 "The best!" | 2009-09-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: AEKG7057KMAWC |
| The old classic still reighns!...the newer re-make with K. Reeves is a piece of crap. |
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| "GORT...Make Sure It's Decaffeinated." | 2009-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: AAVK7HMPKPQVG |
Forget the goofy remake with the bloated CG, forget Keanu Reeves and his one-note acting, this right here is the real, original, honest-to-goodness sci-fi masterpiece that will continue to captivate classic cinema fans long after Neo's career careens into some vapid Disney vortex of talking dogs, crazy professors and reluctant Santa Clauses. The Day The Earth Stood Still is neither cheap, cheesy or shoddy and it didn't rely solely on the xenophobia of its day to succeed; it's a well-made, thought-provoking metaphor. The acting was "swell," especially from Michael Rennie as Klaatu, the talking was fast and special effects were highly effective despite being relatively simple. One couldn't ask for better sci-fi!
When people talk about classic sci-fi, I think War of the Worlds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and, without hesitation, The Day The Earth Stood Still. If you're tired of the silly, action-adventures dressed up as sci-fi and you want to be challenged and provoked, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this 2-disc set, it's a phenomenal release.
The Day The Earth Stood Still is classy, sophisticated cinema that asked the question, "Can man overcome his fearmongering, warmongering nature even in the face of impending doom?" Instead of the thinly-veiled, Red Scare propaganda of the Cold War fifties, like so many sci-fi classics are, TDTESS does its best to blur the lines of race and nationality, it's not about Americans and Russians or Black or White, it's about all of mankind. We're given the "big picture" and expected to overcome mutual misunderstandings, fear and aggression for the "greater good" of all on this planet. That's what intelligent sci-fi is all about. I cannot recommend this film enough. |
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| "The Day The Earth Stood Still - DVD" | 2009-09-03 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2TAAFL2CH550H |
| One of the best sci-fi's ever made. Great story line and powerful performances by all. The alien in this movie is scary... you will never forget the famous line " Klato Verada Nicto " once you see this film. |
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| "Still a classic" | 2009-07-05 |
| - Reviewed By scottthegeek |
After renting a long line of sci fi B movies from the 50s for fun, we rented this one to remember what real movie making was like. The acting in this movie is top notch, with Patricia Neal turning in a solid performance, with depth of character and thoughtful touches. The alien visitor, who could so easily have some across as smarmy and superior, is carried off with gravity and humor. Even the annoying boyfriend, who could have been a cardboard cutout of a character, is well-acted. All the lines are delivered convincingly, with the kind of tone and pauses that makes characters come to life. It's *fun* watching it all done well.
The special effects are good for a 1951 movie, but they aren't the main part of the story and are used sparingly. The story is a classic, and like all good sci fi, it's more about what we are like as humans than anything else. The movie drips an acid commentary on mil-think, media bias, and small minded hysteria, making it still relevant today.
Highly recommended for anyone that wants to see solid science fiction - well written, well acted, well filmed, and well edited.
If you need an antidote after watching Cat Women of the Moon, it's right here. |
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| "Original Day The Earth Stood Still" | 2009-07-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3J1PV3NL71G5J |
Even though this movie
looks goofy to this generation
of movie viewers, it is still
soooo much better to me than
this remake that is out now. |
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 "Mildly Entertaining" | 2009-06-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: A39EXH9JJAI80R |
The alien John Carpenter does not sound like an alien, but
he sounds like an anglo-saxon person (an ASP). He also
happens to be white, which is convenient, because in 1951
if he was black, "they" might have hanged him, accusing him of
being black and intelligent (a threat, a "terrorist"), as well as
a diamond-thief. (Not being able to counter-feit US dollars,
Carpenter uses diamonds as money.) There is no African
American man in this movie.
Carpenter: Car pen (t) her, in a sense, he is her car and her
pen. A "man friend" says to her, "I don't think it is safe for you
to be here", but she tells him that it is OK, she has a lock on
her door. Carpenter tells her that the elevator won't be moving
for another 30 minutes, because the electricity has been
neutralized. I guess if he had known it was noon, earlier, he
would have recommended the stairs.
The spaceman, Carpenter, and his robot-slave, Gort, are an
alpha beta team. Gort (alpha) takes orders from Carpenter
(beta), and does not talk back. There is a speech Carpenter
makes to the United Nations where he declares that they
created a race of robots, policemen, to police the Galaxy.
They do as they are told. Basically, the Carpenters of the
Galaxy write the laws (the orders) for the benefit of "society",
and if a beta gets out of line, well, an alpha obeys its orders,
not a beta who does not give the correct command. "KLAATU
BARADA NIKTO" he tells her, "Remember those words".
Rearranging the letters, you get, DONT A U A TALK ARABIK.
An energy crisis is used to get the world's attention. A
jeweller tells a member of his female staff, "get an electrician",
and she says, "I can't, the phones are down", and then she
goes outside to talk with her female friends, while he goes
back to haggling with some guy over the price of alien
diamonds.
I guess the real question this movie is asking is, What kind of
world are the carpenters building for little boys to grow up in,
seeing the gorts of this world driving around in their jeeps
carrying guns, and the would-be carpenters who only want
to see their picture in the papers? And also, I didn't see any
African American boy ("teenager"), or 'man child' (kid) in this
picture either.
She says, "I'm not going to marry anybody", and so it seems
fitting that it is the mute unselfish Gort that should sweep her
off her feet. But does she trust him, anymore than Carpenter?
Gort is like a child. "There's no telling what Gort might do.."
Carpenter warns her.
This is a movie for high school students. I don't think children,
especially children of colour would like this movie. But then
again, there are a lot worse movies out there, not to like.
Personally, I don't like this movie. In science fiction movies,
aliens should come across as aliens. But this alien came across
as "anglo-saxon" and I as a person of colour, find that offensive,
as if the director was saying that any advanced alien civilization
will take on the appearance, and mannerisms (right down to the
choice of haircut) of mid-20th century segregationist Amerika.
Frankly, Carpenter looked and talked like a lawyer. |
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