Film Festival: Science Fiction in the 1950s It Came From Outer Space (1953) is a classic sci-fi film based on a Ray Bradbury story. It is important to the genre because the outer space aliens that crash on Earth have no interest in invading or harming humans. John Putnam is an amateur astronomer who makes…
science fiction
Metropolis silent classic utopia: Lisa’s Home Bijou
Film Festival: Silent Greats Metropolis (1927) is a silent German film that is a masterpiece of art direction and science fiction with a strong philosophy. The film begins with “The mediator between brain and hands must be the heart!” The story of Metropolis takes place in 2026. We see machinery grinding away and the hands…
Lisa’s Home Bijou: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Film Festival: Science Fiction in the 1950s The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) is a gem of the science fiction genre. The serious story has love of peace and Christian overtones. Good acting and a serious cast engage the viewer. A beautiful score by Bernard Herrman incorporates the eerie Theremin. The Day the Earth…
Lisa’s Home Bijou: Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Film Festival: Science Fiction in the 1950s Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956) was the first movie that Ray Harryhausen used stop motion animation on flying saucers. Alien invasion films became a staple during the 1950s and this film is a classic! “As a result, headquarters of the Hemispheric Defense Command in Colorado Springs issued…
Lisa’s Home Bijou: Forbidden Planet
Film Festival: Science Fiction in the 1950s Forbidden Planet (1956) was the first big budget sci-fi film. Rather than aliens invading the earth or monsters from nuclear testing, this film takes place completely on another planet, Altair IV. The score was composed electronically by a couple from Greenwich Village and makes for some very eery…