Format: DVDChange
Price:$7.97+ Free shipping with Amazon Prime
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
on October 19, 2016
Classic 1950s sci fi film. Much, much better than the Reeves remake.
Added in Feb 2017...
Well, I finally had the time to view this BluRay version of one of the best SciFi films ever made. Now I have a "region free" Sony BluRay player. With this player I can play discs from anywhere, especially GB. However, this particular FOX disc has been formatted to ONLY play on what it calls a region A player. Therefore it will NOT play on my region free. Bummer! What's going on? I paid for the disc and I should be able to play it! Another collusion between disc makers and disc players?????? Not happy
Added in Feb 2017...
Well, I finally had the time to view this BluRay version of one of the best SciFi films ever made. Now I have a "region free" Sony BluRay player. With this player I can play discs from anywhere, especially GB. However, this particular FOX disc has been formatted to ONLY play on what it calls a region A player. Therefore it will NOT play on my region free. Bummer! What's going on? I paid for the disc and I should be able to play it! Another collusion between disc makers and disc players?????? Not happy
on March 25, 2005
"The Day The Earth Stood Still" was released in 1951. It was based on a 1940 novelette by Harry Bates titled "Farewell To The Master". While the novelette and the movie share several common elements, they are really two different stories. The movie has a clear message of peace during a time period after World War II, and during the U.S. involvement in Korea. The next paragraph discusses the plot of the movie, so if you want to avoid spoilers please skip it.
In the movie an alien called Klaatu (Michael Rennie) comes to Earth to deliver a warning to all the nations. He is accompanied by an indestructible robot called Gort (Lock Martin), who takes action whenever violence is directed at Klaatu. Klaatu tries political channels to deliver his message, but when that doesn't work he escapes into the general population to learn about Earth's people. He then decides that the scientific community is the best way to deliver his message, and arranges for such a meeting. The Army manages to track him down before the meeting though, and he provides Helen (Patricia Neal) with the famous command "Klaatu Barada Nikto" to use on Gort if he (Klaatu) should be harmed. There is an underlying Christ story which goes through the film, and which becomes a bit more apparent at the end where Gort recovers Klaatu's body and resurrects him.
Unlike the science fiction movies of today, this is not an action movie. The special effects in this film clearly reflect the time in which it was made, and today's audiences will probably not be impressed by them. The strength of this movie is the story, which is still mesmerizing today. While the 50's is certainly known as a decade when many low-budget science fiction movies were made, it really is not a fair categorization of this particular movie.
The restoration of this film is wonderful, it looks much better than when I first saw it in the late 70's. There are also several special features, some on the other side of the DVD. On the film side, there is an audio commentary by the Robert Wise (the director) and Nicolas Meyer; it is dry in spots, but for the most part is pretty interesting. On the humorous side, it is clear from the commentary that Nicolas Meyer does not care for Hugh Marlowe as an actor, either in this movie or any other. The other features on this side are a Movietone Newsreel from 1951, and the theatrical trailer for the film.
On the other side of the DVD, there is an interesting documentary called "Making the Earth Stand Still" which has many interviews with people involved in the making of the movie and it also has a section with fans that have collected memorabilia from the movie. There is a restoration comparison showing the before and after, but this has been done with so many of the older films, I don't think it is of much interest. The next special feature is the `Still Galleries' which includes production photos, scene and set photos, the shooting script, construction blue prints for the ship, the American and British pressbooks, and posters, lobby cards, the spaceship model and Gort. Lastly, there are a couple of trailers for two other movies: "One Million Years B.C.", and "Journey To The Center Of The Earth".
In the movie an alien called Klaatu (Michael Rennie) comes to Earth to deliver a warning to all the nations. He is accompanied by an indestructible robot called Gort (Lock Martin), who takes action whenever violence is directed at Klaatu. Klaatu tries political channels to deliver his message, but when that doesn't work he escapes into the general population to learn about Earth's people. He then decides that the scientific community is the best way to deliver his message, and arranges for such a meeting. The Army manages to track him down before the meeting though, and he provides Helen (Patricia Neal) with the famous command "Klaatu Barada Nikto" to use on Gort if he (Klaatu) should be harmed. There is an underlying Christ story which goes through the film, and which becomes a bit more apparent at the end where Gort recovers Klaatu's body and resurrects him.
