci-fi invasion tale. After a failed suicide attempt, Nora King (Kathleen Crowley) wakes up to find the city deserted except for a body or two with horrified expressions on their faces. She encounters Richard Denning and they try to figure out what happened (he had been mugged unconcious) while they "slept". They meet a colorful couple drinking it up who survived also and the four band together. An invasion of robots from Venus have attacked the Earth and everyone has evacuated. (Well, actually it's only one robot clanking around but this IS a low-budget quickie). They end up in a hotel, contend with a gangster and fight the robot. Not everyone survives, but there's a rescue by the armed forces who have discovered how to demobilize the robots. With high-frequency sound! Engagingly goofy, loopy sci-fi that's competently acted but very low-budget. The robot is so cheesy looking I expected pieces of him to fall off any moment. But that was part of the fun. If this is your cup of tea, enjoy---!

This has always been a favorite of mine. The low budget keeps things simple but very atmospheric. This is a very good DVD! The commentary is from the Roan laserdisc from a few years ago (which I still have). The picture is fine and this IS a widescreen disc! Around 1.85 to 1. The viewers who claim that it isn't are watching another disc! This is the real McCoy.

I was always fascinated with the original Dr. Who TV show, which had a lot of surprisingly interesting, thought-provoking ideas underlying its low-budget sets and costumes. But this movie doesn't match the TV series' depth. It's clear that this movie was made "just for kids." The exaggerated acting, slapstick humor, and tweedle-dee soundtrack make this a big disappointment if you watch it in the wrong mindset. As a movie for kids, it's colorful and fun. But if you go into it expecting the same quality as the show, you'll find it very disappointing and more than a little cheesy. Save your money.

Great stuff to watch with the kids! This is not really "hard core" science fiction or even up to par with later Doctor Who TV episodes but its got enough action and a little sillyness to keep even todays kids interested and give the adults a satisfying smile.
The disc has good chapter navigation and the extras are acceptable - the product placement/ad campaign info provided in the extras show were interesting.

This movie is good, simple to follow and adventurous. It has in it time travel, aliens, robots, spaceships, humor and action. It does look cheesy but that is another good thing in this movie, don't ask me why. Overall: VERY GOOD.