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From fourth through sixth grade I lived on Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts. Every Saturday the kids I hung out with and I would walk to the base theater for the Saturday Matinee. For a quarter you got to see a bunch of cartoons, an episode of a continuing serial, usually something from the 1930's or '40s, and a feature presentation that was usually something from the 50's. Another twenty-five cents got you a coke and a bag of popcorn. The popcorn was usually finished by the time the feature came on so you could settle down and concentrate on the challenging film before you. It's interesting. I saw a lot of movies at night back then as well. First run movies. I remember most if not all of them but I have no independent recollection of any single Saturday matinee feature I saw during that period. What they were was just not, well, memorable. Typical of them was 20 Million Miles To Earth, a 1957 science fiction film that was re-released on DVD and Blu-Ray as a "50th Anniversary Edition." You'd think it was Gone With The Wind or something. This movie had all the elements that made those matinees fun for kids. It had a little kid in it. It had Army guys. It had a spaceship. It had a green scaly monster that grew. That's pretty much all you needed. Now I realize it had so much more. Romance, social commentary, diplomacy. William Hopper is the leading man, a tough, stoic Army Colonel astronaut who exudes charm with the ladies. He takes charge but the whole movie he looks like he's shoving a wad of Copenhagen between his cheek and gum with his tongue. It gives him the appearance of a guy who is really struggling to remember his lines. And what great lines he has too. "Doc, this is like a parachute. It's got to work the first time!" and "Get that elephant out of here!" Anyone who remembers Hopper remembers him as Paul Drake on Perry Mason but do you remember him from Casablanca? No? Maybe that's because he wasn't in the movie Casablanca but appeared on the short lived TV show based on the movie. Yeah, he had that kind of star power. The movie has a climactic ending in the Roman Coliseum, which as it turns out was convenient. Many of the folks other than Hopper in this movie were Italian with dubbed voices but it didn't really matter that much because the really big star was the creature from Venus. In some of the old movies the monster was a guy in a rubber suit but 20 Million Miles To Earth featured the stop-motion model animation of the famous Ray Harryhausen. It's kind of corny looking but after seeing the last two "Hulk" movies I can only say we have not come 20 million miles in special effects in 50 years.Read full review
Magnificent upgrade of this classic Ray Harryhausen special effects! . You have a choice of the original and the beautifully done colorization process. Highly recommended.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Great movie. Love the creature in it. You get as a bonus both the B&W and color versions.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I love this movie! I'm a BIG FAN of Ray Harryhausen's. This 50th Anniversary Edition has the original black and white version and the color version of the movie. The whole time I am watching this film I pay close attention to the creature and how real it's movements are. Mr. H is AMAZING! Another of his works is "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" and there are several others too. I think he uses clay figures for his creatures. If you are a true scifi lover-you will love his man's films. I LOVE THE CREATURE!
The movie it self is great. This came out when I was a kid, my brother and I were amazed. After watching it again it brought back great memories for me. The DVD itself is excellent quality, I could not ask for more. I watched it on my 60” LED TV.
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