Unlike the science fiction movies of today, this is not an action movie. The special effects in this film clearly reflect the time in which it was made, and today's audiences will probably not be impressed by them. The strength of this movie is the story, which is still mesmerizing today. While the 50's is certainly known as a decade when many low-budget science fiction movies were made, it really is not a fair categorization of this particular movie.
The restoration of this film is wonderful, it looks much better than when I first saw it in the late 70's. There are also several special features, some on the other side of the DVD. On the film side, there is an audio commentary by the Robert Wise (the director) and Nicolas Meyer; it is dry in spots, but for the most part is pretty interesting. On the humorous side, it is clear from the commentary that Nicolas Meyer does not care for Hugh Marlowe as an actor, either in this movie or any other. The other features on this side are a Movietone Newsreel from 1951, and the theatrical trailer for the film.
On the other side of the DVD, there is an interesting documentary called "Making the Earth Stand Still" which has many interviews with people involved in the making of the movie and it also has a section with fans that have collected memorabilia from the movie. There is a restoration comparison showing the before and after, but this has been done with so many of the older films, I don't think it is of much interest. The next special feature is the `Still Galleries' which includes production photos, scene and set photos, the shooting script, construction blue prints for the ship, the American and British pressbooks, and posters, lobby cards, the spaceship model and Gort. Lastly, there are a couple of trailers for two other movies: "One Million Years B.C.", and "Journey To The Center Of The Earth".
on May 1, 2001
It's been some time since I've seen it but this is one of the better 50's sci-fi movies. Some of the science may be weak( movies still do that) and some of the dialogue as well (Frances Bavier talking about THEM, meaning the Soviets is an example) but this is a generally well thought out and developed movie. I liked the way people responded to Klaatu's appearance on Earth and the warning he gave about our atomic weapons programs. The demonstration of power by stopping just about everything on Earth but Hospitals and aircraft in flight (the Earth stood still)was quite a way to get everyone's attention, that and correcting the mistake in the Professor's formula were nice touches. Considering what was probably a low budget those guys did very well indeed, where are they when we need them now?
on March 8, 2003
The music that accompanies this picture is definitely THE definitive spooky sci-fi music. Patricia Neal was a classic beauty and emminently believeable in this role. The kid who plays her son showed up later as "Bud" in Father Knows Best. Now the bad part: the speechifying Rennie does at the end is a turn-off for people who are politically aware and conservative. Rennie basically advocates turning Earth's sovereignty over to a galactic United Nations, including the threat of complete annihilation if we don't "obey" and "stay within the guidelines" and "play nice with each other". Given the UN's recent performance as an effete and impotent debating society that accomplishes nothing this would seem to be bad advice. I cannot watch the movie anymore without that last soliloquy souring the overall great effect. I know, get over it. Gort is definitely cool, though. Only understands Latin, understated malevolence, the threat of violence to keep you in line, the original Robocop. A UN with actual teeth, a backbone, and true impartiality, unlike anything we have now. Maybe it would work? These are scary times, but it was just as scary back then - it was 1951, we just got out of a war 6 years ago, now we're in Korea providing the men, muscle, and blood for a UN-sanctioned "police action" against an insane Communist dictator running a bellicose North Korea and backed up by China, plus we've just realized we're in a nuclear stare-down with the Soviets. The movie's an interesting look at how all this was spilling over into the culture's entertainment.
on March 29, 2016
I've been a sci-fi buff ever since my mom took me to Star Wars when I was five. I enjoy sci fi and fantasy books and films and television programmes but only recently have I taken the time to watch The Day the Earth Stood Still. Don't expect outstanding special effects, Oscar-award-winning acting, or anything of that sort, and certainly don't expect accuracy when it comes to distances and time to travel between star systems.
No, the driving force behind the attraction of The Day the Earth Stood Still is simple: It is essentially a thought experiment regarding our paranoid, xenophobic and warlike nature as a species, and if other civilizations have achieved interstellar travel were to visit our planet, how would we greet them, and how would they receive our shortsighted, bigoted and aggressive nature?
The special effects are lousy (by today's standards), acting is... well, there is plenty of overacting (on part of some performers - I blame the over-acting feel on the artificial "transatlantic accent" which was all too common for the era and is the primary reason I haven't explored more 1950s science fiction films than I have) to the point where it feels very strained, scientific accuracy is all but absent... and yet, it has this strong appeal which makes one wonder - is there any hope for our future? If there is other intelligent life in the universe, would we make ourselves known as welcoming, moral, and peaceful, or would we make our greeting in the form of acts of war?
