THIS ISLAND EARTH [1955 / 2020] [Limited Edition] [Blu-ray] [UK Release]
2½ Years In The Making! The Supreme Excitement of Color by Technicolor!
Prepare to blast off from planet Earth with one of the most popular classic sci-fi films of all time! When atomic scientist Dr. Cal Meacham [Rex Reason] is chosen to take part in a top-secret research experiment in a remote lab, he quickly discovers that he is really involved in an evil scheme by the alien Metalunans to take over Earth. After Dr. Cal Meacham and the gorgeous Dr. Ruth Adams [Faith Domergue], make their escape shortly before the lab explodes, they are whisked away in a flying saucer to Metaluna, where they are blamed for the destruction. Will interstellar negotiation save the day or will the scientists be forced to take part in a treacherous battle to the death? Featuring incredible effects that were 2 ½ Years in the making, this is one adventure that you have to see to believe!
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1956 Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA: Win: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing for Feature Film.
FILM FACT No.2: Principal photography for 'THIS ISLAND EARTH' took place from 30th January, 1954 to 22nd March, 1954. Location work took place at Mt. Wilson, California. Most of the Metaluna sequence was directed by Jack Arnold. The front office was apparently dissatisfied with the footage Joseph M. Newman shot and had it redone by Jack Arnold, who unlike Joseph M. Newman had several science-fiction films to his credit. Most of the sound effects, for the ship, the interociter, are simply recordings of radio teletype transmissions picked up on a short-wave radio played at various speeds. In a magazine article, the special effects department admitted that the "mutant" costume originally had legs that matched the upper body, but they had so much trouble making the legs look and work properly that they were forced by studio deadline to simply have the mutant wear a pair of trousers. Posters of the movie show the mutant as it was supposed to appear. The film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ was one of the very few "flat wide screen" titles to be printed "direct to matrix" by Technicolor. This specially ordered 35mm printing process was intended to maintain the highest possible print quality, as well as protecting the negative. Another film which was also given the "direct to matrix" treatment was ‘Written on the Wind,’ which was also a Universal-International film.
Cast: Jeff Morrow, Faith Domergue, Rex Reason, Lance Fuller, Russell Johnson, Douglas Spencer, Robert Nichols, Karl Ludwig Lindt, Jack Byron (uncredited), Spencer Chan (uncredited), Richard Deacon (uncredited), Coleman Francis (uncredited), Marc Hamilton (uncredited), Edward Hearn (uncredited), Edward Ingram (uncredited), Charlotte Lander (uncredited), Orangey (Neutron the Cat) (uncredited), Regis Parton (Mutant) (uncredited), Manuel París (uncredited), Olan Soule (uncredited), Les Spears (uncredited), Lizalotta Valesca (uncredited) and Robert B. Williams (uncredited)
Directors: Joseph M. Newman and Jack Arnold
Producer: William Alland
Screenplay: Edward G. O'Callaghan (screenplay), Franklin Coen (screenplay) and Raymond F. Jones (story "This Island Earth")
Composers: Hans J. Salter (uncredited), Herman Stein (uncredited) and Henry Mancini (uncredited)
Cinematography: Clifford Stine, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 and 1.37:1
Audio: English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
English: 3.0 Original Perspecta Stereophonic Sound
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 86 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Universal-International / MediumRare Entertainment
Andrew's Blu-ray Review: In 1949 and 1950 a science fiction serial by Raymond F. Jones appeared in “Thrilling Wonder Stories.” Within half a decade that serial would make history as the basis of the first science fiction film about interstellar travel and interstellar war. The next Hollywood film to venture to another solar system was the stunning ‘Forbidden Planet, a wholly original construct of the prestige studio M-G-M. But solid and reliable Universal-International had the forethought to produce the most colourful, spectacular, wildly imaginative sci-fi film, and it lived up to everything you could possibly want, with gosh and a wow! With this Sc-fi film genre scenario has it all and its plot motivation in the screenplay is derived from the frantic efforts of the men of the interstellar planet, Metaluna, to find on Earth a new source of atomic energy, but do they succeed? But is helped along the way with its death rays, mutant bugs, and college sweethearts turned nuclear fission experts and a visit to the planet Metaluna via spaceship in this 1955 science fiction film which is now regarded as the archetypal sci-fi film of the Fifties.
