ALL SCI-FI Forum Index ALL SCI-FI
The place to “find your people”.
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3 ... 7, 8, 9 ... 11, 12, 13  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    ALL SCI-FI Forum Index -> Sci-Fi Movies and Serials from 1950 to 1969
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2018 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________________

Check out some of the threads I found for this movie on other boards.

I was amused by the fact that orzel-w started the thread for Nautilus Submarine back on August 9th, 2010, to announce that Miss Patricia Neal had passed away the day before. Only enough, there's only eleven posts on the thread, and no other thread about his classic movie that I can discover.

If somebody can find one I missed, please let me know so I add it to the list below.
________________________________________

* The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Klaatu Barada Nikto @ SFMB

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) @ All Sci-Fi

"Klaatu Barada Nikto" @ Nautilus Submarine

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) @ CHFB

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Krel
Guest





PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2018 2:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Klaatu's people are hypocrites. At the time of the movie, most rockets were blowing up on the pad or just after launch. The first satellite was six years in the future. The first manned spaceflight was ten years in the future.

But they send an emissary to threaten the Earth with destruction if we don't do what they say. We can do anything we want, as long as it is what THEY want.

Klaatu goes around piously lecturing about how bad we are, and how good his people are.

But in his final speech, he talks about how his people were so violent, that they couldn't stop hammering on each other. Was their solution to learn how to get along with each other? NO! Their solution was a sword of Damocles! An autonomous weapon so horrible, that they live in constant fear, walking on egg shells, lest they be obliterated. They aren't good, they're terrified!

And they are forcing the same fate on Earth.

Klaatu and his people aren't just hypocrites, they're hypocritical monsters.

David.
Back to top
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2018 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

By God, sir, that's what I've been saying for years! Shocked

I just didn't do it as well as you just did! Embarassed

Back around 2001 I added a long post to the IMDB message board for this movie that described a remake which I thought had a great premise.

The concept was that Klaatu and a delegation of ambassadors come to Earth under the watchful eyes of several "Gort" guardians, and the mission is to give Earth the dire warning you described so well!

But the "hidden agenda" of this delegation is to secretly plead with Earth to help them get out from under the yoke of oppression they created themselves when they put the Gort guardians in charge of their social behavior!

The story would be about how these delegates believed that with the secret help of their civilization, Earth could be equipped to combat and defeat the Gort guardians who were oppressing them. They hoped Earth could succeed, because we weren't being watched as closely as the worlds the guardians officially in charge of . . . in view of all the reasons you outlined in your post above, David!

Imagine how disappointed I was in 2008 when that lame and stupid remake came out! What the hell were those people thinking! That was the dumbest idea for a remake in history!

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gord Green
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 06 Oct 2014
Posts: 2940
Location: Buffalo, NY

PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2018 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From FANTASTIC MONSTERS #1 1962








_________________
There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick wrote:
Almost ten years ago my brilliant and ultra-cool then-sixteen-year-old son was over for dinner. . . I put the DVD of DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL on.

About twenty minutes in he said, "I like this."

By the end of the movie he was saying, "cool...cool..."

His only semi-critical comment was, "that is one cocky alien." He was referring to Klaatu's bemused reactions to all the silly, stupid earthlings and what they don't know or understand. And he was right. Rennie does smirk quite a bit. Only Abraham Lincoln and Billy Gray avoid his condescension. Still, it was awfully gratifying to see that this classic still works, at least on the more intelligent (MY SON!) of today's youth.

It's interesting the way people react in different ways to Klaatu's occasional responses when he encountered something curious and unfamiliar, like his brief examination of Barnhardt's pipe, or a sudden smile when he opened the music box and was surprised that it played a tinkling tune.

When I saw the movie on NBC's Saturday Night at the Movies in 1963, I was just fifteen years old, and it was love at first sight (naturally). The curious thing, however, it that my reaction to Klaatu's bemusement was different from the folks like Rick's son.

I've always thought it was Michael Rennie's way of showing us that even though Klaatu was here to give Earth a dire warning about a threat to the planet, he would often take a moment be a true tourist, a man who enjoyed finding new and strange examples of the alien culture he was visiting.