This film is ranked as the fifth best Sci Fi film ever.. I quite enjoyed it and have now watched it twice, and feel bad I haven't taken the time to watch it sooner. For all of its flaws, the "transatlantic accent" dominating the dialogue (which today lends the film an "over-acted" feel), scientific inaccuracies... it is well worth the watch for the social commentary and moralistic outlook, which are lessons that are very bit as timely today as they were in the postwar era during which the film was made. I agree with the rankings, that this film is great, not for any one element in the film, because quite honestly it's sub-par, but rather for the cerebral experience, which is the thing that makes this one of the best sci fi films ever.
No, the driving force behind the attraction of The Day the Earth Stood Still is simple: It is essentially a thought experiment regarding our paranoid, xenophobic and warlike nature as a species, and if other civilizations have achieved interstellar travel were to visit our planet, how would we greet them, and how would they receive our shortsighted, bigoted and aggressive nature?
The special effects are lousy (by today's standards), acting is... well, there is plenty of overacting (on part of some performers - I blame the over-acting feel on the artificial "transatlantic accent" which was all too common for the era and is the primary reason I haven't explored more 1950s science fiction films than I have) to the point where it feels very strained, scientific accuracy is all but absent... and yet, it has this strong appeal which makes one wonder - is there any hope for our future? If there is other intelligent life in the universe, would we make ourselves known as welcoming, moral, and peaceful, or would we make our greeting in the form of acts of war?
This film is ranked as the fifth best Sci Fi film ever.. I quite enjoyed it and have now watched it twice, and feel bad I haven't taken the time to watch it sooner. For all of its flaws, the "transatlantic accent" dominating the dialogue (which today lends the film an "over-acted" feel), scientific inaccuracies... it is well worth the watch for the social commentary and moralistic outlook, which are lessons that are very bit as timely today as they were in the postwar era during which the film was made. I agree with the rankings, that this film is great, not for any one element in the film, because quite honestly it's sub-par, but rather for the cerebral experience, which is the thing that makes this one of the best sci fi films ever.
on September 19, 2003
Despite being 52 years old I think this movie holds up very well, decent plot and for the time great special effects(the saucer coming in for a landing looks good even by today's standards), the dialog gets a little preachy sometimes but not too bad.
DVD Features: I like these extras, it just adds to a great movie.
Commentary by director Robert Wise and Nicolas Meyer
70-Minute "Making the Earth Stand Still" Documentary
Movietone Newsreel (1951)
Restoration Comparison
5 Still Galleries
Shooting Script
Theatrical Trailer
DVD Features: I like these extras, it just adds to a great movie.
Commentary by director Robert Wise and Nicolas Meyer
70-Minute "Making the Earth Stand Still" Documentary
Movietone Newsreel (1951)
Restoration Comparison
5 Still Galleries
Shooting Script
Theatrical Trailer
on December 3, 2015
I still like the original, better!
on September 26, 2015
A classic. Very scary when I was 12
on July 26, 2015
I was born the year this movie first appeared in theaters and have been a SciFi fan for most of that time. Initially, of course, there was little media around to fill a child's needs for such. Most novels were in the section of the library reserved for adults and I was too young to borrow them, and most SF movies were pretty awful, but there were 4 that to my young mind were fantastic: War of the Worlds, Forbidden Planet, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, and best of all The Day The Earth Stood Still. When the latter was first shown on TV I wasn't old enough to stay up and watch it to the end, but I was so enthralled with it that after our parents sent us to bed I talked my brother and sisters into hiding with me in the hall and craning our necks around the corner to watch the rest of it (5 of us disobeying would blunt the punishment each would receive). Needless to say, near the end of the movie we were caught. Surprisingly our parents showed a rare bit of forbearance and allowed us to watch the ending.
Visually it doesn't hold a candle to the movies that CG allows to be made 55 years later and the plot is rather unsophisticated (also the 1950's attitudes and concerns seem amusing in this day and age) but every time I watch it I travel back to those days of my youth and love it once again.
Visually it doesn't hold a candle to the movies that CG allows to be made 55 years later and the plot is rather unsophisticated (also the 1950's attitudes and concerns seem amusing in this day and age) but every time I watch it I travel back to those days of my youth and love it once again.
