ALL SCI-FI

Bud Brewster · Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2023 1:20 pm Post subject:

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When this movie came out in 1956 I was just eight years old, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, Sputnik was a year away from making history, and there were 4,000 drive-in theaters across America.

Like this one, the Roosevelt Drive-In in College Park, Georgia.

Sometime in July of that year my parents took me and my sister to the Roosevelt Dr-in to see Earth vs the Flying Saucers . . . and I haven't been exactly normal since then!

Thank goodness.

Imagine being eight years old and sitting in the back seat, watching the movie between my parents' heads. It looked a bit like this.

This was a dream come true for a kid who was already living and breathing science fiction, even though he hadn't been around one whole decade yet. This movie has everything a kid could want! It's got alien brain scans —

— low-flying saucers in broad daylight —

— battles with brave but soon-to-be-vaporized Army guys —

— creepy aliens that absolutely, positively were NOT here to be anybody's friend —

— saucers that cruised in formation over Washington like they owned the place —

— lots of national monuments whose insurance rates were about to go way up —

— amazing scenes of destruction which the guys in the Kremlin probably watched every weekend while they clapped and cheered —

— and a brave scientist willing to try on a big alien helmet and risk having all the folks around him make funny faces while he couldn't see them! Laughing

If this great movie had been given a bigger budget, it would not have been stuck with these suits which had no eyes, no hands, and (the one that really puzzles me) no elbows!

Instead, we'd have gotten something a bit more on the cool side of awesome . . . like this. Click on the image to see a bigger, sharper version — then zoom in to study the details. Cool

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But this movie is still a crowd pleaser after 68 year. Heck, Gee, I wish I had held up as well as this movie!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Bud Brewster · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2024 2:17 pm Post subject:

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Here's another YouTube member who has created Drive-in Double Feature videos which include a vintage drive-in "welcome messages”, the trailer for the movies, and a double feature

It even has those great old “snack bar” promos during intermission!

"So, get comfortable, folks! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!" Very Happy

Enjoy!_

Double Feature Drive-in: The Bamboo Saucer & Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers - colorized

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

Pow · Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2024 3:33 pm Post subject:

Two of the all time fantastic flying saucer designs are Ray's design for his film, and the saucer seen in The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Just for fun, I wondered could Ray's saucer have worked for TDTESS?

I don't think so. Seeing Klaatu emerge from the cylindrical tube underneath the RH saucer wouldn't have been as dramatic as Klaatu's emergence from his ship with the nifty ramp he walks down.

Also, Ray had his saucer continue to spin even when the tube was extended down on the ground. It was a cool effect. However, it would have proved to be a distraction in the scene where Klaatu approaches the soldiers.

So no, Ray's terrific looking saucer just would not have fit in as well in TDTESS.

Bud Brewster · Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2024 6:47 pm Post subject:

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What a wonderful question to ask about the two saucer designs, Pow! I never would have thought of that. Very Happy

You're absolutely right. The Earth vs the Saucers design was meant to shield the aliens when they emerged, just in case the aliens were faced with a dangerous situation.

However, Klaatu's saucer was supposed to be like a limousine which transported a VIP diplomat to a political function. It was designed to present the VIP in a dramatic manner, standing on higher level than the crowd he appeared before and addressed for the first time.

Both designs served their intended purposes very well.
Nice post, sir. _

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

Pow · Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2024 12:01 am Post subject:

5:39 is the amount of stop-motion animation time we see on screen.

Pow · Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2024 3:33 pm Post subject:

Ironic that the same dilemma facing peaceful space explorers also is the exact problem for would-be-conquerors. That is, the introduction of vastly superior technology to another civilization.

The Federation of Planets & Starfleet established the Prime Directive which prohibits contact with less mature worlds for fear it would create terrible situations for those worlds. Captain Picard explained once to Dr. Crusher that the Federation learned from experience that the introduction of foreign technology, no matter how well intended, invariably resulted in disaster for the race receiving it.

Aliens looking to dominate a planet will also have the same issue. If they want to have the planet they want to occupy stay in relatively decent shape, they must also not engage in an all out war upon it. However, once they do occupy the planet, they also have to be aware and cautious regarding having any of their superior technology falling into the hands of those they conquered. It could cause upheaval that will ruin the aliens' dictatorship.

WadeVC