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Jeremy Clarke reviews
Pioneer LDCE
- Cat.no: PLFEB 36061
- Cert: PG
- Running time: 83 minutes
- Sides: 2 (CLV/CAV)
- Year: 1955
- Pressing: UK, 1997
- Chapters: 25 (16/8+1)
- Sound: Mono
- Presented in fullscreen: Original Aspect Ratio (Academy 4:3)
- Price: £19.99
- Extras : Trailers for Dragonheart, Timecop
Director:
- Joseph Newman
Cast:
- Julie Adams
Jeff Morrow
Faith Domergue
Rex Reason
Pioneer continue to plunder the Universal vaults for SF gems. I’d never heard of This Island Earth when a print turned up for a revival run at London’s late lamented Scala repertory cinema in the early eighties, but having seen it several times since it’s a film which stands the test of time admirably.
Moreover, being an Academy ratio film, it doesn’t suffer either the necessary indignity of widescreening black bars top and bottom or the thoroughly infuriating cropping of picture sides that accompanies too many video releases.
The Digital Remaster on this Pioneer disc looks superb too – TIE may be a good deal more than merely the sum of its special effects, but IS an effects movie and those effects are impressive by the standards of the day (even if they creak a little bit now). What’s more, most of them are on side 2 of this disc in glorious CAV.
Warning: (plot) spoilers. (Link to final, brief paragraph)
Eschewing obvious alien invasion plotlines, the narrative has nuclear research scientist Cal Meacham (Reason) slowly lured into an alien conspiracy alongside rival in his field of research Ruth Adams (Domergue). Inciting incident occurs as Cal loses control of the jet plane he happens to be flying only for it to emit strange pulsing noises accompanied by the coming and going of a green glow as some outside agency takes control and safely lands the plane. Then, when an electronic part ordered from a supplies depot turns up at his lab, the component is far in advance of anything he’s ever seen. Next, Cal follows instructions to build an Interociter – an advanced communications device through which he is contacted and hired by the slightly large-headed Exeter to work alongside other scientists (including Adams) on a secret research project “to end all wars.”
The proceedings then move (via a plane flown without pilots whose interior might have later inspired the submarine interiors of Gerry Anderson’s Stingray) to The Club, a remote country house with basement laboratories where Exeter and suspect subordinate Brack are co-ordinating the efforts of scientist recruits. After dipping its toes in some highly effective conspiracy theory material, the film moves into action mode 1955 style as our two heroes plus one other attempt to escape in a car, which is blasted by red death rays from the night sky. Next, Cal and Ruth try a light aircraftwhich gets sucked inside Exeter/Brack’s flying saucer. (These albeit brief chase sequences are a little dark, but not so as to detract from one’s enjoyment of the rest of the film.)
These chase scenes and the start of the saucer’s journey to their besieged home planet of Metaluna are on side one, which is a pity, since they’d have been nice on side two in CAV. Could not the two trailers have been put on the start of side one in CLV to provide the necessary space?
Other than that, all the freeze-framable stuff IS on side 2. The rest of the journey to Metaluna (and back) includes dodging guided missile meteorites, which in turn bombard the planet’s surface (another Gerry Anderson precursor, this time in the pyrotechnics model department). Metaluna itself consists of impressive models and matte paintings of the planet’s surface, interior chambers with sliding doors and the definitive man-in-a-suit bug eyed monster (a giant mutant insect with an exposed brain). Perhaps the best CAV moment, however, is the conversion tube scene, where flesh vanishes to reveal skeletons and internal human organs of Cal and Ruth.
Carps about the CLV chase sequence aside, this is sensibly (though not exhaustively) chaptered and a great disc – essential for admirers of fifties SF. One to put on the shelf alongside War Of The Worlds, Creature From The Black Lagoon and When Worlds Collide. Recommended.
Film: 5/5
Picture: 5/5
Sound: 5/5
Review copyright © Jeremy Clarke, 1997. Send e-mail to Jeremy Clarke
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Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.