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Where is Col. Fielding when you need him?,
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Be sure to notice all the standard Sci-fi actors and even the Beaver’s mother “Kelston’s Secretary” (Barbara Billingsley).
This movie was well done with just the right amount of spookiness and has a kid’s perspective on what is happening. This is not a kid is smarter than his/her parents movie. There are lots of strange happenings and lots of tension. I will not go into the details as if you have not seen the movie it is more fun to be surprised.
Right from the beginning Little David MacLean sees a flying saucer land in the sandpit behind the house. He tells his parents. They being good parents check it out for him and naturally find nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe he had a nightmare or maybe the nightmare is just beginning as everyone starts acting strange and only David can sound the alarm.
What would you do? Where is Col. Fielding when you need him?
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|Region One 50th Anniversary Special Edition,
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This Region One disc includes both the U.S. and British versions of the movie and an illustrated collector’s booklet. It claims a brand new digital transfer but lines and flashes are still evident, this being a very old movie (this didn’t bother me at all). There is also a theatrical trailer and a still gallery. A young boy is awakened during a storm and sees a UFO land near his home. His father (Leif Erickson-went onto play Big John Cannon in The High Chaparral) is abducted and is fitted with an alien implant (this in 1953!). His father and others are controlled by the aliens through their implants and the movie develops at a cracking pace from thereon. The British version is longer (everything is on one disc). This is because the movie was considered too short for a British cinema release and the ending also deemed as inappropriate. You will notice that sometime had elapsed before the extra footage was shot and consequently the actor (Jimmy Hunt) playing the boy was older and somewhat taller in the extended planetarium scene. This scene also includes reference to a famous UFO incident, not mentioned in the U.S. version. I prefer the British ending which seemed more reasonable but I won’t spoil anything for you. Well worth buying this 50th Anniversary Special Edition. Sorry, there are no subtitles for either version of the movie.
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|DVD Review,
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Please don’t hammer me for giving this 3 stars, bear with me. This is NOT a review of the movie (which would be a 5 star review), it is a review of the DVD, which just ain’t brilliant.
Firstly, I was hoping for some sort of cleaned-up, remastered picture. What I got instead was something which has had no effort put into it. In some places the picture is pretty terrible. Sound quality is ok, but could have done with a clean-up too.
This film has two different versions (including two completely different endings) for the UK and US. This DVD presents the film with the US version, and the UK extra bits (including the re-shot ending) are shoved on as an Extra. This is good I guess, but would branching really have been that difficult? I think that’s what happened with the Region 1 version??
The poorer picture and sound thankfully do not detract TOO much from the enjoyment of the movie, but I just think this is a film that needs way more attention than it’s getting. A Collector’s edition would be an absolute treat, for this movie which is strangely relevant in a post 9/11 world, if you pick it apart.
In conclusion, the movie is great but the DVD is merely OK.
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