In this sci-fi extravaganza film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ [1955] we find Electronics specialist Dr. Cal Meacham [Rex Reason], who is close to discovering how to convert lead and uranium into copious, free nuclear energy leaves a conference and flies himself home to Los Angeles in a jet. Just before landing, his plane loses power, but he is rescued by a mysterious green light that envelops the plane and brings it safely to earth. Dr. Cal Meacham and his shaken assistant, Joe Wilson [Robert Nichols], who has witnessed the landing, return to their lab, where Joe Wilson demonstrates the tiny but amazingly strong converter part sent by an unknown company called Direct Electronic Services.
Soon, the company sends another package, consisting of an instruction manual made of paper-like metal. Dr. Cal Meacham orders all the pieces in the book and assembles them according to the directions. The result is a large complex device called an "interocitor" machine with a screen that instructs them verbally how to turn it on. A mysterious man named Exeter [Jeff Morrow], with a large forehead and snow-white hair, appears on the screen and congratulates Dr. Cal Meacham for passing the test. Exeter invites Dr. Cal Meacham to join an elite team of scientists, and intrigued, Dr. Cal Meacham agrees to meet the plane that will take him to Exeter's headquarters the next evening.
Although the night is thick with fog, the plane arrives easily, and Dr. Cal Meacham climbs aboard the empty jet over Joe Wilson's objections. Without a pilot, the plane touches down in Georgia, where Dr. Cal Meacham is greeted by scientist Dr. Ruth Adams [Faith Domergue], who pretends she does not recognise him from a conference years earlier. Dr. Ruth Adams brings him to Exeter's lovely offices, where she appears nervous and has a brief coded exchange with physicist Dr. Steve Carlson. Exeter explains to Dr. Cal Meacham that he has assembled the planet's best scientific minds to find a quick way to produce nuclear power. After Dr. Ruth Adams and Dr. Cal Meacham leave his office, Exeter, who is really an extra-terrestrial serving a superior named The Monitor [Douglas Spencer] receives a message insisting he finish his task immediately.
After dinner, Dr. Ruth Adams and Dr. Steve Carlson take Dr. Cal Meacham on a tour of the labs, where Dr. Cal Meacham confronts them. Attempting to block the screen on which they can be watched, he asks why they are so nervous, and they reveal that they are the only scientists not to be brainwashed by Exeter. Meanwhile, Exeter's cold assistant, Brack [Lance Fuller], spies on them and urges his boss to brainwash them, but Exeter replies that the machine takes away its subjects' initiative.
The next day, Exeter demonstrates a deadly "neutrino" ray to Dr. Cal Meacham and asks him not to meet again with Dr. Ruth Adams and Dr. Steve Carlson. Later that week, however, the three make an escape attempt in a station wagon, just as The Monitor instructs Exeter to bring Dr. Ruth Adams and Dr. Cal Meacham with him to their planet, Metaluna. Exeter boards his spaceship while Brack attacks the station wagon with neutrino rays and Dr. Steve Carlson stops the car to let Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adams run to safety, but then is quickly killed by a ray. Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adams race on foot to a nearby small plane, but once in the air, they are apprehended by Exeter and beemed into the spaceship. In the control room, Exeter, who is dressed in a silver suit along with his fellow Metalunans, asks them to join him peaceably in order to help save his planet, which is being attacked by the enemy planet Zahgon.
