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Target Earth (1954)
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Eadie
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2016 7:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gort is still more sexy.

Target Earth robot = teenage boy.

Gort = Sexy robotic "Most Interesting Man On Earth (That Stood Still)!
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2016 11:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

"Well, what can I say, Baby? It's a gift, ya know?"



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


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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 10:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

alltare wrote:
TARGET EARTH is based on the short story DEADLY CITY. The most notable difference between the two is the ending: In the movie, the two main characters, Frank Brooks (Richard Denning) and Nora King (Kathleen Crowley) are implied to have become lovers or at least good friends, who drive off into the sunset together. DEADLY CITY, on the other hand, has a very downbeat ending: Frank and Nora simply go on their separate paths- Frank to another town and Nora back to her former occupation as a hooker.

Well, gosh, THAT doesn't sound like nearly as much fun as driving off into the sunset with Miss Crowley! I'm glad they changed it.

Now, if we can just get somebody to add CGI giant robots to this movie (sort of the "tanks" of the robot army, with the smaller ones as the foot soldiers), it would be more fun to watch! Very Happy

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


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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

IMDB has only 4 trivia items for this movie. Here’s the ones I found the interesting, in the blue text. Very Happy
________________________________

Robert Roark (who played the killer) got his part because his father, a doctor in L.A., would only invest in the film if his son was given a part. After this part Roark went on to play in many movies and eventually became a producer.

Note from me: This is an American success story! The kid talked Daddy into bankrolling la ow-budget sci-fi movie, and junior went on to be a success in Hollywood. Daddy must have been mighty proud! Very Happy

Although the production crew had no permits, the scenes showing the deserted city were filmed in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday mornings when the streets would be vacant.

Note from me: So, we learn two things from this. (1) Dedicated filmmakers don't let little things like permits stand in their way when the need scenes of deserted street, and (2) the people in Los Angeles are Godless heathens who don't get up on Sunday mornings and go to church! Twisted Evil

Only one robot costume was constructed for this film and it was used for all robot scenes. This is why you never see more than one member of the "robot army" in a shot.

Note from me: This is why robots need to in the actors' union, aka the Actors' Equity Association! And there should be agents for robots so they aren't overworked like they were in this movie! Shocked

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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Krel
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can read the story, "Deadly City" by Paul W. Fairman here: http://post-apocalyptic.com/deadly-city-by-paul-w-fairman/

It is different than the movie.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 21, 2018 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Thanks, David! Very Happy

I read the ending because I'd already heard that it was quite different from the Happily Ever After one we get in the movie. Also, a line of dialog about what had stopped the invaders indicated that it was not caused by a sonic weapon used by the military. (I won't spoil the story by saying more than that.)

I wasn't overly impressed with the writing style, based on the samples I read. But as a writer, I tend to have strong feelings on that subject, so I guess I was just thinking about how I'd have written if differently.

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


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Custer
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 7:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote



I see that "Deadly City" by Paul W. Fairman is included in an anthology Science-Fiction Classics: The Stories That Morphed Into Movies, edited by Forrest J Ackerman, which appeared in 1999. The full listing is:


11 • Welcome to 'Tomoro' • (1999) • essay by Forrest J. Ackerman
13 • The Adaptive Ultimate • (1935) • novelette by Stanley G. Weinbaum
35 • The Alien Machine • [This Island Earth] • (1949) • novelette by Raymond F. Jones
59 • The Cosmic Frame • (1955) • short story by Paul W. Fairman
71 • Deadly City • (1953) • novelette by Paul W. Fairman [as by Ivar Jorgensen]
109 • Dr. Cyclops • (1940) • novelette by Henry Kuttner
133 • The Diminishing Draft • (1918) • short story by Waldemar Kaempffert
153 • Eight O'Clock in the Morning • (1963) • short story by Ray Nelson [as by Ray Faraday Nelson]
159 • Farewell to the Master • (1940) • novelette by Harry Bates
193 • The 4-Sided Triangle • (1939) • novelette by William F. Temple
213 • Preface (F.P.1 Does Not Reply) • (1999) • essay by Forrest J. Ackerman
214 • F.P.1 Does Not Reply • (1933) • novel by Curt Siodmak (trans. of F.P.1 antwortet nicht 1931) [as by Kurt Siodmak]
341 • The Veldt • (1950) • short story by Ray Bradbury
355 • The Racer • (1956) • short story by Ib Melchior
365 • The Thought-Monster • (1930) • short story by Amelia Reynolds Long
375 • The Twonky • (1942) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett]
395 • Who Goes There? • (1938) • novella by John W. Campbell, Jr. [as by Don A. Stuart]

Quite a selection... Smile
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Bogmeister
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2019 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

____________

Here's an almost seminal sci-fi alien invasion tale from THE GOLDEN AGE OF SCI-FI, a successor to War of the Worlds (1953) and a precursor to Independence Day (1996).

OK, well . . . not quite.

This one is, shall we say, somewhat lower scale — think Five, the small scale end-of-the-world film from . Or even The World, The Flesh and the Devil (1959).

The plot of TARGET EARTH eventually involves hundreds of invading killer robots in a big city. However, the audience never sees more than one robot. That's because there... was only ONE robot. Rolling Eyes

____________

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The plot is intriguing enough. The film begins with a lone female (Kathleen Crowley) waking up in her apartment.

