[.ca] This Island Earth

From Amazon.com:
A mysterious, pilotless plane carries scientist Rex Reason to a colony of America's best and brightest minds. They've been kidnapped by a dying alien race, the Metalunians, to repair their defense shield before their enemies destroy their world completely, toiling under their spying eyes and futuristic security cameras (two-way TVs that dominate every room). Jeff Morrow, under a raised forehead, bronze tan, and snow-white hair, philosophizes as Exeter, the thoughtful Metalunian torn between his duty and his morals as he forces the plucky humans to labor in his race's defense. The moody mystery of the first half turns to pure pulp adventure when the humans are transported across the galaxy to the battle-scarred world of Metaluna, under the threatening watch of a monstrous bug-eyed monster with a giant brain for a head and massive claws for hands. There's a genuine sense of wonder to Joseph Newman's intergalactic adventure, one of the most ambitious science fiction films of the 1950s. The story is simple space opera, but the futuristic designs of glass and metal, the marvelous alien makeup, and grandstanding special effects invest the film with a Technicolor splendor. Faith Domergue co-stars as a nuclear physicist and Gilligan's Island's Russell Johnson makes his first professorial appearance as a scientist. Science fiction auteur Jack Arnold was an unbilled codirector. --Sean Axmaker

A Classic Of Early Science Fiction:
It has taken me a few decades but I have finally seen the film This Island Earth (I had to buy it first). I must say that I was not disappointed by this well-crafted tale. A physicist working on new power from uranium and the transmutation of elements to create more uranium, gets involved in a project of a far grander scale. Replacement parts are ordered for the lab but the parts that arrive seem far superior to anything that should be available. Then a catalogue of other equipment arrives and soon the lab is set on building a strange device. The device is a communications console which puts the scientist in contact with a white-haired man seeking out talented scientists to tackle the issue of world-wide peace. The scientist joins a small think-tank of top researchers who are working on increasing the energy available from nuclear reactions. But it soon becomes apparent that all is not what it seems. The head of the project, and his assistant, are actually aliens. They are hoping that the human scientists can come up with a way to save their home planet. The story then escalates to include the alien world and their plight at the hands of a second, and vicious, race of aliens. We learn of motives, deceits, and how far the peaceful will go to save their own home. Distrust and compassion struggle against one another until the film's conclusion. This is not a typical B-movie of alien invasion. Unlike most of that type this film was not a quick project. Two and a half years were spent in the making so that the film is pretty well consistent within itself. The pacing of the plot's revelations is well handled and almost resembles a classic tale of A.E. van Vogt. This is definitely a film for fans of the great black and white science fiction films.

"They're pulling us up!":
About a year ago when suddenly there were no copies of this available through the retail market, I took notice of the incredibly high asking prices that some individual online sellers wanted. I knew there was no way I would spend big bucks for something that was originally worth a lot less. Then I happened to find a brand new copy of the DVD in a local record store. I bought it cheap, never opened it and sold it on the Internet for a huge profit. I believed a lot of the reviewers on Amazon that the DVD transfer of"This Island Earth" was nothing to write home about so had no problem with making a little money on it. The problem is, where is a re-release of this film from Universal? What's taking them so long? Are they planning to wait until the film is destroyed? This is an important science fiction classic that needs and deserves to be preserved and presented on DVD. "This Island Earth" is arguably the most imaginative science fiction film of the 1950s and it seems Universal is brushing it aside. C'mon, get with the program, Universal. You got this film and a whole bunch more from the fifties like "Tarantula," "Monster on the Campus," and "The Mole People" that a lot of fans would like to see offered on DVD. Let's get rolling on this stuff.

Terrific Classic S/F:
I just recently purchased this S/F classic movie from the fifties. The last time I viewed "This Island Earth was some forty years ago on TV. What a treat to enjoy this classic again. The tension slowly builds up in this film until the suspenceful conclusion on the ancient planet Metaluna in a far off galaxy. The special effects are truly incredible for that era. Pure nostalgic entertainment for this old time Science Fiction fan.

Alien Abduction...:
A rocket scientist (Rex Reason) is recruited by an alien race and taken (by remote control plane no less) to a compound in Georgia full of other renowned scientists. Once there, he meets Exeter (Jeff "Kronos" Morrow with a big forehead and a white wig) who explains that his people are from the planet Metaluna, and need us to increase their output of atomic energy before their enemies destroy them. You see, the metalunians are being exterminated by the evil Zahgons, who are crashing through their force fields with guided meteors! Faith Demergue (It Came From Beneath The Sea) and Russell Johnson (It Came From Outer Space, Attack Of The Crab Monsters) star as scientists trying to get away from Exeter and his fellow aliens. They get Reason's character to join them and flee in Exeter's "woody" station-wagon. The escape is foiled, Russell Johnson is killed by a death-ray blast, Reason and Demergue are abducted and (finally) taken to Metaluna aboard a ship resembling an extra-terrestrial toiletseat. The leader of the Metalunians explains that they will be going back to earth to subdue and rule it. This doesn't sit well with our heroes or Exeter, who helps them escape. Unfortunately, we are only on the planet for a few minutes before the big finale. The metaluna-mutant bug monster is pretty cool, but not in the movie long enough. I wanted to see more of him and less of the big-foreheaded guys! THIS ISLAND EARTH is pure 50s sci-fi hokum. An excellent way to spend an evening of beverage slurping and popcorn munching...

"The two of you are about to take incredible journey":
I'm so glad I picked this dvd up when it was a reasonable price tag I don't know how "Goodtimes" gets the rights to release "Universal" prints but I'll take what I can get. If you had to timecapsule any techincolor sci-fi film from the 50's it would be a toss up between this and "Forbidden planet". Would we go to see this at a big screen film revival...sure we would,classic sci-fi never gets old (just recycled) The story is that of "Carl"/Atomic researcher/(jetpilot?) and his assistant who come across a weird energy in the form of a condenser that's more stronger than anything they've seen from a company they cant contact except thru mailorder. Curiously enough they order an 'interosetor" a device in which few men are capable to construct. These are the words spoken to them after they plug in the contraption to reveal on its screen the highbrowed'xceter' The strange man offers an invitation to learn more at his mystery location and the Scientist Carl (minus assistant) accepts. Upon arriving at the Xcetor's grounds via remote controlled plane He is promply meet by an old fellow grad student "Ruth" who oddly enough doesn't remember him even though he remembers a passionate "swim" some years back. The Scientist is introduced to the staff including one other scientist who is wary of the whole set-up. After meeting Xceter & Brac(his right hand man) who explains that that his plans are just to research new applications for newtreno rays a beam that can pass thru mountains of solid rock, The three scientist become become nervous and plan an escape,discovered the three try to drive to safety but are almost force off the road by the destuctive newtreno ray developed earlier. Carl & Ruth escape just in time to see the car and thier fellow friend destroyed and the unbelievible vision of a flying saucer rising in the distance Taking control of one of the small passenger planes the scientist look in awe as the saucer destroyed the mansion and staff inside The saucer then catches up to them as they are beamed up into the craft's belly. They agian meet xcetor who in a vain attempt tries to explain his "actions" and tells them that they are being taken to his world of Metaluna. And so sets the groundwork for what was probably the biggest film event of 1955 "2-1/2 years in the making!" the ads would boast on what is to this day still a joy to watch.With a casting call that includes Rex(Rhodes)Reason,Jeff Morrow,Faith Domergue,Lance Fuler and Richard Johnson. This film is must to have in any true sci-fi collection My 4 star was decided by lack of a trailer (but at the cover is the original poster art) the overall quality & sound are great but I wish Criterion would get a hold of this gem.