Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12404 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-04-20
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 79 minutes

Synopsis
A science-fiction paranoia classic in which a boy witnesses the arrival of beings from Mars and, later, their control of increasing numbers of the town's denizens.

Customer Reviews

Where is Col. Fielding when you need him?
Be sure to notice all the standard Sci-fi actors and even the Beaver's mother "Kelston's Secretary" (Barbara Billingsley).

This movie was well done with just the right amount of spookiness and has a kid's perspective on what is happening. This is not a kid is smarter than his/her parents movie. There are lots of strange happenings and lots of tension. I will not go into the details as if you have not seen the movie it is more fun to be surprised.

Right from the beginning Little David MacLean sees a flying saucer land in the sandpit behind the house. He tells his parents. They being good parents check it out for him and naturally find nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe he had a nightmare or maybe the nightmare is just beginning as everyone starts acting strange and only David can sound the alarm.

What would you do? Where is Col. Fielding when you need him?

DVD Review
Please don't hammer me for giving this 3 stars, bear with me. This is NOT a review of the movie (which would be a 5 star review), it is a review of the DVD, which just ain't brilliant.

Firstly, I was hoping for some sort of cleaned-up, remastered picture. What I got instead was something which has had no effort put into it. In some places the picture is pretty terrible. Sound quality is ok, but could have done with a clean-up too.

This film has two different versions (including two completely different endings) for the UK and US. This DVD presents the film with the US version, and the UK extra bits (including the re-shot ending) are shoved on as an Extra. This is good I guess, but would branching really have been that difficult? I think that's what happened with the Region 1 version??

The poorer picture and sound thankfully do not detract TOO much from the enjoyment of the movie, but I just think this is a film that needs way more attention than it's getting. A Collector's edition would be an absolute treat, for this movie which is strangely relevant in a post 9/11 world, if you pick it apart.

In conclusion, the movie is great but the DVD is merely OK.

Sci Fi film.
I had been searching for this film for ages, having seen it many years ago in the telly. It did not disappoint and is a classic Sci Fi film. OK some of the characters are a bit rubbery, but that was what classic Sci Fi was. It left things to your imagination and put you in that place in the living room that early Dr Who put you.