Customer Reviews

Invaders from Mars [VHS]

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

My three stars are based on the following--four stars for this memorable film--two stars for the picture and sound quality of the DVD. Some of the other reviewers will consider my technical "two stars" to be generous, and I will not argue with

them.

I first saw this landmark sci/fi classic when I was younger than Jimmy Hunt, the lead actor in "Invaders". Like many other "baby boomers", I remember the experience very well. It wasn't the Martians who bothered me--it was the idea that your own loving parents could suddenly become so "different", not to mention friends and neighbours. This is a very frightening premise that reached its peak a couple of years later in the original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".

Inevitably, the film is now dated in a number of ways--the "zippers" on the backs of the Martians are often mentioned--but it still has power too. First of all, Jimmy Hunt's performance--here is a child actor who is totally believable, and his efforts to convince people of the unthinkable are compelling. Children who are not taken seriously--an old theme that is still relevant. Arthur Franz and Helena Carter are standard 50s leads, sympathetic but bland, but look out for Leif Erickson as our hero's "Dad"--the scene where he comes back home a "changed man" still packs a wallop ( literally as well as figuratively ).

As others have noted, Menzies gave this film a terrific" look--that hill with the broken fence, the swirling sand, the strange music--this is an image that has stayed with me most of my life.

The "Martian Brain" may look a little crude today, but the idea of superior intelligence is a mainstay in science fiction, and this creature has numerous filmic descendants--the "brainy alien" in "Independence Day", another more recent "invasion" comes to mind.

One problem I have always had with this movie--and it is a common experience in 50s sci/fi films--is an excessive reliance on stock footage. I guess it helped with the budget, but all those "military training" films that are woven into the story could have been edited. OK--the troops are coming to kick Martian butt--we get it !

It is safe to say that this is one of the most influential sci/fi movies of all time. True it does not compare in quality to some other 50s classics--"The Day the Earth Stood Still ",

"The War of the Worlds", "Forbidden Planet" for example. Nevertheless, it is a movie that is embedded in the consciousnesses of many people of my generation--the saucer landing, the scared little boy, the strange hill where people disappear--all quite unforgettable.

Sadly, I must agree with the negative reviews of this DVD's picture quality--when you mention "50th Anniversary Special Edition" etc. and see that the company responsible is Image--you have high expectations. I did not anticipate so many lines and general "wear and tear". If this was the best print available, it is unfortunate. If anything, the nice cover and the interesting booklet add to the disappointment of the disc itself.

Bottom line--even with the visual shortcomings of the DVD, no serious sci/fi collector can leave this title out of his or her collection.

I was very excited when this DVD came out, having some time ago purchase a cheap copy from one of those bargain-DVD companies. And while this is certainly an improvement over the grainy print I owned, I have to say I'm a little disappointed that the film still isn't in great shape. A good portion of the outdoor scenes are pretty murky, making it hard at times to tell what is going on. Some scratches and minor imperfections are to be expected (even though, with today's film restoration technology, I think even these can be fixed). And to be fair, this was a low-budget film that may never have looked that great. I guess I was just hoping for more.

Now, a word about the two versions of the film on this disc. I don't want to give away the ending(s) to anyone who hasn't seen it, but let's just say the original U.S. ending has been considered by many fans to be a "cop out" ending. The British version does away with that, as well as the ridiculously long montage that proceeds it. But here's an odd thing: I still think I prefer the more ambigious U.S. ending. It's just more...I don't know....FUN.

So maybe this is the best version of INVADERS FROM MARS we'll ever get. It's a fun movie, a minor classic of the beloved genre of 50's sci-fi films. But it does in fact pale (both the film itself and the transfer) beside other acknowledged classics of that era.

If you like 1950's Sci-Fi movies, or enjoy watching them with your kids (I love educating my kids to the classics),this is the perfect "watch-at-night-with-popcorn movie." There are no whiz-bang effects (ballons and something that looks like boiling spaghetti sauce are used inside Martian tunnels under the sandpit) and the Martian costumes are pretty silly, but the story and character development more than make up for any shortcomings. I own both the VHS and DVD of this movie and I love the DVD. I don't think a print worthy of total restoration exists and the audio is just OK (no spectacular Surround effects) but the DVD does have original trailers on it and it does not have the inherent pifalls of tape (drop outs, even worse color and audio). My kids (and even my wife) get hooked on this film when I play it. The suspense starts right away and the film gets you "inside" David (the starring character in the movie) so you feel his frustration in his attempts to reveal the secrets of the "Sand Pit." Everyone, at some point in their lives, will have a nightmare where they run from an enemy and can never escape. This is the movie made from that nightmare.

On late night black and white tv, this movie scared me to blackout my bedroom windows (which didn't please my parents). William Cameron Menzies was a visionary. His stark style of design and tight storytelling still affects me as a designer and a writer. This past year I saw IFM on TCM and my imagination must have been at work because it wasn't the same movie. But then TCM's savvy host wised me up. The copyright was up for sale and some bozo bought it. He thought it needed more military action and inserted stock footage of tanks loading (to the tune of "Caissons" no less), and other footage of tanks coming to the rescue. In other words he reedited a classic. So if you buy the DVD and it says Original U.S. release. It's a lie. Send that warning to the FBI.

