Terry (Donald Faison) sees the light after a night of debauchery. Or does the light see him? In any case he's consumed with aliens. This is a real brain teaser. The noisy music is what probably drew aliens with better taste.

I have never seen a more pitiful excuse for a movie. It's the standard invasion movie you know like "War of the Worlds" without the pathos. Even Stephen King would barf. As you know even a Stephen King formula is to keep it almost believable, not inconceivable. A better duffus film like this would be "Independence Day" (1996) with a better actor Bill Pullman.

I suggest you do not waste your time with this ridicules thing and if you must watch something that has aliens walking the streets and peaking in windows watch Target Earth (1954).

Target Earth ~ Richard Denning

Over Sexed Rugsuckers from Mars

This is a real intriguing back story to the1942 Doolittle Raid on Japan. It even feels like the real thing. We get involved with each little hiccup and problem of Ted Lawson (Van Johnson) as he not only has to prepare for the event but also preparing for another event in parallels as a soon to be father.

Even though this is a van Johnson show, Phyllis Thaxter makes a good show as his wife. The part of Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle is a memorable portrait by Spencer Tracy. Now I have to look up the real Doolittle to remember what he looked like.

Needles to say we spend more than "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" and still not enough time for the whole story.

This movie stands on it' own. Yes you can compare this movie to others and say pieces are a parity of other movies. Yet if you look at the big picture you will see there is no forced dialog or plots to do such parity. This is the real space. The one that grates on your nerves after 20years in space. You learn the politics of procurement, the virtues of independent thinking, and what it is like to have a pet. Very few movies nowadays question existence its self. And along with the profound questions that makes science fiction worth watching, the are great songs and mental images of the sea. Lets cut to the chase this is a funny movie that is over before you are ready.

My cat looks just as round and acts the same way as the alien.

The unlikely has happened; it appears there is more than one Michael Corben. One an agent for the CIA the other a French student (Richard Grieco) on class assignment to France. Is it possible that they can get their personalities crossed? And when the student is offered a fancy car to drive do you expect the confusion to be cleared? "I'm Michael Corben ---deep cover agent for the CIA"

All is going well; he gets to lead a 007 life with money, cars, and girls. Then reality sets in Michael and The French Teacher (Robin Bartlett) must team up to save Europe form a dastardly plan of the evil Steranko (Roger Rees) and his henchwoman (Linda Hunt.)

Will he succeed or is Europe doomed?

Tobey) from "The Thing From Another World" (1951), and Prof. Lesleyl Joyce (Faith Domergue) from "This Island Earth" (1955). What a ménage à trios and Prof. John Carter (Donald Curtis) from several "Science Fiction Theater" (1955-1957) TV episodes.

I just love sci-fi from this time because they inevitably depend of flame throwers to do the trick as in "The deadly Mantis" and "Them!"

Naturally no one believes them until they get eaten. Others think they have the situation in hand. Will we be able to handle "IT"? And will there be a next time?

Six tentacle monster by Ray Harryhausen; "Clash of the Titans" (1981).
Screen play by Hal Smith, and George Worthing Yates.
Faith Domergue, by God.

It Came From Outer Space

As with many productions of Hamlet there are also many productions of Alice. Some productions such as the Disney version chose all the fluff and left out all the complexity and depth of the story missing the point completely. This production "The Wednesday Play: Alice in Wonderland (1966 BBC TV episode) attempts to put back some of the meaning and the feel of the book (with a tad of improvising) by presenting a more Victorian dream like state. Due to the year and the media the presentation is in monochrome but it works; as it turns out because the presentation could not rival the engravings from the book, the monochrome was a purposeful choice to give the film a Victorian feel.

Just the correct actor was picked for each Lewis Carroll character. Director / Producer Jonathan Miller cast Anne-Marie Mallik as Alice as she matched his vision of the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church in Oxford. My favorite character is Mock Turtle played well by Sir John Gielgud where much of the original dialog was left in.

