This Island Earth

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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

Customer Reviews:

this island earth, abandon ship!.......2007-09-10

One of the most famous sf films of all time, is also one of the most annoying and over rated. The writing is full of impending malevolence, the acting wooden and direction ordinary. I bought this dvd because I hadn't seen the movie in over 25 years, but it turns out only that I can now see it in colour for the first time. The lack of any extra features is indicative of the entire package.

This Island Earth - A Wow of a film........2007-08-14

This movie might not be of the calibre of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', but it is certainly part of the canon of great sci-fi movies of the 20th century. The digital transfer has been wonderful (I lived off a VHS copy for 15 years), and it allowed a detail more reminiscent of its first release. To say that this movie was one i had waited for is an understatement - to say that it gives contemporary films a run for their money, is to state the obvious. A sign of the times is, I would have loved to see more extra features (like who is Rex Reason, and what about the color of the Metallunan's back on their home world?).

Campy , Saturday matinee feature from the fifties.......2007-07-25

Bug eyed monsters, mysterious aliens ,sexy scientists and catchy special effects, What's not to like ? The pace is slow and the acting wooden , to say the least. The professsor from Gilligan's Island is here and he gets zapped by a green death ray. One scientist has a heaving bosom and another a chiseled lantern jaw. The alien guru has a tremendous forehead. There's a visit to another world in the middle of a centuries old war being fought with flaming meteors. There's some sort of moral message here , but I forgot what it was. Never mind. Just get the movie, nuke some popcorn, kick back and relax. It's high camp all the way.