The shield around the Planet Metaluna is powered by atomic energy, but they are running out of fuel and must find a replacement process immediately. Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adams must don the silver suit and stand in a tube that will condition them for atmospheric changes, and although they are reluctant to trust Exeter, the procedure works as he has promised. Approaching Metaluna, the spaceship is attacked by the same Zahgonian meteors that are pummelling Exeter's planet, and although the ship avoids danger, they can see on the ship's screen that Metaluna is sustaining great damage. They land in the war-ravaged planet's underground society, Exeter points out the destroyed schools and recreation centres on the way to The Monitor's headquarters.
There, “The Monitor” explains that they must abandon the planet immediately, with plans to peacefully relocate to Earth. When Dr. Cal Meacham blanches at his claim to be superior in intelligence, 'The Monitor' scorns his arrogant belief that Earthlings must be the most advanced peoples of the universe, and Dr. Cal Meacham replies that Earth's true size is the size of its God. Against Exeter's pleas, “The Monitor” then insists that the humans be brainwashed, and along the way Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adams try to run, but are stopped by the sight of a huge mutant half-man, half-insect. Dr. Cal Meacham then punches Exeter and pulls Dr. Ruth Adams outside. Exeter follows and, promising he wants only to help, directs them to the spaceship, but just before they board, another mutant attacks the Metalunan.
Dr. Cal Meacham pulls him off, but Exeter is wounded, and the mutant follows them on board. As they take off, Exeter watches his planet explode into a radiated ball of light, and wishes only that its heat will nourish another planet. They manage to avoid the attacks of the Zahgons, but as soon as they enter the tubes, the mutant attacks again, and only collapses after Dr. Cal Meacham struggles out of the tube and protects Dr. Ruth Adams against it. They soon reach Earth, where Exeter states that he will continue to search for like life forms, and refuses to join Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adams and the scientists says goodbye and fly their helicopter home. But what will befall Exeter in his search for a new planet and a new life?
THIS ISLAND EARTH MUSIC TRACK LIST
Eine kleine Nachtmusik: 2nd Movement (uncredited) (Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
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Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ Universal-International and MediumRare Entertainment Blu-ray release debuts in its natural state on Blu-ray with a 4K transfer of the inter-positive and is equally enhanced with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Details are very strong and the film looks very crisp and totally amazing for a film made in 1955. The opening credits to me was surprisingly looking very 3 dimensional. Motions are cinematic and smooth with zero issue coming from rapid movement distortions in the film. Blacks are pretty deep and closer to some natural levels. Grain shows a little heavier in the darker space sequences of the film. The Technicolor image is a good classical feel to the film. There are good filters, effects and clothing that feel well rounded. Everything overall just feels very solid. Facial features are totally natural and consistent from start to finish of the film and at one point they are consistently blue. Facial features and textures are pretty nicely discernible from good distances with reasonable expectations. Overall, this is a totally brilliant upgrade and MediumRare Entertainment have done a sterling upgrade and gets a five star rating from me, with this special classic Sc-fi film.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ Universal-International and MediumRare Entertainment Blu-ray release audio experience and you are given 2 solid audio choices. I went with the Perspecta Stereophonic Sound for the review and it really loosens things up from the stereo option. You get some fun the space travel and a bit louder and more impactful experience, especially with the explosions. Overall, this has a very nice classic feel to it and it complements the film very well. The Rocky Mount (NC) Telegram newspaper provided a noteworthy footnote at the time: "Actual sounds from the boundless domain of outer space are heard and Universal-International Pictures was given access to special recordings made by automatic apparatus placed on rocket missiles shot into the stratosphere, and used the weird sound track as accompaniment for the flight of a space ship in the film."