An added surprise was the musical back ground by Ravi Shankar at the height of popularity. The sound of the sitar blended in well with the time of the story and the outdoor insect environment.

The commentary by the director Jonathan Miller helps explain the stark differences of this production.

West Meets East: The Historic Shankar Menuhin Collection

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass (Annotated with Biographical Background and Bibliography) (Rekindled Classics)

We are treated to a well designed story of Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) and her ambitions to play Las Vegas. You may recognize the basic story but never seen it express so well. Looks like Elvira has an opportunity to play Las Vegas. All she has to do is come up with $50,000. But where could she get that? Now let me see? Oh wait a minute, her great aunt Morgana Talbot just passed away and left Elvira and inheritance. But can it be that simple? Watch and see, is Elvira must navigate the mores of a prudish New England town and the insidious plans of her great uncle.

There are plenty of opportunities to observe Elvira's savoir-faire. We also get close-ups of her accoutrements. There is one double entendre followed by another.

Elvira, "My name's Elvira but you can call me 'tonight'."

I was always fascinated by the movie "Metropolis" (1927, Fritz Lang). I followed the movie from the recovered fragments to the almost complete version with the added footage from Argentina. Then it dawned on me that the movie was probably adapted from a story. Looking at the credits I found this story, "Metropolis" by Thea von Harbou (1888-1954). I had no idea that Thea Gabriele von Harbou was part of 77 great movie titles, including "M" and "Siegfried".

You might find Thea's (second wife of Fritz Lang) writing style quite interesting not white modern but clear. She repeats herself quit often, sort of in the style of the Bible.

As with many movies that time the story in the description stuck a lot closer to the book they do nowadays. Today's movies should say inspired by instead of adapted from. Reading the book you could see the movie almost blow-by-blow.

I however with a few strategic modifications here and there the book and movie deviate greatly in their purpose and deliverance. While the movie was about class struggle between what was called the hands and the head with a mediator the heart. The book was more of a personal struggle for man's soul and redemption.

Of course the book had the freedom to take more time to describe actions and actors. Also of course there were a lot of scenes that would have to be cut out for the movie. But of those left him they were quite accurate. Whether you liked or didn't like the movie you cannot afford to overlook this book there are a lot of shocks and surprises awaiting you. And there is always time enough for love.

"In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love. They had five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

If I had not seen the movie first I may not have kept up with the script. However this script was great as it allows you to slowdown and contemplates what is happing. It is too late for me to form my own images as I saw the movie too many times. However I suggest even for people tat do not know the story that this Radio Script is well work reading. I also have the kindle version with text-to speak.

The story takes place in Vienna just after the war. The city is divided into zones governed by the different allied Countries. There is opportunity in chaos. Holly Martins arrives to take a charity job. He finds that his would be employer and old friend Harry Lime was dispatched by a wayward truck. The police are besmirching Harry's name so Holly is out to clear the record.

The story is quite intriguing and there are plenty of plot twists. You may guess most but that will not stop you from wanting to see how the story plays out.

On the surface as you watch this movie you'll say to yourself "I have seen this many times before and I know the formula." And ask yourself "do I really need to see it again?" Yet as the story unfolds you find there is more to it than a simple diamond heist and ask "how could I have missed this film."

The story begins in flashback mode and tries to set us up with the few red herrings.

Mr. Hobbs (Michael Caine) a janitor in a large diamond company is about to retire. All he wants is a souvenir that he can pack in his Thermos on the way out. Unfortunately even though he knows where the numbers to the safe is, he cannot get there by himself. Laura Quinn (Demi Moore) the only female executive in the firm (in the 1960's) has been passed over three times for a promotion. So Mr. Hobbs recruits her for a little revenge of her own. With all the diamonds in the vault nobody is going to miss a small Thermos full.

You are in for a surprise and an adventure.

When the flashback mode ends the story begins.

"Diamond girl, you sure do shine." Seals & Crofts