Having watched this classic probably over 30 years ago as a teenage boy with my parents, I was looking forward to sharing the experience with my own teenage son. What a disappointment! We started the evening with the marvellous The Day The Earth Stood Still and settled back for the much anticipated next feature special. We both agreed it was unwatchable. Picture quality was an insult to this classic and certainly a slap in the face to the large number of buyers out there who are dedicated sci-fans and collectors.

If you are intending to add to your collection, don't. Perhaps there will be a re-mastered version some day to do justice to this undeniable gem.

This movie scared me to death as a child. I literally couldn't sleep for days. Perhaps I was the perfect specimen for suspension of disbelief, but, as a child I had the advantage, if you call it that, of believing that whatever I saw in a movie actually happened as it appeared in film. Thus, when the space ship crashed in David's backyard, I was looking out of my own bedroom window. I insisted on seeing the back of my parent's necks. Afterall, I always thought they acted a little strange. If you like old science fiction, this one is a true classic. While the special effects were limited to the technology of 1952, I feel they were very adequate and added to the realism, unlike the computer generated special effects that everyone instantly knows is fake. Happy viewing and pass the popcorn!

The 1950's were a movie theater-goers dream come true, particularly if you were a kid and loved sci-fi. It seemed like every Saturday in the summer we were off to the matinee with our silver quarters to see the likes of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", or "Them!", or "The War of the Worlds", or this low budget marvel, "Invaders from Mars."

By now, almost everyone knows about it and its cold war innuendo. But as kids, we didn't know and couldn't have cared less. All we knew was "Invaders from Mars" was scary and memorable, particularly the last sequence with the flash-backs and the Martians' bizarre surgical procedures which turned lovable citizens into obedient, nefarious saboteurs (anyone for a commie takeover)? And who could forget the tentacled, silver-painted, cold blooded Martian leader in the glass dome? ("He is mankind developed to it's ultimate potential"). Instant nightmare material.

The picture quality isn't anything to rave about, even on the current DVD. There are plenty of celluloid carry-over scratches here and there and some segments, particularly during the last third of the film where they're in the dark a lot, seem a little washed-out. What's most irritating to me, however, is that the section in the observatory where Arthur Franz and Jimmy Hunt are reviewing models of various types of space craft which could be visiting Earth, has been omitted. Most people probably won't miss it though.

Nevertheless, "Invaders from Mars" is still quintessential sci-fi of a bygone era. It is testimony to just how a fast pace, good story and keen directing (William Cameron Menzies) can overshadow a modest budget. It is every bit worth the price of admission!

I was very pleased to see that this old classic was released on DVD. Despite it's age, the movie holds up nicely, although corny compared to today's movie technology. If you think that you are purchasing a "pristine" copy, be careful! When I pay twenty bucks I expect a nice crisp copy. Not so here. Scratches, pops,
blips, etc. What a disappointment. The picture is not that clear.
I am very sad that Image has promoted this DVD to be better than what it is. Hopefully, someone else will get ahold of it someday and restore a true classic.

My only regret when i watch this film is that, although i have read that it was made in 3D, (apparently) no 3D prints still exist. That's sad, because i can imagine that the effect of several of the sets would be even greater in 3D.

The basic plot is fairly well-known -- boy sees flying saucer land and hide itself in a sand-pit near his home, sees his father captured by aliens, and can't make anyone believe him till it's almost Too Late.

This is a film designed to play to several of the things that children feel even if they can't voice them clearly -- that adults are arbitrary and uncaring, that no-one listens to what kids have to say, and so on. The visual design (Menzies was, after all, primarily a designer) plays to that quite well. Since the main part of the film is, apparenly, revealed as a dream, Menzies can go in for such surreally-portrayed sets as the police station, in which the desk sergeant's desk looms so far above the boy who is trying to report horrible events, and almost the only other feature of the set is the clock on a wall far away. (Imagine that shot in 3D).

And, yes, the costumes of the "aliens" are a bit cheesey, and the special effects are almost fifty years out of date... but these are details, and minor ones; the film as a whole does a wonderful job of capturing a childhood nightmare and making us, if only briefly, live it and recall what it was like to be a child...

((The recent wonderful film "The Iron Giant" includes a brief visual homage to this film...))

The picture quality is that of an old copy of a washed out color scratchy 35mm film directly transferred to a DVD. The sound has been improved digitally but the picture is poor in this DVD presentation.

If you want the 1950's Saturday Matinee Movie Theatre Scifi visual experience this will do.

The Standard Format, grainy quality picture and washed out color spoil the effects.

Many Special Features: An U.S. and alternate British Versions of the film. (hardly worth the effort -with & without dream sequence) Supposedly a new digitally transfer. (which means direct film to DVD transfer - NO remastering) Theatrical Trailer. Still Gallery (grainy and very poor quality pictures). Illustrated Collector's Booket (quite informative).

Note: This movie was quite innovative (for 1953)with a great sound track but today looks pretty primitive. Invaders was a follow on movie to the best Scifi movie of the 1950's 'The Day The World Stood Still(1951)'. This is an outstanding movie. Enjoy.