Monsters and Space Men from the PastScience fiction movies are still a staple of television, yet the following movies make up a list that is seldom seen on TV any more. Most of these will be familiar to you while others may not. In the case of those you won’t remember, it’s strictly because they haven’t been seen in ages.
Yes, some of these can be qualified as “dated” and their special effects may not be top-notch when compared to what we have today but, just for a few minutes, keep in mind that many of these films are classics. In their day, they were the zenith of visual effects. Some were written and directed by the biggest names in the business. In a few cases, they marked the beginning of great careers for their stars. Dates in parentheses denote a film’s original theatrical release. The numerical order in no way implies that any of these is better than the others. Are you ready? Please dim the lights.1) The Day the Earth Stood Still (September 28,1951). Directed by the respected Robert Wise, it starred Michael Rennie as Klaatu, an alien “police officer” who comes to Earth with his robot enforcer Gort to warn us about our planet becoming a threat to the universe. Loosely based on the Harry Bates story “Farewell To the Master”, but with a twist in the retelling. In the original story, it’s the robot, named Gnut instead of Gort, who is the master and Klaatu the servant. The film title is based on a demonstration Klaatu pulls off to demonstrate his race’s power. It was added to the National Film Registry in 1995.2) The Bamboo Saucer (February 1968). Communist China has a downed flying saucer and they’ve hidden it in a remote village. Russian and American agents both want it, but they have to combine their forces to beat off Chinese troops and take off in the craft. It remains a great template for Cold War tensions in the mid 60s. Star Dan Duryea passed away from cancer several months after the movie’s release.
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