The music box is the best example. He picked it up because it was beautiful, he opened it because he was curious, and he grinned when he discovered that it presented him with the unexpected gift of music! Very Happy

Other reactions were for different reasons. Early in the movie, when he hears the guard at the hospital lcok the door after Mr. Harley (the president's representative) leaves, he smiles and shakes his head a little.

Translation: They're scared of me and they think I can be imprisoned here, so I guess I'll have to sneak out tonight . . . without them ever know how I did." Very Happy

And by gum, WE never found out how he did that either! He was James Bond, eleven years before Dr. No came out. Cool

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Pretty much a personal top 10 film Reply with quote

___________________________________

Sam33's beautifully written review of this movie at the top of PAGE #3 on this thread is one of the best posts All Sci-Fi has to offer, and it's well-worth a second look if you haven't read it recently.

He starts it off perfectly with a personal connection to the movie through a recent experience.


SAM33 wrote:
Just re-watched this last night. First saw it as a kid on NBC Saturday (or SOME night) At The Movies in the early 60's. It actually scared me, with that creepy Theremin music and the night scenes of Gort. Didn't even get through it the first time!


Lo and behold, he and I share that "original viewing" experience from March 3rd, 1963, during SN@tM's very first season. In fact, it was the ninth feature they showed. And like me, he's been watching it on a regular basis for decades.

SAM33 wrote:
I have now seen it countless times since, and probably can't really say anything that hasn't already been said — this film has been written about perhaps more than any 50's sci-fi film, and is rightly held in high regard by most critics, even those who consider the genre "lesser".

Couldn't have said it better myself. Wink

SAM33 wrote:
I myself consider it more or less perfect, probably the only criticism I have is the couple of sped up shots of the running crowds. These are the only thing that break the spell of it for a moment as I experience it. Still find the effects to work well and never take me out of the story. Yeah, if you know where to look now you can see Gort's laces and the wires holding Patricia Neal, but very minor and forgivable. NEVER saw this as kid or young adult, and they just don't hurt it for me now.

Well, of course we didn't see those on our old TVs in the 1960s . . . and of course we DO see them now on HD televisions and Bluray disc. Sad

SAM33 wrote:
Still, one thing struck me last night that never has before, although I was certain somebody had noticed this already, but as I say, there's been SO much written about it and I've obviously not read it all. But it's so clear that I'm sure I've just never come across it being discussed. Finally here I see it mentioned at least in one of the posts.

Okay, now I'm intrigued. Something NEW about The Day the Earth Stood Still. What, pray tell? Shocked

SAM33 wrote:
By treating this as more of a human interest story and manhunt crime thriller than fantasy film, it grounds it in a kind of reality that many later genre films of the decade didn't try or couldn't muster. Much as I love an all-out alien destruction fantasy such as WAR OF THE WORLDS or KRONOS or any one of dozens of others, this has a unique place in the canon for me.

Ah-HA! That's exactly why I've loved this movie for over six decades! It's so damn realistic that is sucks you into a world where aliens become The Fugitive and robots become the "buddy cop" who rescues his injured partner, shot in the line of duty! Very Happy

SAM33 wrote:
And of course there's the caliber of acting talent on hand to bring them to life — few other sci-fi films of the period had better leads. Rennie has that other-worldly suffering quality that David Bowie brought to MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, Christ-like indeed whether intentional or not (I personally believe some of this CAN'T have been accidental, but the makers do deny it) and Patricia Neal was just a total pro who seems to really care about her child, Rennie, and heel-paramour Hugh Marlowe, who was never this good again in any film as far as I know.

Her story really ends in a sort of tragedy and loss, as real love escapes her. As noir as it gets. Gray and Jaffe are also excellent in their important supporting roles.

Right on, brother! This movie's actors could beat up any other movie's actors with one hand tied behind their backs! Cool

SAM33 wrote:
I watch this at least every 3 years, and it never fails to thrill and satisfy me. The opening strains of Herrmann's score still send a chill up my spine after 50+ years of watching. I find myself moved by the scenes at the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery, and sad and angry by Marlowe's betrayal of Neal and Rennie. And yes, still a little scared when Gort wakes up and slowly starts moving.

Oddly enough, I was never scared by anything in this movie, least of all Gort, whom I loved so much I would have washed and waxed him once a week, free of charge! Laughing

The emotions I always feel while watching The Day the Earth Stood Still are pure joy and youthful optimism at the idea that benevolent aliens might drop down out of the sky and say things like —

"Join us, and live in peace . . . or continue your present course and face obliteration. The decision rests with you."