Earth is my kind of Island, I like the atmosphere........2007-07-10

This delightful and very fifties film,is to me the epitome of fifties Sci-fi.
Uncommonly for a Sci-fi film from this era it's in vibrant colour,and really makes the most out of it.
A simple storyline,competent actors,and most refreshingly of all no CGI.
I'm not totally against CGI as long as it's used in moderation,but personally I prefer a good detailed model,well lit.
~~Synopsis~~
One day electronic expert Dr Cal Meacham is sent some unusual components through the post,his curiosity is aroused even more when a book arrives showing him how to build an Alien device using the components.
This is the start of an adventure that leads to another planet,an interplanetary war,and a possible invasion of Earth.
~~~~
I found the remote controlled DC-3 aircraft an intriguing idea for 1955.
This is a film for all fifties science fiction connoisseur's.
Based on the novel by Raymond F Jones.
(Modern Sci-fi movies could learn a lot about pacing, from these 50's classic's.)

meplease.......2007-06-27

I found the quality to be as they said prompt serve and delivery. Exectional Thank you.

Average customer rating:

Flibbertigibbets get stuck for the drinks
A Cold War Classic Goes Camp
Corman + Wynorski + Lords = Loads of Cheesy Fun
B Movie gets A Treatment!
a great B-movie

Not of This Earth
Starring: Traci Lords , Arthur Roberts (II) , Lenny Juliano , Ace Mask , and Roger Lodge
Director: Jim Wynorski
Manufacturer: New Concorde
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005ALMB
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Customer Reviews:

Flibbertigibbets get stuck for the drinks.......2005-11-22

Yep Mr. Johnson AKA Mr. Strange (Arthur Roberts) came to our planet to borrow a little liquid protein that is sorely lacking back home. He has no scruples as to how to obtain it.

He finds that transfusion is the popular procedure and with the help of Dr. Rochelle (Ace Mask), borrows his cute nurse Nadine Story (Traci Lords, "Serial Mom" (1984)), to do the deed. As Mr. Johnson steps up his procedures to obtain the necessary before the dead line, we watch Nadine get suspicious.

This is a great remake of the 1957 Rodger Corman classic, not to forget that Michael York was in a 1995 version. In this version there was more flesh than blood. However this could have been better without the modern gratuities slasher scene.

The background always has this synthesizer quasi fifty's music. With such hits as:
"Women are like Tanks"
"You make me horny"
"Invasion of the body snatchers"
"Room at the bottom"

A Cold War Classic Goes Camp.......2005-06-15

Former adult film actress Tracy Lords stars in her first mainstream film role as a nurse wearing a skin-tight and super- short uniform in this 1988 remake of Roger Corman's rarely seen NOT OF THIS EARTH.

This remake is purebred camp. Lords is entertaining to watch and turns in a very credible rookie performance onscreen. It's well worth your time if you're in a lighthearted mood.

The plots of the original and the remake are identical. The aliens' mission is a simple one: to suck the blood of the human race, to short-circuit our brains with direct eye contact, and to collect various specimens for study and experimentation back on their home planet.

Roger Corman created a 1957 film that transcended its science-fiction genre and became instead a period-piece artifact of Middle American Cold War paranoia, McCarthyism and race tension.

In the original, those who are not of this earth are humanoid creatures who speak in suspiciously thick Eastern European accents, behave mysteriously, dress in undertakers' suits, Ray Ban sunglasses and homburg hats (and MUST have inspired Belushi and Akroyd in creating the Blues Brothers).

In the earlier film, Corman makes a piercing social commentary when his Iron Curtain outworlders categorize our species either as "humans" (whites) or "subhumans" (people of color).

Unfortunately for the original, most viewers over the years have seen the aliens' labeling as an example of racism rather than an indictment of it. As a result, the original NOT OF THIS EARTH is never broadcast and is only available through very limited outlets.

Lords' film limits its social commentary to important issues, like beer and burgers.

Besides Lords' recommended 1988 comic remake there was a dramatic version made in 1995. The 1995 remake with Michael York is absolutely forgettable.

So have a good time watching Tracy learn how to act in wardrobe, and if you can find the 1957 original definitely give it a viewing as well.

Corman + Wynorski + Lords = Loads of Cheesy Fun.......2004-07-07

Roger Corman is executive producer and schlock-meister Jim Wynorski is director of 1988's NOT OF THIS EARTH, a campy remake of the campy Corman-directed classic. And in typical Corman style, it offers everything a B-movie fan could want: A goofy tongue-in-cheek plot that is barely more than a re-hash of the original; cheesy special FX, a good number of which were lifted from other Corman films; mediocre acting from some of the supporting cast; and lots of gratuitous female nudity. And also as with most films in which Corman has his hands, it is LOTS of fun to watch.

Gorgeous former hardcore adult-film star Traci Lords--here in her first "legit" starring role and the last role in which she completely disrobes for the camera--portrays a private-care nurse who unwittingly assists an extraterrestrial vampire in draining low-lifes and bimbos of their blood so that he can send the vital red stuff back to the hungry folks on his home planet of Devanna. It doesn't take long, though, before the nurse and her policeman boyfriend (Roger Lodge--yes, THAT Roger Lodge) begin to suspect that something strange and dangerous is going on. But can they solve the mystery quickly enough to save the city's remaining low-lifes and bimbos?

