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This product is also available in the following formats:
- Earth vs. The Flying Saucers [2 Discs] [2008] [DVD/Video – DVD]
- Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers [Blu-ray] [2008] [DVD/Video – Other]
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Anyone who's seen the 1996 science-fiction lampoon Mars Attacks may have trouble watching Earth vs. the Flying Saucers with a straight face. Hugh Marlowe plays scientist Russell Marvin, who is on-hand when an alien spacecraft lands on earth. The saucermen at first insist that they've come in peace, but Marvin suspects otherwise. Sure enough, the visitors eventually declare their intention to take over the earth within the next 60 days, adding that the military's weapons are useless against them. The two-month window gives Marvin and his cohorts plenty of time to build-up superweapon, and thus stave off the seven-saucer invasion force. Special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen does a nice job laying waste to Washington DC in the film's memorable finale. The supporting cast of Earth vs. the Flying Saucers includes those two sci-fi flick stalwarts of the 1950s, Morris Ankrum and Thomas Browne Henry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Product Details
| UPC: | 043396078659 |
|---|---|
| Release Date: | September 17, 2002 |
| Format: | DVD |
| MPAA Rating: | NR |
| Region: | 1 (USA & territories, Canada) |
| Screen: | Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV, Black & White |
| Language: | English |
| Subtitles: | English, French, Spanish; Castilian, Portuguese, Thai |
| Disc Aspect Ratio: | 1.85:1 |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
Review
While Earth vs. the Flying Saucers has been called the archetypal 1950s sci-fi movie (and with good reason), it's also a lot better than most of its competition. The story is not that different from dozens of similar movies of the era (evil aliens attack earth after lily-livered scientists refuse to believe that they're up to no good), but the leading actors (Hugh Marlowe and Joan Taylor) play the material with just the right balance of seriousness and gung-ho energy, and Fred F. Sears's direction maintains a snappy pace throughout. Ray Harryhausen's special effects alone make this movie worth a look; his flying saucers generate both dramatic tension and a "gee whiz" sense of wonder, and the climactic destruction of Washington D.C. beat Independence Day to the punch by 40 years and is also a lot more fun to watch. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers isn't much more than a B-budget science fiction story, but it's done with enough spunk, good humor, and solid craft to remind you how much fun a B-picture can be. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie GuideCredits
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Morris Ankrum | Actor — Gen. Hanley |
| Larry Blake | Actor — Motorcycle Officer |
| Donald Curtis | Actor — Maj. Huglin |
| Thomas Brown Henry | Actor — Adm. Enright |
| Clark Howat | Actor — Sgt. Nash |
| Harry Lauter | Actor — Cutting |
| Hugh Marlowe | Actor — Dr. Russell A. Marvin |
| Grandon Rhodes | Actor — Gen. Edmunds |
| Joan Taylor | Actor — Carol Marvin |
| Frank Wilcox | Actor — Alfred Cassidy |
| John Zaremba | Actor — Prof. Kanter |
| Paul H. Frees | Actor |
| Alan Reynolds | Actor — Maj. Kimberly |
| Charles Evans | Actor — Dr. Alberts |
| Fred Sears | Director |
| Bernard Gordon | Screenwriter |
| George Worthing Yates | Screenwriter |
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