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary with Author and Academy Award-Winning Visual Effects Artist Robert Skotak: Here Robert Skotak introduces himself and comments about the opening start of the film with the spinning Earth which he calls “This Island Earth” and also about the Universal-International lettering, and informs us that he is a visual effects supervisor, designer and writer, and wants to talk about one of his favourite film, which of course is ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH.’ Robert Skotak thinks the credits at the start of the film are rather interesting, and was one of the first Sci-Fi film to use moving “Star Fields,” whereas other Sci-Fi films at the time used static star field backgrounds and of course with this film and the moving “Star Fields,” gives a dramatic 3D effect. Robert Skotak knew the director Joseph M. Newman very well, and would talk to him about the development of the story, and how he wanted to start the film, and of course over time it was an evolutionary process for the early screenplay and wanted something to establish the story, and of course Earth’s technology compared to alien technology. Robert Skotak says that director Joseph M. Newman was a bit more of an actors director, that a film director, especially when directing Science Fiction films. Where we see Dr. Cal Meacham [Rex Reason] take off in his jet plane, this of course was supposed to be Washington, D.C., but was actually filmed in San Fernando Valley in California. When we see the jet plane getting out of control while trying to land at the airport, but is taken over by a strange force of a green glowing light that eventually helps land the jet plane, well this is not actually mentioned in the novel “This Island Earth.” We find out the reason Rex Reason was hired, because they got him cheap because he was not that well known at the time, but originally they wanted the actor William Holden, but due to circumstances was not available to play the part of Dr. Cal Meacham, so of course it gave Rex Reason his lucky break. Robert Skotak comments about the wonderful colourful Technicolor that really enhanced the look of the film and feels it gave the look of the film that extra dimension and great effect. Robert Skotak says that there were three collaborators that worked on the screenplay, and so when finished started visit different studios to promote the film in the hope of getting the green light to shoot the film, and the first studio they went to was the Republican Studios and nearly made a deal, but fell through, but Joseph M. Newman knew someone at Universal Studios and of course immediately jumped on it and finally gave then the go ahead to shoot the film, because they felt the screenplay was very imaginative, because it was the first Science Fiction film to explore interplanetary space travel. When the two scientists assemble the "interocitor" and the alien Exeter is viewed on the screen, but when filming that scenes, the actual video screen was blank and of course later on they added the Exeter scene was printed in the process with the negative, and Robert Skotek thinks what they did was superb. When the plane lands in thick over the top fog, they wanted to emphasise a science fiction mystery, and in the screenplay it is mentioned as the “mystery plane” and the studio wanted to build up the suspense. Robert Skotek talks about when the “mystery plane” lands in Georgia, which is of course, situated in the south eastern part of the U.S. state whose terrain spans coastal beaches, farmland and mountains and Dr. Cal Meacham meets Dr. Ruth Adams [Faith Domergue] and in the late 1940s the actress had a very serious car accident and received terrible scaring on her face, and feels the make-up artists did a fine job covering up the facial injury. Robert Skotek feels the contrast in this film, is especially with the setting in the “mysterious house” that makes this film very different from other Sci-Fi films, because of the difference between high technology and the elegant setting of the interior of the house, and when Dr. Cal Meacham finally meets Exeter, the film diverge dramatically from the novel “This Island Earth,” and it also gave the film a different quality of the film at the time it was made, because normally in a typical Science Fiction film we would be seeing some kind of industrial complex, but they decided the setting of the “mystery house” was a much better scenario, and the actual house was used in ‘The Benny Goodman Story’ film. When we see the dining room scene with everyone round the large table, well Robert Skotek feels this is very unusual for a Science Fiction film, especially having aliens and humans sitting down and eating together and especially listening to Eine kleine Nachtmusik: 2nd Movement by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which made it quite intriguing. Also when this film was made, it used the latest technology that was available at the time, especially Dr. Cal Meacham using a slide rule. Also this was the first Sci-Fi film to introduce us to "neutrino" and people thought this was all a made up word, but it was actually first mentioned by scientists was back in the 1930s. Robert Skotek feels the special effects in this film were quite spectacular, especially when Brack attacks the station wagon with neutrino rays and Dr. Steve Carlson stops the car to let Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adams run to safety, because they were on their way to investigate what is in the mysterious object in the hill, but of course Dr. Steve Carlson who was driving the station wagon is blown up by the neutrino ray with a very colour explosion and this was the unique property of Technicolor because you can experiment a lot with the properties of Technicolor. Robert Skotak