When Worlds Collide

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Winner of the 1951 Academy Award for Best Special Effects, this science fiction extravaganza set a new standard for the realistic depiction of cinematic disasters. Of course, it's a quaint curiosity by today's technological standards, but as produced by visual effects pioneer George Pal, this story of Earth's collision with a runaway star is still a dazzling example of screen sci-fi from the '50s, when special effects were entering a new stage of advancement. Despite scientists' warnings about the star's destructive potential, government officials refuse to take action that could cause international panic, but a consortium of private industrialists prepare for the worst by building a gigantic spaceship--an ark for humanity to begin life anew on a distant planet. Who will be chosen to go, and who left behind? As earthquakes roar and massive tidal waves devastate entire cities, the huge rocket prepares for take-off from its miles-long launching ramp--ready to abandon the shattered Earth! Although it's more enjoyable now as a cinematic museum piece, When Worlds Collide remains a milestone of its kind, leading the way for many more screen disasters that followed this movie's still-worthy example. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Classic sc-fi thriller still packs a punch.......2007-08-19

One of the best sci-fi movies of the decade, it won the 1952 Academy award for best special effects, and I think, deserved it.

George Pal's directorial talents enabled him to take the classic end-of-the-world novel by Wylie and Balmer and turn it into a rivetting and dramatic movie. The team has only a year to design and build the ship, a herculean task, and must overcome discord and even treachery from within that threatens to derail the entire project. The spaceship design was both graceful and impressive, although the carriage design concept used in the dramatic launch sequence was never used in actuality, unlike the staged design in the other classic movie of the period, "The Conquest of Space," another Pal movie, where it was.

I read both When World's Collide and also its sequel, After World's Collide, and I think the movie more than does justice to the original book. Overall, it's one of the best sci-fi movies of the decade and an outstanding adaptation of the original novel. It has been said that Pal's films are some of the most optimistic ever made, and that certainly shows in this film as the survivors escape certain doom on earth only to find salvation on a beautiful and idyllic new world.

A little note on George Pal here. He studied to be an architect, but early 20th century Hungary (where George was from) apparently didn't need many architects, and so George never found work there. But they did need illustrators and cartoonists for the burdgeoning advertising and cartoon business, and George soon found a job at the famous UFA studio in Berlin. Within two months, he was in charge of the cartoon and illustration department, and the rest, as they say, is history.

When Worlds Collide.......2007-08-13

The movie was just as good now as it was when I first saw it at nine yrs. old. Even my two teenage grandsons thought it was pretty good. Special effects especially.

Another childhood favorite .......2007-08-06

I remember watching this film on TV when I was a kid. Now an adult, I rememember it being pretty scary. Well, if you can possibly ignore some of the cheesier special effects, it still is scary! Think about it. We are still hearing on the Discovery Channel (and the like) that there's a chance that a meteor or asteroid could very possibly cause earth catastrophic damage sometime in the future. Well, what if you suspend reality for 90 minutes and the future is actually within the next year. What would life on earth be like? How would everyone behave? It gave me the creepy crawlies again just thinking about it.

me please.......2007-06-27

I had no problems with there service found them to be quick and efficent.Thank You.

Classic early Sci-Fi.......2007-05-30

This 1951 film is a minor classic in the history of science fiction films.
The film has tended to be overlooked as it came out the same year as The Day the Earth stood still (which IS a better film). But if you look back prior to 1951 there is really only Metropolis which stands out.

The title explains everything about the plot. A passing planet is going to pass near the Earth and cause chaos, however it will be closely followed by its star which will destroy the Earth. A team of scientists have to build a Rocket to take a selected few from the Earth so that the human race can survive. This provides a lot of opportunities for various sub-plots about the morality of who should get a place on the Rocket.

Its only real flaw is the science, where the film just doesn't add up! For example when the star is getting very close this doesn't seem to raise the temperature on Earth all.....

The special effects now look incredibly primitive, but for the time they were brilliant. In 1951 at the Cinema, this film, which is in colour must have been absolutely stunning for the audience at that time. You might want to see it first before buying, but for me it is a milestone movie of its day.

The War Of the Worlds (1953) / When Worlds Collide (1951) (Double Feature)

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Video Quality Apparently Compressed from Original
Great Sci Fi

The War Of the Worlds (1953) / When Worlds Collide (1951) (Double Feature)
Starring: Gene Barry , and Ann Robinson
Director: Byron Haskin
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000PHX5PK
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Customer Reviews:

Video Quality Apparently Compressed from Original.......2007-08-25

I own the War of the Worlds stand alone release, but wanted When Worlds Collide, so I picked up this double feature disk. Not only are the extras from the War of the Worlds release missing, but the film seems to have been remastered at a lower bitrate to fit it on a single dual-layer DVD along with When Worlds Collide. I actually noticed a difference on my TV, so I popped the disks in the computer and confirmed it. These are just the films with no extras at all. My advice: Order the single disk releases for better quality and extras at a relatively small price difference.

Great Sci Fi.......2007-06-14

Looking forward to adding this double feature to my collection!

Average customer rating:

Super space fortress Macross vs macross Clash of the bionoids
the AnimEigo version's much better.
wrong item description
Clash of the cultures
Robotech of the next dimension!

