Despite the lurid title and the involvement of several genre regulars, It Came from Outer Space is hardly a typical 'Fifties sci-fi movie.
It Came From Outer Space (1953)
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Reviews Counted:26
Fresh:21
Rotten:5
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: It Came From Outer Space is a pulpy-but-effective psychological sci-fi picture, with a provocative message about xenophobia.
Runtime: 81 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: A meteor crashes in the desert near a small Arizona town, and research scientist John Putnam (Richard Carlson) thinks it's a spaceship, but no one will believe him except his loyal girlfriend,... A meteor crashes in the desert near a small Arizona town, and research scientist John Putnam (Richard Carlson) thinks it's a spaceship, but no one will believe him except his loyal girlfriend, Ellen (Barbara Rush). Weird evidence begins to back up his theory however, from the strange behavior of some of the locals, to the slime trails, the ghostly noises in the phone lines, and the apparitions of hideous alien eyes swooping down on passing cars. Director Jack Arnold (CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON) lets the story unfold deliberately, and infuses the desert locale with all the unearthly mystery of an alien landscape, helping to make this one of the best science fiction films of the 1950s. Charles Drake is Matt, the sheriff who first thinks John is a fool with all this flying saucer talk, and who later tries to lead a posse against the aliens when the truth is too blatant to ignore. It's based on a story by Ray Bradbury, with an eerie, theremin score, on which Henry Mancini is an unbilled contributor. [More]
Starring: Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush, Charles Drake, Russell Johnson
Starring: Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush, Charles Drake, Russell Johnson, Kathleen Hughes, Joe Sawyer, Dave Willock, Alan Dexter
Director: Jack Arnold
Director: Jack Arnold
Screenwriter: Harry Essex
Producer: William Alland
Composer: Henry Mancini, Herman Stein, Joseph Gershenson
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Reviews for It Came From Outer Space
Among top five of 1950s sci-fi classics, starring great effects along with Richard Carlson.
Picture has been smartly fashioned to take advantage of all the tricks of science-fiction and 3-D.
One of the better science-fiction films to come out of the Cold War 50s, this one must be counted among the anti-McCarthy statements.
Conta com uma temática rica que, ao contrário de boa parte de seus contemporâneos, usa os alienígenas não como metáfora para a ameaça comunista, mas para condenar o preconceito.
The 3-D process leaves the image somewhat murky, but you can discern sparks of authentic pulp poetry throughout.
Surprisingly good '50s alien invasion flick with giant eyeballs -- maintains its charm despite the lack of 3-D effects on most video copies.
predates the paranoia trope made so popular in 1956's Invasion of the Body Snatchers about what is human and what is alien.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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