mentions while the alien spaceship is travelling through space, with Exeter, Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adam going to the Planet Metaluna he mentions that they are in interstellar space, where we see the alien spaceship experiences the peculiar colourful sequence, where the alien spaceship is going through something called the “Thermal Barrier” and the idea of this “Thermal Barrier” and the fire in outer space is something quite crazy to Robert Skotak, and feels it doesn’t make sense, still I suspect they wanted to create something quite spectacular that we would not experience ourselves, and Robert Skotak mentions that in this scene that the alien spaceship is coming the very edge of the solar system, and encountering something that we now call the “Heliosphere,” that according to scientists is the vast, bubble-like region of space which surrounds and is created by the Sun. In plasma physics terms, this is the cavity formed by the Sun in the surrounding interstellar medium, and it is where the edge of our solar system meets inner space, and there was conjecture at the time that this will cause massive amounts of electrical to any spaceship entering this part of the solar system and of course the way this special effect was done for the alien spaceship was by building an iron model of the flying saucer and they had a forge near the camera and heated up the iron model of the flying saucer until it was red hot and was fitted onto two metal prongs, and while they were filming it, they sprayed on the model oil and of course this would ignite it the heated surface of the model flying saucer and that is exactly what the effect they wanted to create it for the cinema audience and it worked, as it looked very realistic and of course on top of all that they were using a wind machine to exaggerate the flying saucer is going through an invisible barrier. When Exeter, Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adams arrive at the Planet Metaluna and are waiting for the sliding door to go up for them to enter the elevator or the lift as we call it in the UK, well this sliding door was done by animation and of course Exeter, Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adams eventually arrive at the Dome Headquarters where The Monitor is sitting, but of course you notice a very eerie colour scheme, especially where the faces of the everyone is blue, well this was filmed as normal Technicolor, but was eventually done in the film process, and that is why Technicolor was so very versatile. But they wanted to create a different look and atmosphere on the Planet Metaluna. As we see the alien spaceship escaping from the Planet Metaluna with Exeter, Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adams on it travelling back to Planet Earth, Robert Skotak comments on the marvellous amazing and beautiful miniature pyrotechnic models done for this film, especially with the very tricky shots of the alien spaceship escaping from the Planet Metaluna and especially and unfortunately with those miniature flying pyrotechnic models guiding the meteors towards the alien spaceship, you can see the wires, that the studio felt the film was going massively over budget felt it was going to cost too much money to eliminate the wires, but Robert Skotak still thinks the effects are brilliant. When we see Exeter, Dr. Cal Meacham and Dr. Ruth Adams enter the atmospheric tubes and when then see the injured Mutant enters the Dome Headquarters, this we are informed was filmed at the height of a massive heatwave in Los Angeles and because it was filmed in Technicolor and of course they have to have massive amounts of lights, they were not allowed to have the air conditioning on and was around 105 deg. Fahrenheit and of course the stuntman in the Mutant costume suffered a terrible heat problem, especially if you look in the eyes of the Mutant, because if you look carefully you can see perspiration liquid in the plastic eyes, which is the massive perspiration the stuntman experienced. As the alien spaceship nears Earth, Robert Skotak says that the Exeter character in his last moments from his very serious injuries, becomes to respect the humans on Earth because of his time on Earth, whereas at the beginning his character was very evil and again people on Earth because of coming from the Planet Metaluna where they have no feelings, but because Exeter has now lost his world, but has now gained his soul. Robert Skotak says that as the alien spaceship starts to burn up and eventually crashing into the sea and exploding, they were going to try different special effects techniques, but eventually decided to stick with the special effect you see in the film, which was done by the matt composite process. We are also informed that the director Joseph M. Newman insisted on keeping the title ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ in keeping with the title of the book “This Island Earth,” as it related to the theme of the film, but the studio executives wanted to change the title and among the suggested title was ‘War Of The Planets.’ To attract more audiences and bigger box office returns, but director Joseph M. Newman felt it would confuse certain section of the viewing public, as Joseph M. Newman felt the film title has a very poetic feel to the film, and Robert Skotak was glad it was retained with the title ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH,’ as he feels it gave the film a certain type of class, that other Sci-Fi films did not have at the time, and at the point the audio commentary abruptly stops without warning, but despite this, it was a really nice and very fascinating in-depth audio commentary by the very engaging Robert Skotak and is a definite one to listen to and to my mind definitely gets a five star rating from me.
