For the past couple weeks or so, I've been heavily into old movies. I like them the rest of the time too, but lately I've had a certain hankering for them. Naturally this includes science fiction films of bygone days, and I've had the chance to finally catch up on some of the great classics that have hitherto slipped past me. For those who care, spoilers will be discussed below.
Yes, it's taken me this long to see them.
The Thing From Another World (1951)
Great stuff, this film. I loved how it built up the fear and really milked the tension for all it was worth without once seeming cheap or trashy. There were several moments when I was genuinely scared and on the edge of my seat. I saw a documentary where Steven Spielberg mentioned how great movies survive on one or two iconic images and pointed out the end where the monster is electrocuted. But I immediately thought of the scientists finding the ship in the ice and spreading out to see how large it is, marking out its shadow in the ice, the music swells--and it's round! I ate it up.
The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Finally. And it lived up to its reputation, at least as far as I'm concerned. I was grateful (as in the other two movies) to have only the barest knowledge of the plot going in, so that I could experience it as a movie rather than as a phenomenon. All the notes were hit right, I think, even the moral/message which pervades the whole story rather than just the ending but stops shy of being overly preachy. I found the concept of Klaatu's society interesting, with the robot guardians "protecting" them from war (a concept I know is explored elsewhere), as well as his throwaway line "We're far from being perfect", and would love more exploration of that.
Forbidden Planet (1956)
I think of these three, this one might be my favourite. In the first place, it looks gorgeous. The production design and special effects were first-class, and I thought the animation effects looked more artful than most of the CGI produced today (not that I hate computers or anything). I remember seeing that first shot of the "ventilator shaft" (all that for air conditioning?) before the three men walked into frame and thought "Oh yeah, they're going to be small"...but I had no idea they were going to be freaking dots on the screen. My favourite aspect of the story itself was the great sense of mystery. We spend half the film wondering what it is Morbius is up to...and the other half wondering what it is he's found. No representation of a Krell, no revealing of what every piece of equipment does. We get to the Big Unveiling, when Morbius sits the guys down and tells all, but all he unveils are more mysteries.
I had a lot of fun watching these movies, and there are other '50s sci-fi films I really want to see--in particular Invaders From Mars. But unfortunately it looks like I might be curtailed; I can't find many of them in the local library and I doubt Blockbuster will have that wide a selection.
Yes, it's taken me this long to see them.
The Thing From Another World (1951)
Great stuff, this film. I loved how it built up the fear and really milked the tension for all it was worth without once seeming cheap or trashy. There were several moments when I was genuinely scared and on the edge of my seat. I saw a documentary where Steven Spielberg mentioned how great movies survive on one or two iconic images and pointed out the end where the monster is electrocuted. But I immediately thought of the scientists finding the ship in the ice and spreading out to see how large it is, marking out its shadow in the ice, the music swells--and it's round! I ate it up.
The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Finally. And it lived up to its reputation, at least as far as I'm concerned. I was grateful (as in the other two movies) to have only the barest knowledge of the plot going in, so that I could experience it as a movie rather than as a phenomenon. All the notes were hit right, I think, even the moral/message which pervades the whole story rather than just the ending but stops shy of being overly preachy. I found the concept of Klaatu's society interesting, with the robot guardians "protecting" them from war (a concept I know is explored elsewhere), as well as his throwaway line "We're far from being perfect", and would love more exploration of that.
Forbidden Planet (1956)
I think of these three, this one might be my favourite. In the first place, it looks gorgeous. The production design and special effects were first-class, and I thought the animation effects looked more artful than most of the CGI produced today (not that I hate computers or anything). I remember seeing that first shot of the "ventilator shaft" (all that for air conditioning?) before the three men walked into frame and thought "Oh yeah, they're going to be small"...but I had no idea they were going to be freaking dots on the screen. My favourite aspect of the story itself was the great sense of mystery. We spend half the film wondering what it is Morbius is up to...and the other half wondering what it is he's found. No representation of a Krell, no revealing of what every piece of equipment does. We get to the Big Unveiling, when Morbius sits the guys down and tells all, but all he unveils are more mysteries.
I had a lot of fun watching these movies, and there are other '50s sci-fi films I really want to see--in particular Invaders From Mars. But unfortunately it looks like I might be curtailed; I can't find many of them in the local library and I doubt Blockbuster will have that wide a selection.
