I am not quite where to start or how to explain what it was that did not convulse me about this movie as it to others.
Somehow, if you cut out that terrrrrible actor playing a military type early on, the rest of it doesn't seem so bad. I think once a movie hits a bad not early on, the audience is unforgiving of the rest.
You must admit the stoic acting style of the Martians didn't really seem that far off from one might expect from such a movie. There WERE a couple of lines that Tommy Kirk really blew, I have to admit, but for the most part, his acting on this one did grow on you.
The story line which was bare thin, and the pacing which was on the sedated side were actually pleasant to watch if you might be in the right mood, which I was (in the middle of the night.) There was just something I can't put my finger on. Sure, the movie really tried hard to be a serious movie, but for the sometimes silly lines, it came off well. And there must be something to say about the fact that this was not a theater released feature. It was a TV movie. I can't imagine that they would WANT to give them more than $20k to pull it off. And there is where it might have started to go wrong. With a few subtle re-writes, and perhaps if they hired better actors in some minor roles (that otherwise needed serious acting lessons) this might have been a really good movie.
I don't know anything about the director, so I might just be blowing my horn in the wrong direction. Yet, I think they did the best they could with what they were given.
I do believe that TOMMY KIRK pulled it off quite nicely especially near the end. My favorite scenes were then, at the end and what I feel might be everyone's favorite scene, the one at the strip club, but not for merely the skin shown, but for Alien #5, CAL DUGGAN's expressions as he watched the dancer doff her outfit. I was very entertained by that! And I wanted to repeat, that I got to enjoy the easy pace of the movie sometime during the middle. It became what shall I say? comfortable and peaceful? Especially since we were watching a small American town in that era, it was right on the money. I know, because I was there in the 60s and I remember the pace of life was oh so much slower than it is today.
Would I recommend this to everyone? OK I will admit that no, I wouldn't. But to a fan of sci-fi and especially 50s/60s sci-fi, I would say yes, why not, give it a try.
Somehow, if you cut out that terrrrrible actor playing a military type early on, the rest of it doesn't seem so bad. I think once a movie hits a bad not early on, the audience is unforgiving of the rest.
You must admit the stoic acting style of the Martians didn't really seem that far off from one might expect from such a movie. There WERE a couple of lines that Tommy Kirk really blew, I have to admit, but for the most part, his acting on this one did grow on you.
The story line which was bare thin, and the pacing which was on the sedated side were actually pleasant to watch if you might be in the right mood, which I was (in the middle of the night.) There was just something I can't put my finger on. Sure, the movie really tried hard to be a serious movie, but for the sometimes silly lines, it came off well. And there must be something to say about the fact that this was not a theater released feature. It was a TV movie. I can't imagine that they would WANT to give them more than $20k to pull it off. And there is where it might have started to go wrong. With a few subtle re-writes, and perhaps if they hired better actors in some minor roles (that otherwise needed serious acting lessons) this might have been a really good movie.
I don't know anything about the director, so I might just be blowing my horn in the wrong direction. Yet, I think they did the best they could with what they were given.
I do believe that TOMMY KIRK pulled it off quite nicely especially near the end. My favorite scenes were then, at the end and what I feel might be everyone's favorite scene, the one at the strip club, but not for merely the skin shown, but for Alien #5, CAL DUGGAN's expressions as he watched the dancer doff her outfit. I was very entertained by that! And I wanted to repeat, that I got to enjoy the easy pace of the movie sometime during the middle. It became what shall I say? comfortable and peaceful? Especially since we were watching a small American town in that era, it was right on the money. I know, because I was there in the 60s and I remember the pace of life was oh so much slower than it is today.
Would I recommend this to everyone? OK I will admit that no, I wouldn't. But to a fan of sci-fi and especially 50s/60s sci-fi, I would say yes, why not, give it a try.