Wow . . . Damn . . . tough choice. Ummm . . . let's choose Door #1. I'm not too tempted by the obliteration of my face! (Or whatever that was he just said.) Shocked

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Pow
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 27 Sep 2014
Posts: 3400
Location: New York

PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Landlady,"You're not from around here,are you Mr.Carpenter?''
Klaatu,a little startled,''No I am not,how could you tell?''
Landlady,"I know a New England accent a mile away.''
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
orzel-w
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1877

PostPosted: Thu Oct 18, 2018 1:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Let's not forget the director was Robert Wise. Not your customary choice for a sci-fi movie back then.
_________________
...or not...

WayneO
-----------
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Maurice
Mission Specialist


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 460
Location: 3rd Rock

PostPosted: Thu Oct 18, 2018 3:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

orzel-w wrote:
Let's not forget the director was Robert Wise. Not your customary choice for a sci-fi movie back then.

Who was? And Wise wasn't any sort of name back then.
_________________
* * *
"The absence of limitations is the enemy of art."
― Orson Welles
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
orzel-w
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1877

PostPosted: Thu Oct 18, 2018 12:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maurice wrote:
... Wise wasn't any sort of name back then.

Oh? Wise had 13 directorial credits under his belt prior to TDTESS, including The Magnificent Ambersons, Curse of the Cat People, Blood on the Moon, and The Set-Up. Several of these featured name actors. Here are some trivia items from IMDb regarding The Set-Up:

Quote:
Martin Scorsese is a big fan of the film and was so impressed by the boxing sequences that he had to deliberately avoid copying any of Robert Wise's camera tricks when it came his turn to make a boxing movie, Raging Bull (1980).

Martin Scorsese showed the film to Leonardo DiCaprio before filming The Aviator (2004). They both view it as a masterpiece.

One of two boxing movies released in 1949 which are now considered seminal examples of the genre -- the other film being Mark Robson's Champion (1949).


Also before TDTESS, Wise was an editor of 12 movies, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Citizen Kane, The Devil and Daniel Webster, and The Magnificent Ambersons. If Wise wasn't any sort of name back then, these movies must have slipped by them.
_________________
...or not...

WayneO
-----------
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gord Green
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 06 Oct 2014
Posts: 2940
Location: Buffalo, NY

PostPosted: Wed Dec 12, 2018 9:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud's recent post on the re-make made me look a little deeper into the original.

Here's a few foreign posters on the movie--









AND...A few back stage and promotional photos--















And a cool picture of Gort as envisioned by the late Dave Cockrum when he was designing potential models for the Aurora line (See his design for the Metaluna Mutant on the THIS ISLAND EARTH thread).


_________________
There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Gord Green
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 06 Oct 2014
Posts: 2940
Location: Buffalo, NY

PostPosted: Thu Dec 13, 2018 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you haven't been "Gorted" out....Here's a few more assorted images from DTESS-


























_________________
There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Gee, I wish Santa Claus would bring me one of these "windup walking, visor opens" Gort toys for Christmas . . . Sad
________________________________


__________


_________________ GORT walking Toy Robot


__________


Wait a minute, the postman is knocking on my door. Hmmm . . . He only does THAT when he has a package that won't fit in the mailbox. Gosh, I wonder what it is. Confused

(One minute later . . . )


Holy crap, Gord! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Very Happy


__________


For the time being I'm going to display it inside the clear plastic shell that was in the box, because it looks like Gort is embedded in a block of that stronger-than-steel plastic, like he was in the movie! Cool




__________

P.S. He walks GREAT! Laughing
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gord Green
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 06 Oct 2014
Posts: 2940
Location: Buffalo, NY

PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're very welcome! Merry Christmas!
_________________
There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2018 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

The plastic shell kept falling over, so I just took him out. Very Happy

(Actually I got up this morning and discovered that Gort had vaporized it! Shocked)




_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Wed Dec 19, 2018 1:01 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    ALL SCI-FI Forum Index -> Sci-Fi Movies and Serials from 1950 to 1969 All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3 ... 7, 8, 9 ... 11, 12, 13  Next
Page 8 of 13

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group