Favourite 50's sci fi film
- Thread starter Reno
- Start date
As I attempted to point out.
The remake was largely excised of the requirements for political correctness of the time.- Communists-bad Happy endings -good.
Although, there was still the 'Rugged American individualist' hint in McCready's character.
As such, it was closer, in it's paranoaia build-up, to the novella.
I just hope that any subsequent remake will be allowed to keep clear of commercially expedient expressed au courant morés. Or Congas.
The remake was largely excised of the requirements for political correctness of the time.- Communists-bad Happy endings -good.
Although, there was still the 'Rugged American individualist' hint in McCready's character.
As such, it was closer, in it's paranoaia build-up, to the novella.
I just hope that any subsequent remake will be allowed to keep clear of commercially expedient expressed au courant morés. Or Congas.
Reno
The In Kraut
Maltin said:I'm not sure if I've seen the original, so can't comment, but all film books that I've checked tonight think the original is far superior. I guess critics from the current era may disagree, but I imagine that's probably more a critique on them than the film.
Depends on when your books were written. The Carpenter remake was trashed by most critics when it first came out and it flopped big time. ET was on it's way to becoming the most successful film ever made and nasty aliens weren't fashionable at the time. Since then the critical view on Carpenter's The Thing has turned. The original is still a classic, but the remake is considered one as well now and rightly so IMO. I think it's fine to apprecciate both films for what they are.
Although you've edited your original post which may have included other films and I know you're only restricted to 12 titles, the biggest grossing films of the decade that you have missed, which perhaps could be included, are:Reno said:
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms
The Fly (already mentioned)
It Came From Beneath the Sea
It Came From Outer Space
Destination Moon
Creature From the Black Lagoon
Unfortunately, I've not seen enough of these to select one.
Reno
The In Kraut
Maltin said:
I'm aware of them and have seen all of them. In the end I don't see the point of going by box office results, for me that's not what films are about. I went for what I think are the best films.
Also there is some doubling in subject matter and The Day the Earth Stood Still is a better film about benign alien/s arriving on Earth than It Came From Outerspace and Them! is a better giant monster movie than either The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms or It Came From Beneath the Sea etc.
I like the remake, and as I say, I can't remember if I've seen the original or not (I think I have!), so don't want to compare (and doubt that they are really comparable given the size of budgets available at the time).Reno said:
All the books I refer to are recent editions of annual film books, so the reviews are generally from when they were first written, although most were written quite some time after 1951, and some are written quite some time after 1982.
I agree, the box office result is irrelevant to the quality of a film, but of the films you chose these were the biggest films of the era that you missed off, and some of these are rated reasonably highly.Reno said:
I wasn't saying they should replace any films in your list, just throwing extra hats into the ring.
Kaka Tim
Half Arsed and Slapdash till I Die
Them!
Loved it as a kid. Proper scary - The noise that the ants make - and the fact you only get to see their antenae for the first 30 mins of the film proper builds the suspense.
Tempted by 'The Day the Earth stood still' though.
And - although this may be heretical - I prefer the 70s remake of the bodysnatchers - I think its more scary and the ending is better (in fact its an all time classic sci-horror ending). i read somewhere thatThe 50s version was originally similarly pessimistic but the studio insisted on a more upbeat one (the authorities are persuaded of the threat and swing into action).
Loved it as a kid. Proper scary - The noise that the ants make - and the fact you only get to see their antenae for the first 30 mins of the film proper builds the suspense.
Tempted by 'The Day the Earth stood still' though.
And - although this may be heretical - I prefer the 70s remake of the bodysnatchers - I think its more scary and the ending is better (in fact its an all time classic sci-horror ending). i read somewhere thatThe 50s version was originally similarly pessimistic but the studio insisted on a more upbeat one (the authorities are persuaded of the threat and swing into action).
Johnny Canuck3
Well-Known Member
Reno said:
It was James Arness dressed as a giant carrot.
Johnny Canuck3
Well-Known Member
ICB said:Forbidden Planet for me, monsters from the id scared the shit out of me when I was a kid, such a cool idea as well.
Agree that The Thing (82) is a classy piece of work.
I wanted one of those guns as a kid.
Even tried to make one out of an argon welder.
"Batteries: FIRE!"
Useless against ids though. Isn't everything.
How comes that's in colour, I could of sworn Forbidden P was a B&W?
Forbidden Planet was the not the first movie to cost $1m.DexterTCN said:
Film Facts (formerly the Guiness Book of Film Facts and Feats) suggests that this milestone was reached in 1916!
They suggest that The Ten Commandments, released the same year as Forbidden Planet, was the most expensive film of all time up to that date with a cost of $13.5m.
The only mention of Forbidden Planet setting a record is that it was the first film with an all-electronic score with "electronic tonalities" by Louis and Bebe Barron.
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
Thing from another world...I'm sure carpenter did a far superior remake with Kurt Russel
