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Movies / On DVD / It Came From Outer Space
It Came From Outer Space

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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

[See More Credits]

Reviews for It Came From Outer Space

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments; UK critics are listed first)
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The 3-D process leaves the image somewhat murky, but you can discern sparks of authentic pulp poetry throughout.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
05/29/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Picture has been smartly fashioned to take advantage of all the tricks of science-fiction and 3-D.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
05/29/07
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Merely mildly diverting, not stupendous.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
10/31/06
A.H. Weiler
A.H. Weiler
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Good, old-fashioned drive-in fun.

comment Comment
10/23/03
Alex Sandell
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum

While It Came from Outer Space's theme is a refreshing change of pace from the doomsaying brethren of its era, its appearance is not.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
05/04/02
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
07/01/05
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

It was one of the first major-studio 3-D productions of the 1950s, and is based on a story by Ray Bradbury called "The Meteor."

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
08/31/01
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The hokey "xenomorphs" would egregiously emphasize the film's subtle indictment of human prejudice.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
05/07/02
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

No review available.

comment Comment
07/15/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
02/18/07
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

predates the paranoia trope made so popular in 1956's Invasion of the Body Snatchers about what is human and what is alien.

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
06/13/02
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

Despite the lurid title and the involvement of several genre regulars, It Came from Outer Space is hardly a typical 'Fifties sci-fi movie.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
03/25/09
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

[A] scary black-and-white SF effort from 1953.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
05/29/07
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

No review available.

comment Comment
07/30/02
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Surprisingly good '50s alien invasion flick with giant eyeballs -- maintains its charm despite the lack of 3-D effects on most video copies.

comment Comment
02/02/03
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
New Times

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Matt's Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Matt Easterbrook
Matt Easterbrook
Matt's Movie Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
08/21/03
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
Zap2it.com

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.

comment Comment
07/14/06
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

No review available.

comment Comment
07/30/02
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
 
 
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