MovieChat Forums > Invaders from Mars (1953) Discussion > Incredibly bad filmmaking

Incredibly bad filmmaking

posted 9 years ago by clarkemsmith
8 replies | jump to latest

Some of the dumbest writing and filmmaking I've ever seen...

So the cops throw a 12 year old (?) boy in jail. Did they really do that in the 50s? Ridiculous. Then the parents come and they don't let them have him back. So dumb. And how many times (lost count) did they show the aliens running (really dorky I may add) using the same exact footage over and over. Did they really think no would notice? How about the same shot of the sand area from multiple POVs, including a telescope and a rooftop, who knows how far apart? Such insanely horrible filmmaking, I don't care how low budget it was. I don't care how old it was. It was about the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

Maybe my favorite was when the mind-controlled parents go to assassinate the doctor with all the beakers. I know that editing methods and styles are radically different 50 years later, but really. I have to sit here and watch him run and run and run...and run and run...and then finally arrive there. And then watch him run and run and run...and run and run back to the car. Would it have killed the director to have ONE cutaway? Maybe a close up of the wife worried? Anything but two minutes of the guy running. Its laughable.

It started out so well. A story about the kid experiencing all the townsfolk acting weird was great. Then it truly fell apart. I don't know if I've seen such a blatant overuse of stock footage, that didn't match and tried to match the night footage.

As I mentioned in a reply earlier, I love 50s creature features. This one isn't fun or endearing or charming in any way.

[–] Craftsman1800 8 years ago

Think about it. Didn't you watch the whole movie?

[–] jjk50 8 years ago

You must be living on a different planet than the rest of us. This is a classic 50's Sci-Fi. Far better than the special effects, 200 million budget garbage they make today.

[–] merman1983 8 years ago

Do you understand the picture? It's a child's nightmare. Anything goes.

This is classic sci-if.

[–] clarkemsmith 8 years ago

I'll admit I didn't know or think of it as someone's dream. Is that really true? Or an excuse for really bad filmmaking? I'm saying there are so many wonderful 50s sci fi classics and monster movies. This one is not one of them, at all.

[–] Enrique-8 8 years ago

ok

Enrique Sanchez

[–] Enrique-8 8 years ago

CLARK:! I can't wait to see your version of this movie when it comes out.

It will be so endearing.....

Enrique Sanchez

[–] clarkemsmith 8 years ago

Very funny, smarty pants. It so happens that I did make an award winning short that many told me afterward, reminded them of Invaders From Mars: http://www.timeaxismedia.com/stoverhill/

[–] capkronos 8 years ago

So the cops throw a 12 year old (?) boy in jail. Did they really do that in the 50s? Ridiculous.

The police chief who had the boy thrown into jail was being controlled by the alien so it made perfect sense to me.

Then the parents come and they don't let them have him back. So dumb.

Again, the parents weren't really the parents. They'd had the crystal implant at that point and were being controlled. Once the psychologist claimed he may have polio, they left as not to cause a scene and arouse further suspicion that would give credence to the child's claims.

***

Much of the rest of what you say I agree with. There was a bit too much cheap, lazy, corner-cutting going on with the reused shots and stock footage. Many scenes were poorly directed and edited. I also agree that it started out great (first 20 minutes were VERY good) but then lost its way for awhile in the middle. I did like the end and how the film was bookmarked and what the director was trying to accomplish using expressionistic sets to give this a dream-like feel. I also give it credit because it was clearly a very influential film. So overall I *liked* the movie, I just didn't love it. Many 50s sci-fi films hold up better these days than this one, but I still understand why this struck a chord with the Baby Boomer generation.

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