Macross Vol. 5: When Worlds Collide
Starring: Macross
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GDH9LY
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Description

As any otaku will tell you, the anime epic that came to be known as Robotech was woven together from three separate sci-fi series. Macross is one of these series. Now for the first time anime fans can enjoy Macross as it was originally presented to Japanese TV audiences more than 20 years ago!

Customer Reviews:

Super space fortress Macross vs macross Clash of the bionoids.......2007-05-12

I see lots of reviews and many of them lump these products into one. This is understandable as they are in reality 2 cuts of the same movie. The original japanese is Super Dimensional Fortrss Macross Do you remember love (which is now avaialble subtitled on DVD and is worthy to find). In 1984 this movie was so sucessful in japan that TOHO (yes the godzilla people) and BIG west dubbed it for release in the Englsh speaking pacific rim (Hong kong australia etc). So was born Super Space fortess MacrossMacross. While not an exact dub it has the basics of the original japanese translation. Please note this version of the film is 115 minutes and should not be seen by younger kids (nudity and blood). If you think this is a poor translation but don't have the desire to read the subtitled version remember the english This cut was used as an english language learning tool back in Japan. In the early 90's after the sucess of robotech in the US toho was using the one license harmony gold didn't buy DYRL and peddled it to Just for kids. this is Clash of the bionoids Macross: Clash of the Bionoids which cut out 40 minutes of footage including heavy gore, the shower scene nudity, and a slow part of Misa and Ikaru stranded. It is otherwise identical to the english Dub I talked about earlier. This is the one kids can watch but odds are they will get bored at times. both tapes are Full frame. at this time the english dub is not on DVD and the only widescreen release was on LAserdisc in 88. I first saw this movie as bionids as a late teen in 92 and have since aquired the laserdisc.
it is a great film but it is a lot deeper than the mindless anime of today and the actors are a little "wooden" a times. well worth the prices of used VHS for any Robotech or macross fan and the real plus is Mari Ijiima is th evoice for Minmay in english

the AnimEigo version's much better........2006-11-26

Sorry, but as much as I want to rate this highly, I just can't, even with Mari Ijima providing the english as well as Japanese voiceovers for Minmay, the character that put Ijima-san's name on the map. Harmony Gold totally killed Macross when the redubbed the voices and rewrote the storyline to change it into robodrek, and I also feel that ADV did much the same when they redubbed SDF Macross that time around as well. It's sickening how here in America we always want to dub and dumb down excellent examples of foreign culture. So in short, this product stinks......end of discussion

wrong item description.......2006-10-08

This is more of a correction than a review. The description of this DVD and the two previous reviews are about the Macross movie "Do You Remember Love?". But this DVD "Macross Vol 5" is the continuation of the TV show with Episodes 22-26. If you are buying the new DVD Macross series, then you are aware that this is the next one to buy after Vol 4. But if you are looking for the movie version of Macross :DYRL, this isn't it.

Clash of the cultures.......2005-01-13

Clash of the Bionoids is the English dubbed and slightly altered version of the original Japanese film "Macross: Ai Oboete Imasu ka" or 'Love: Do you Remember?'.
The movie exists as a movie in the universe of the original TV series...and of course as a movie by itself in our world :) (a bit confusing but true). So basically, the people in the Robotech/Macross universe make this movie, which is about the first space war between the Zentradi and the humans. And this is basically the whole Macross story told in a feature length film.

It slightly changes the story and compacts it into approximately 90 minutes of storytelling. The animation is simply fantastic considering it was released in theatres the summer of 1984 (In Japan that is). The character and background art are simply amazing, even by today's standards.

I'd recommend tracking down the original Japanese version if you can find it, but this version isn't all that bad either. Clash of the Bionoids follows the Japanese Macross, so Robotech fans who haven't seen the original Macross might be a bit confused as far as characters and names are concerned when they see it (as Robotech didn't air on American TV until '85). But it's still a fair English version of a fantastic Japanese anime film.

Robotech of the next dimension!.......2001-07-20

Clash of the Bionoids is an excellent film if you love Robotech. It's a milestone in the fact that so rare does anime like this get overlooked. Picture Robotech but the first 5 years being condensed into 92 minutes. The copy I got has suffered from jumping around in a few places but overall its anime that will make you shake your head and say.. woah.. this is unreal.

It has great battles and the violence is unmitigated for it being done by "Just For Kids" in 1984. It is a full length animated feature and I will tell you.. I have to.. just to get you to watch. My favorite scene is the intense light action drama of Max Sterling battling Miriya Parino inside a huge Zentreadi warship.. where.. well, its old school anime and a totally new type of Robotech, like a SPIN on the the entire reality of the actual anime but a lot more darker and violent. It turns into a 3 way war between the female and male "zentreadi" or bionods and with Earth. Gorgeous stuff for anime of the early 80's.

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Customer Reviews:

Classic sc-fi thriller still packs a punch.......2007-08-19

When Worlds Collide.......2007-08-13

The movie was just as good now as it was when I first saw it at nine yrs. old. Even my two teenage grandsons thought it was pretty good. Special effects especially.

Another childhood favorite .......2007-08-06

me please.......2007-06-27

I had no problems with there service found them to be quick and efficent.Thank You.

Classic early Sci-Fi.......2007-05-30

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