It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)

It! The Terror from Beyond Space can be enjoyed on two levels. On the one hand, science fiction vet Jay Bixby (story credit for Fantastic Voyage, episodes of Star Trekand The Twilight Zone) has penned a tight screenplay that clocks in at less than 70 minutes. In the action you'll see precursors to Alien and other modern science fiction classics. On the other hand, you've got the pleasures of The Future As Envisioned in 1958 (Hey look! Female crew members! Wait a minute, they're serving the men coffee...) and, of course, a rubber-suited space monster. A rescue ship picks up Colonel Carruthers, sole survivor of an expedition to Mars. Carruthers is accused of killing his crew, but he maintains that they were picked off by a mysterious monster. Guess who's right? Keep an eye out for charming details such as analog instrument dials, crew members smoking in flight, and mysteriously large amounts of loose paper flying around the ship. --Ali Davis Amazon.com

Quality suspense is never dated

First of all, there's that wonderfully over-the-top title, telling you that you're in for an old-fashioned rollercoaster ride of science fiction horror. And as many previous reviewers have pointed out, this is one of the two parents of "Alien" (the other being "Planet of Vampires"), so the story is already promising. But how does it actually hold up?

It holds up very well, in fact! You can either dismiss the sets & specials effects as hopelessly dated, or else savor them for their period charm, which is what I prefer. In any case, the film WORKS. The premise is set up neatly, and then the suspense starts building, as the crew begins to realize that they've got an extremely unwelcome visitor aboard, truly the guest from Hell. Things get nail-bitingly claustrophobic in short order!

No, it's not a lost masterpiece by any means. But it is a strong B-movie, with the cast of lesser-known actors giving solid performances, and the intensity never letting up for an instant. And given the obviously small budget, scenes like that of the space walk still manage to look pretty good, all things considered. Simply put, this is pure fun all the way, perfect for recapturing the black-&-white chills of childhood. Recommended!





October 23, 2008

Missing imput?

Yeah, this is a great 50s sci-fi that set the premise for future films. Curiously though, I've read almost all (currently)68 reviews and know one has commented on the aspect ratio of the film. Truthfully I dont know the answer right now either but here goes.
Widescreen came out in about 1954. This movie is from 1958. Many 50s monster flicks were released in widescreen. Certainly not all were, but I would have thought the producers would have capatalized on that eras widescreen popularity. The question is: is this dvd the wrong format? Their have been many films from this era that were turned into pan and scan even for dvd (definetely laserdisc). It it wasn't shot in widescreen, I'm sure it was all about budget restraints.
By all means watch it an appreciate the 50s vibe that set a tone to be remembered. I just want to know, should this be widescreen? July 28, 2008

IT' SSSSSS MY 800TH REVIEW! THE ORIGINAL ALIEN! 3 1/2 STARS!

This is a classic 50's sci-fi flick with a great idea for a story.......so great, that the producers of 'Alien' took the original idea and created one of the most memorable monsters in the history of film, 'Alien'! This film is well paced and fun to watch with a good cast. The 69 minute running length won't have you begging for mercy either. Another good Paul Blaisdell monster suit although this one's not as cool as The She-Creature. It's does have some unintentional humor, but don't most of these old films?

The DVD has only a cool trailer as a bonus feature, but the print is in very good shape and the DVD transfer in fine. One note: the statement at the beginning of the feature stating that the film has been modified to fit your TV screen is not true. This is the correct aspect ratio. This has been re-released on a double feature DVD with the superior 'The Monster That Challenged The World'. Not a bad double bill for my money! June 4, 2008

"Another name for 'Mars' is 'Death.'"

Something of a trivia question these days - which 50s B-movie inspired Alien? - It! The Terror From Beyond Space probably came too late in the day to get the kind of reputation it deserved in the 50s sci-fi pantheon but it's a lot better than you expect. Right from its atmospheric opening shot of a crashed spaceship on Mars accompanied by Marshall Thompson's fatalistic narration, it sets out its stall - this is going to be played straight and with deadly intent. Aiming more for The Thing From Another World than The Monster That Challenged the World's end of the market, the dialogue and interplay doesn't match Hawks although it has the better critter (and very atmospherically photographed the beast is too), a barbarous Martian who stows away aboard a rescue flight taking Thompson back to Earth to face a firing squad for allegedly killing his own crew. Initial distrust gives way to we've-tried-everything-but-nothing-can-stop-it dramatics, but the film shows some originality at times and offers at least one good shock with the discovery of the first body. It's let down by the characterisation, though. The women may be scientists but they're still expected to make the coffee, while the men show reckless abandon with guns and grenades in a moving spaceship. Yet at a brisk 69 minutes it never outstays its welcome and for my money it's a lot more enjoyable than Ridley Scott's movie.

The only extra is the original trailer. February 18, 2008

Great Fun from the 50s

Get the popcorn and turn down the lights! It, the Terror from Beyond Space has relatively high tension, dated electronics and effects (and really dated opinions of the role of women), a decent plot, and a really ugly, heavily-breathing monster. What could be more fun! A rescue mission on its way back from Mars to court marshal its sole survivor, discovers its got more than the survivor on board. Tension abounds as the crew begins to get picked-off one by one. Even Marshall Thompson develops [some] pathos as the tortured survivor having to deal with the loss of his entire crew and no one believing his story. They try everything they can think of to get rid of "It", including small arms, grenades, gas, electricty, a bazooka, a blow-torch, and even an atomic reactor (best line of the film, "Its enough to kill a hundred men!"). Although dated, the film is best [and should be] appreciated in the perspective of its temporal component (i.e., mid-50s paranoia). Once past the comparisons to today's high-fx films (especially 'Alien'), you can really enjoy this short but intense romp into an honest example of a better than average 50s sci-fi B-movie. November 21, 2007

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