Bob PeryeaTHE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951)
January 27th 2009 17:43
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) 9.0 out of10
Today, December 12, a remake of one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time is being released. Today will either prove that film makers understand what their predecessors were trying to say or it will prove that today's film makers believe that movie goers can only handle violence and nauseating amounts of CGI (computer generated images).
In 1951, Micheal Rennie came of earth as Klatu, an alien from an unidentified planet. His mission was to warn us that as long as we possessed rocket power and nuclear weapons were posed a potential threat to other planets. He came to tell us that this would not be tolerated. We were warned that we would be eliminated if that threat became a reality.
When he escapes from government control, he moves into a boarding house in Washington, DC. There he befriends a boy named Bobby who live with his mother Helen (Patricia Neal). Together, they work to gather the world's scientists to tell the message that Klatu has traveled 250 million miles to bring us.
What makes this film great? Here's my list:
- Micheal Rennie played his part with confidence and subtlety.
- Patricia Neal, who plays Helen Benson, plays the role of a single mother with grace and completely lacking the hysterical female role so common to movies of the period.
- When asked to prove his power over us, Klatu stops everything on Earth except the things that might hurt people. Cars and elevators stop, but hospitals and airplanes continue to work. The subtlety of this act alone sets the movie apart from War of the Worlds and other alien invasion films.
- The rest of the cast plays their roles with believability and grace.
Now, my concern with this remake. Obviously, I haven't seen it yet, but there are scenes (in the trailer) of destruction that are not in the original film. Keanu Reeves (whom I will frankly admit to not liking) is unlikely to act with the subtlety of Michael Rennie. Reeves act monotone and is perceived to be smooth. Rennie, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood all played their characters with a depth that I have never seen from Keanu Reeves. With that said, some of his movies are among my favorites. Great scripts, I just wish Hollywood would lose their love affair with Keanu Reeves. I assume he is a nice guy and easy to work with because that is how you survive in Hollywood.
The orignial truly is one of the finest sci-fi films ever made and one of the best of the nuclear cautionary tales of the period. Below is the trailer for the original (1951) version and the new 2008 version. Below that is also a clip from the original film. All of these items were found on YouTube and can be found by typing in "The Day the Earth Stood Still."
IF ANYONE GETS TO SEE THE NEW MOVIE AND CAN POST A PLOT SUMMARY, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. POST A COMMENT AND I WILL MOVE IT TO A BLOG POSTING.
Great movies and great day
Today, December 12, a remake of one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time is being released. Today will either prove that film makers understand what their predecessors were trying to say or it will prove that today's film makers believe that movie goers can only handle violence and nauseating amounts of CGI (computer generated images).
In 1951, Micheal Rennie came of earth as Klatu, an alien from an unidentified planet. His mission was to warn us that as long as we possessed rocket power and nuclear weapons were posed a potential threat to other planets. He came to tell us that this would not be tolerated. We were warned that we would be eliminated if that threat became a reality.
When he escapes from government control, he moves into a boarding house in Washington, DC. There he befriends a boy named Bobby who live with his mother Helen (Patricia Neal). Together, they work to gather the world's scientists to tell the message that Klatu has traveled 250 million miles to bring us.
What makes this film great? Here's my list:
- Micheal Rennie played his part with confidence and subtlety.
- Patricia Neal, who plays Helen Benson, plays the role of a single mother with grace and completely lacking the hysterical female role so common to movies of the period.
- When asked to prove his power over us, Klatu stops everything on Earth except the things that might hurt people. Cars and elevators stop, but hospitals and airplanes continue to work. The subtlety of this act alone sets the movie apart from War of the Worlds and other alien invasion films.
Now, my concern with this remake. Obviously, I haven't seen it yet, but there are scenes (in the trailer) of destruction that are not in the original film. Keanu Reeves (whom I will frankly admit to not liking) is unlikely to act with the subtlety of Michael Rennie. Reeves act monotone and is perceived to be smooth. Rennie, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood all played their characters with a depth that I have never seen from Keanu Reeves. With that said, some of his movies are among my favorites. Great scripts, I just wish Hollywood would lose their love affair with Keanu Reeves. I assume he is a nice guy and easy to work with because that is how you survive in Hollywood.
The orignial truly is one of the finest sci-fi films ever made and one of the best of the nuclear cautionary tales of the period. Below is the trailer for the original (1951) version and the new 2008 version. Below that is also a clip from the original film. All of these items were found on YouTube and can be found by typing in "The Day the Earth Stood Still."
IF ANYONE GETS TO SEE THE NEW MOVIE AND CAN POST A PLOT SUMMARY, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. POST A COMMENT AND I WILL MOVE IT TO A BLOG POSTING.
Great movies and great day
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...
Comment by Damo
The crafting and polishing of scripts seems to be a forgotten art these days.
The Time Machine remake was crap.
War of the Worlds remake was no better than the original.
Island of Dr Moreau was a disaster.
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by Spike 2
Qwerk
Peanut Butter
The original film is dead and gone. Buried under a pile of putrescent claptrap. Gort becomes a huge towering robot (and GORT a military acronym... ack), Klaatu an emotionless alien sent here to destroy all humans and the doc (Jennifer Connelly) is reduced from being a great actress to spouting "we can change", tearily.
The Earth stands still for about two seconds right at the end, and the whole remake is just completely and utterly without a message. It says nothing.
All that expertise, talent and skill that the original showed... lost in 90-odd minutes of CGI and utter crap. Avoid it. Watch the original again.
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Have not seen the original, but loved the remake!
Read the critics and as usual didnt fully agree with any of them ... I thought the remake was ideal for todays younger audience, as was the original when todays oldies were young... each generation to their own... however, the *point* perhaps more pertinent in todays consumer driven, systematic profit driven chaos, then ever before, when the idea of aliens was more intriguing than the need to erradicate the human race to protect the planet, those futrists... always fo clear int heir accuracy *chuckle*
enjoyed the post.
Lilla ...
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...
Comment by Bob Peryea
Cinema XYZ
The Day the Earth Caught Fire. Another nuclear cautionary tale. The script in Caught Fire is one of the best I have even heard. Check it out. I'll give you guys a full review soon.
And, This is Not a Test - very low budget, but the acting is sincere and the ending will surprise you.
Thanks for all the great comments.