The terrifying truth about flying saucers!
Director: Fred F. Sears
Producer: Charles H. Schneer
Test space rockets exploding at liftoff and increased reporting of UFO sightings culminate in a direct attempt by alien survivors of a dead, extra-galactic civilization to invade Earth from impervious flying saucers, using ray-weapons of mass destruction.
83 min
Rating: 6/10
Released
Watch Trailer
Top Cast
Hugh Marlowe
Dr. Russell A. Marvin
Joan Taylor
Carol Marvin
Donald Curtis
Maj. Huglin
Morris Ankrum
Brig. Gen. John Hanley
Thomas Browne Henry
Vice Adm. Enright
Grandon Rhodes
Gen. Edmunds
Movie Info
Director: Fred F. Sears
Producer: Charles H. Schneer
Production Companies: Clover Productions, Columbia Pictures
Countries: United States of America
Similar Movies
Signs
2002-08-02
Rambo: First Blood Part II
1985-05-21
The Day the Earth Stood Still
1951-09-28
Forbidden Planet
1956-03-23
This Island Earth
1955-06-01
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977-12-14
The Abyss
1989-08-09
Absolute Power
1997-02-14
War of the Worlds
2005-06-13
Mars Attacks!
1996-12-13
Armageddon
1998-07-01
Predator
1987-06-12
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
2019-09-26
Predator 2
1990-11-21
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
1982-06-11
Independence Day
1996-06-25
Men in Black
1997-07-02
Men in Black II
2002-07-03
The Purple Monster Strikes
1945-10-06User Reviews
What Others Said
John Chard:
Restrained but still an effective piece of sci-fi pie.
Reports of flying saucers start coming in thick and fast until sure enough alien invaders begin to attack the Earth. Focal point of their attack is the U.S. Space Programe, can hero in waiting Russel Marvin conjure up a defence weapon to save the day?
Obviously a template for many an alien invader film since its release, Earth Vs The Flying Saucers never quite reaches the heights that perhaps it should have. Bogged down by maudlin scripting and restricted by its budget, it often hints at what a great picture it could have been. The lead cast are poor and this hurts the film even more, Hugh Marlowe as Russell Marvin bores us with the scientific speak when really he should be fascinating us, whilst scream queen duties fall to poor Joan Greenwood who forgets that she is actually supposed to emit some sort of terror when the alien hordes attack! However, on the plus side the aliens themselves are certainly creepy enough to grab your notice, Ray Harryhausen's flying saucers animation is of course top dollar for its time, whilst the final battle across Washington DC is classic gold, an all buzzing assault with splurges of death rays at every turn.
An important film in the pantheon of the genre for sure, but it's just a tad too restrained for its own good. 6/10
CinemaSerf:
This is another enjoyable little 1950s sci-fi movie with scientist Hugh Marlowe ("Dr.Marvin") and Joan Taylor, his wife "Carol", having to use all their wits guile to save the planet from an alien race who want to invade the Earth and enslave us all. Despite their vastly superior technology our resourceful team work frantically to come up with a very effectively portable, if almost as destructive, solution. The visual effects are quite remarkable for the time, with some input from Ray Harryhausen, and the action is well shot and paced. The end is never in doubt (we are all still here!) but it's a fun ride for eighty minutes of ray guns and competent acting.