During the shooting and post-production of this film, there was a lot of hullabaloo about Traci Lords being cast in the lead role. Many thought that casting the former star of XXX-rated films was just a gimmick to gain publicity for the project, and while it did indeed do that, Ms. Lords' performance in NOT OF THIS EARTH is top-notch and professional and acquits her of the charges of being nothing more than shapely eye-candy. And for the most part, the other actors do a great job of supporting Ms. Lords. Arthur Roberts--looking like one of THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980)--delightfully parodies the stoic, awkward, out-of-his-element extraterrestrial that has become a sci-fi cliché. As the alien's clueless butler and chauffeur, Lenny Juliano has good onscreen chemistry with star Lords and really hams it up. And actor Ace Mask, playing the doctor who assigns Lords to work with the alien, is delightfully quirky and a real hoot whenever he's on the screen.

The only odd casting choice is that of Roger Lodge for the role of Lords' boyfriend. Filmgoers may recognize Lodge from his gig as host of TV's flaky syndicated dating show BLIND DATE. While Lords' performance in this film demonstrates why she has become a ubiquitous presence on TV and on film, Lodge's performance demonstrates why he's been relegated to hosting a low-brow late-night TV show. Traci Lords and Roger Lodge in bed together? That ineffable mismatch is like something from Lodge's BLIND DATE.

Rumor has it that this film came about as the result of a wager between Corman and Wynorski that the younger director wouldn't be able to shoot an adequate remake if restricted to the same 12-day shooting schedule and a similar budget. Well, Wynorski rose to the challenge and actually succeeded. So yes, this version of NOT OF THIS EARTH is a cheap production with lots of cheap tongue-in-cheek humor, cheap over-the-top performances, cheap FX & recycled film footage, and cheap busty bimbos--not to mention the beautiful and classy Ms. Lords--providing gratuitous eye-popping T&A. Nobody has tried to deny that the film is a cheesefest. But it's a highly entertaining cheesefest nonetheless, and in many ways it is better and more fun than Corman's original.

The DVD treatment of NOT OF THIS EARTH from New Concorde is pretty cool, especially considering that the film itself is a low-budget quickie. The disc offers a nice digital transfer of the film, generally free of filmic or digital artifacts, in what is apparently the film's original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. As for bonus material, an optional feature commentary with director Wynorski and supporting actor Lenny Juliano is a real hoot--often times funnier and campier than the film itself--and Wynorski also manages to relate some interesting and humorous anecdotes regarding the making of the film and points out a few technical errors. Also offered is the requisite original theatrical trailer. All in all, it's a great DVD value.

In short, viewers who love low-budget B-grade SF and horror movies will enjoy the 1988 remake of NOT OF THIS EARTH and will certainly want to add this cool DVD to their collections. (Fans of gorgeous Traci Lords will want to give it a spin, too.) But those who don't comprehend the entertainment value of watching well-crafted schlock should probably spend their money elsewhere.

B Movie gets A Treatment!.......2004-06-01

NOT OF THIS EARTH was a 1988 remake of a 1950s Corman film which was widely touted as the first legitimate role for Traci Lords after she was exposed having been underage in the porn industry. It's cheesey drive-in fun! Traci and the cast do a good job with what they have, and the production is fun and never takes itself seriously. It's about a space vampire who comes to Earth for blood, and he hires a nurse (Traci Lords) and a manservant to help him out. But they both uncover that he is not what he seems and they try and stop him with some help from their friends. Nudity and cheesey horror abound, but Traci does not get racier than her infamous blue bikini!

The whole thing has b-movie writ large! You can see camera crews reflected in cars, a portrait moves around the house to EVERY room, and inserted footage from other Corman classics (Galaxy of Terror, Humanoids from the Deep) stand out like sore thumbs. But for some reason its a hoot, and very enjoyable. Fans of Traci will love it, and she really shows she can act. Anyone who can make me believe she's a suspicious nurse of a space vampire deserves the Oscar on effort alone! Meryl Streep never did that!

The extra on the DVD is the commentary by Corman veteran director Jim Wyronski. He's so funny on these things - he did a similar good job on the commentary for VAMPIRELLA (another Corman produced movie about a sexy space vampire!). So pop some popcorn and get ready for a cheesey good time.

a great B-movie.......2004-05-06

Truly amazing how Not of this earth' cheap story can provide such a good, enjoyable and entertaining movie!
The answer lies in the acting of Traci Lords, Lenny Juliano and Arthur Roberts. All of them contribute magnificently to the horror & suspense in this movie. More so, their acting get extra depth by the supportive down-to-earth play by Ace Mask (doctor) and Rodger Lodge (policeman). Add to this a little sex & fun (birthday girl), and the mix of it all makes Not of this earth a real great B-movie.

Average customer rating:

Not of This Earth
Starring: Elizabeth Barondes , Parker Stevenson , and Michael York
Director: Terence H. Winkless
Manufacturer: New Concorde
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009L4TV
Release Date: 2003-08-26

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