Audio Commentary with Film Historian David Schecter: Here with the second audio commentary, this time it is with Film Historian David Schecter, who informs us that ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ not only contains one of Universal-International finest Sci-Fi composed film music score of thee 1950s, but it also has one of studios best soundtrack in any genre in any era, and definitely belongs on the list of the greatest Science Fiction score of that monstrous decade and unfortunately it is seldom mentioned in this context. Whereas other worldly lauded works like Dimitri Tiomkin’s ‘The Thing From Another World,’ Bernard Herrmann’s ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’ and Carmen Dragon’s ‘The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers’ typically topped that list. But David Scheter seems only wanting to talk about the composed film music score for the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH,’ and is very annoyed that it has not been recognised as a superb soundtrack. But feels the reason for this is because the composer is not mentioned in the film credits at the start of the film. Because David Scheter is head of the Monstrous Movie Music, the Southern California Compact Disc label and because he feels the composed music for this film is very important, that one of their first project was to re-record the entire score and many of the music samples he gets to play with this audio commentary. David Scheter also informs us that he knew all the composers for the film score of ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH,’ and also informs us that Universal Pictures will not put the screen credits of the composers, if two or more collaborate on a film score. At this point, David Scheter plays an excerpt from the film score of ‘The Creature From The Black Lagoon.’ David Scheter informs us that Universal Pictures thought composed film music was very important and they kept a vast library of composed film music so they can use some of it where appropriate in other film genres. As to the composed film score for ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH,’ we are informed the main bulk of it only lasted for a total of 30 minutes and about 2 minutes of composed music for the alien spaceship scenes travelling across the universe, and goes into great detail what certain instruments were used to create the eerie composed space music. When Film Historian David Schecter does some comments he gives us excerpts of several re-recordings that were done of Herman Stein's music for the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH and also discusses the source music. At around the 28:17 mark, David Schecter decides to finish his audio commentary, but leading up to that precise time, he says, “It truly is a movie as enjoyable to listen to as to it to watch. This has been David Scheter reporting from “This Island Chatsworth” in California. The only thing that really annoyed me was that it was totally obvious that David Scheter was reading from a script. So to sum up, all in all, this was a very disappointing audio commentary and I feel it was a total pointless exercise that they allowed this to be added onto this Blu-ray disc. I rest my case.