The pace is a bit slow, but there is ample suspense in these early. The woman soon realizes that the city in which she lives has been emptied of people. She then comes across another female — but this one is lifeless.

Then enter our hero, played by Richard Denning. He startles her and she flees. (Actually both actors nearly had a bad slip in the alley they run through.) But they quickly decide to team up and find out what's going on.

They find another couple (Virginia Grey & Richard Reeves), living it up in a bar.



Earlier the authorities evacuated the city due to an invading army of killer robots. The quartet (as well as another hapless citizen who joins them briefly) soon encounter one of these marauding robots.

The robot looks dopey, but fires a deadly beam of light . . . humans do not survive this light if targeted.

The scene abruptly switches to the army and a scientist (Whit Bissell) at some other location, making strategy to combat the invading force.

The quartet, meanwhile, encounter yet another citizen, this one less-than-civilized. In case you haven't seen this before, it is in black-and-white, so don't be misled by the color stills/lobby cards above. The film is watchable, resembling some of Roger Corman's better efforts.


________________________

This film is available on DVD, but I employ a laserdisc edition which I bought about a dozen years ago. The LD has audio commentary by the producer, Herman Cohen, then 25 when he produced this picture. He also pulled a “Hitchcock” by appearing in one scene as Bissell's assistant.

The film was made for under $100 grand. Cohen mentions a figure of $87,000 for the negative cost — very low even for those years. But, it was a success.

Somehow it gives the impression of a bigger-budgeted invasion tale, and it makes good use of the empty city streets (a feat not possible today without digital FX). Cohen even mentions how he used a cop friend of his to keep people away for certain scenes.



A decade later, the Brits copied this scenario for THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING (1964). We need a big-budget remake of this one, or at least a superior SyFy Channel version.

Click here for a blurry but effective trailer:


_________________ Target Earth Trailer 1954


__________



BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus


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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2019 11:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Wow, what a great example of Bogmeister's dedication to writing a great review for a movie, even when the movie isn't exactly considered a classic!

His observations and analysis are extremely well thought out and beautifully written, and the trouble he went to by interspersing the text with carefully chosen images really enhances his post.

I hope everyone here at All Sci-Fi is enjoying Bogmeister's "rescued" reviews from the board he worked so hard to create.

_________________
____________
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 Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:16 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

alltare wrote:
I can't explain it, but I have a fondness for this movie. Enough so that I bought the DVD in 2003 when it was first released.

TARGET EARTH is based on the short story DEADLY CITY.

You can download DEADLY CITY from
http://www.feedbooks.com/book/4852/deadly-city.

Here's the link to Archive.org's wonderful scan of the issue of IF ~ Worlds of Science Fiction which includes Deadly City.

I might post the entire story in our Sci-Fi novels and short stories forum. It's 33 pages long, but they won't require much enhancement to make them extremely easy to read when I post each page at 700 pixel wide with an embedded link to a 1,500 pixel version.

If anyone would like for me to do that, let me know. Cool

Meanwhile, here's the cover of the March 1953 issue of IF — restored and enhanced.



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


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Eadie
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 10, 2019 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
I might post the entire story in our Sci-Fi novels and short stories forum. It's 33 pages long, but they won't require much enhancement to make them extremely easy to read when I post each page at 700 pixel wide with an embedded link to a 1,500 pixel version.

If anyone would like for me to do that, let me know.


I would!!
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Art Should Comfort the Disturbed and Disturb the Comfortable.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2020 6:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I'll say one thing for these imposing (if a bit "boxy") robots — they're a lot more mobile than either Gort or Robby!

Apparently the costume was fairly light, because the man inside was able to move around pretty well. He crashes through a window, strides across the room, and then (best of all) chases our heroes up a flight of stairs!

I'm not sure that even Tobor the Great could do that . . . although Tobor did impress the audience when he jumped into a jeep and drove like a bat-outta-hell across rough terrain, knocked down a barn door, bitch-slapped the bad guys all over the place, and then lifted the rear of their car off the ground so they couldn't escape!


____________ Target Earth Not So Tough Robot


__________

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


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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 3:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

At least it was a step beyond the tubular "man in a costume" trope! The design was at the least, so different from what the usual was, (if that's a real concept...) that it, at least at the introduction , it was a visually shocking image!.

Robots as introduced in the 50's movie environment tended to the anthropomorphic. That may be why the robots in GOG may have been so jarring to the Human psyche. They were truly alien! They had as many arms as they required....as many eyes as was needed to see what they needed to see!

But ...Robby...!

Here was a human in form, truly superior being in potential and in realization that he posed a REAL threat to Mankind!

The underlying threads of FORBIDDEN PLANET played more to the repressed feelings in Mankind's psyche than we have believed!

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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.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Here's an amusing variation on the design . . . made out of Legos, according to the website where I found it. Very Happy


_____________

It addresses the problem of those ridiculously small feet! Shocked



_______________


Invasion of the Ballerinas from Mars!

I debated giving the robot a make-over like I did for the one in Devil Girl from Mars, but I just didn't have any good ideas for the necessary changes. However, fixing the Devil Girl robot was fun! Very Happy



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


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Krel
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 16, 2021 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Robot Hut has a video on youtube about the robot from this movie. I hope you find it interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEzgl09ZNqc

David.
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