Special Feature: Alien Ideas – An Interview with Filmmaker Luigi Cozzi [2019] [1080p] [1.78:1] [21:11] Here we have and interview with Luigi Cozzi who was the Italian director of the film ‘Starcrash’ [1978] and informs us that he has in Italy a Cinema Store and has many frequent visitors, especially young students, where he has a massive amount of Blu-ray and DVD discs in his collection and the young students ask him when a certain film was made and when he says a film was made in 2010, they say that film is ancient and any film made 40 to 50 years ago they are totally not interested, and to me that is total ignorance, and to me that sums up these people as the ignorant mobile phone generation. But the main thrust of this interview, is here talk about the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ which was released in Italy in 1956, and was about 9 to 10 years old when he first saw the film in the cinema, which was entitled in Italy as ‘CITTADINO DELLO SPAZIO’ and how it was an impressive Sci-Fi film for 1955 and of course fell in love with the film instantly, which he refers to it as the “First Space Opera” and especially seeing it in glorious Technicolor, whereas other Sci-Fi films he viewed in the same period were mostly in black-and-white, and of course with the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ it had fantastic special effects. Luigi Cozzi also praises the novel “This Island Earth” that was written by Raymond F. Jones and informs us that the first half of the book was all based on Earth and the second half of the book is all about outer space and going to another planet beyond the stars. What Luigi Cozzi loved about the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ was that it was a very expensive film for 1955 to make, whereas other Sci-Fi films at the time were very cheap, but felt the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ was a very important Sci-Fi film and at the same time fascinated him. Luigi Cozzi has viewed the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ many times and never ever gets bored of it, because he feels the film has a heart and the aliens are intelligent and do not want to dominate or destroy mankind on Earth, and most important it has a very intelligent story. Luigi Cozzi also thinks the film has a moral story, like in the 1960s era when there was a Cold War threat between America and Russia and we were on the brink of Nuclear War. Luigi Cozzi thinks the first half of the film is like a mystery and feels it is like a Science Fiction ‘Dracula’ film, and especially when Dr. Cal Meacham gets into a plane with no pilot and no windows and has no idea of his destination, and is very similar when people are invited to Dracula’s castle and the guests are always driven in a carriage and horses, but no driver and eventually Dr. Cal Meacham is driven to a mystery house where a lot mysterious guests reside, and three of the main characters try to find out the truth about the house and the aliens, and the three main characters try to escape, and only the man and the woman survive and try to escape via a small plane, but are eventually beamed up to the alien spaceship, where all is revealed and eventually arrive at the Planet Metaluna where they finally get revealed the true meaning why they were abducted in order to help them save their planet. Luigi Cozzi talks about the executives were apparently dissatisfied with some of the footage Joseph M. Newman had shot and had to bring back Jack Arnold to do the second half of the film with the trip to the Planet Metaluna until the end credits and Luigi Cozzi thinks the Jack Arnold part of the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ is the most outstanding part of the film, and feels it gives you a sense of wonder, because of the Jack Arnold’s style of directing the film. Luigi Cozzi informs us that although they spent a vast amount of money on the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ and was in spectacular Technicolor, sadly on its release did not make a lot of money, and this is the same fate that happened to the M-G-M film ‘Forbidden Planet,’ but of course today, both those films are now classed a Classic Science Fiction films. As we come to the end of this really lovely and informative special feature, Luigi Cozzi says that most modern Science Fiction films are basically sold like cans of soup, whereas directors like Ray Harryhausen and George Pal were dreamers and especially artists, who were dedicated and passionate in making films, whereas a lot of Sci-Fi films today are more aimed at merchandising a film and not making a Sci-Fi film for inspiration.
Special Feature: Trailers From Hell – ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ with Joe Dante [2013] [1080i / 480i] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [2:45] Here we see Joe Dante talk about his favourite Science Fiction film 'THIS ISLAND EARTH' which you see the Trailer being played behind him, which he first viewed in the cinema when he was 9 years old which made a great impression on him and comments that the 1977 ‘Star Wars’ film was of its time and Joe Dante also says that he was also very impressed by the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ special effects that was only available at the time. Joe Dante also mentions that the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ when released in 1955 was in competition with the film ‘Forbidden Planet’ [1956] over that period of time which Joe Dante feels it had a much better presentation, especially as it is based on a Shakespeare play, but despite this, Joe Dante still loves the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH.’
Special Feature: Two and A Half Years in the Making: The Extended Documentary – The Making of ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ [2019] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [47:55] BALLYHOO MOTION PICTURES presents a detailed look at the classic Science Fiction film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ and informs us that the following the wake of Universal Picture reign of horror, when the hills were overrun by its monster army of ‘Dracula’ [1931], ‘Frankenstein’ [1931] and ‘The Wolf Man’ [1941]. The expanding studio formed an alliance with Universal-International. Under the new ruler, the studio set out to destroy all B-Movie units. The castles and tombs of the past became ruins. Meanwhile, the rival studios were invading the theaters with new kind of creatures . . . beings from the void of space. Gort stalked the studio at 20th Century Fox. The Thing roamed the lot of RKO studio. Enter . . . story teller Joseph M. Newman, with the biggest and boldest adventure of them all and we get a pleather of contributors giving us their in-depth comments on why they love the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ and other fascinating in-depth technical details about the film and we get to hear some rare voice recordings of some of the actors that appeared in the film. We find out that the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH’ was shown on “Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie” in 1996 and totally insulted the film by showing a cut down version and making nasty comments with a brain dead presenter and two equally stupid brain dead puppet robots and at the time people thought it was a really bad Science Fiction film, but later rectified by showing the whole film. With this really special feature, it is broken up into different subject headings, which are as follows: Chapter One: THE ALIEN EFFECT; Chapter Two: THE UNIVERSAL MACHINE; Chapter Three: COLONISTS OF THE STARS; Chapter Four: THE MUTANT CIRCLE; Chapter Five: THE DOOMSDAY LOT; Chapter Six: THE SCIENCE OF TOMORROW and Chapter Seven: THE TEST OF THE GODS. For some unknown reason, the voice of Jeff Morrow was voiced by Larry Blamire. Contributors include: Tom Weaver (Voice only) [Author/Film Historian], C. Courtney Joyner [Screenwriter/Film Historian], Robert Skotak [Visual Effects Artist/Film Historian], Joe Dante [Director/Film Historian], David Schecter [Film Music Historian], Ted Newsom [Documentarian/Film Historian], Jeff Morrow (Voice only) [Actor/Exeter], Rex Reason (Voice only) [Actor/Dr. Cal Meacham], Bob Burns [Archivist/Film Historian], Faith Domergue (Voice only) [Actress/Dr. Ruth Adams] and Kenneth Arnold (Voice only) [Aviator/Businessman).
Theatrical Trailer [1955] [480i] [1.37:1] [2:20] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH.’ What a shame they could not have found the 1.85:1 aspect ratio trailer. Once again we have the fil trailer is presented in very extreme soft focus, and I cannot understand why they decided to include this, as I feel it was a complete waste of time.
Special Feature: Stills Gallery [2019] [1080p] [1.78:1] [7:09] Here we get to view 58 stunning promotional images, which includes some of the classic 1958 cinema posters and other cinema posters from overseas; promotional rare colour and black-and-white photographs; as well as some other black-and-white promotional items, plus some stunning black-and-white hand drawn illustrated images. Additionally, there are quite a few images of the cast members performing their scenes in the film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH.’
Finally, with this brilliant classic sci-fi film ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH,’ where you have amazing realistic sequences showing the huge flying saucer arriving at the ravaged Planet Metaluna, and the subsequent scenes of alien ships bombing the planet's surface with giant meteors, are the most spectacular aspect of this brillaint film. A psychedelic light-show is impressive for its spectacular artificiality, created by a combination of model work, matte paintings are super-imposing, and are all the work of special effects artist Stanley Horsley and master cinematographer Clifford Stine. So it is totally logical with the films exciting imagery tells a different story of wonder and especially with its garish wonderful Technicolor that ‘THIS ISLAND EARTH,’ was sadly slightly handicapped by a poorly executed screenplay and by a long delay before we see the action moves into outer space, but it's saved by its truly and totally amazing visual special effects, especially for a film that came out in the 1950s and so it deserves an important place in the history of the sci-fi genre film for bringing to the screen for the first time familiar scenes that had previously only existed in the minds of science fiction pulp writers and the lurid imaginations of their readers. But most important of all 'THIS ISLAND EARTH' is one of my favourite science fiction films of the 1950s, and in fact, of all time and it has everything a B-Movie enthusiast could want, starting with a stellar cast. The Universal-International film as a whole is totally great fun and satisfying piece of science fiction, and withstands repeated viewings and believe me, I know, as I have watched the film several times, as it is a massive improvement over the totally inferior DVD release and also the German Blu-ray release. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
