Ignite Films' Blu-ray of 1953's INVADERS FROM MARS has finally arrived (at least mine did). There was a lot of anticipation over this release throughout 2022.
First of all I have to say that the restoration of the film (backed by Ignite Films itself) is stunning. Due to the processes used during the making of the film, it has a fittingly off-kilter color quality in which greens and reds dominate (which makes sense, since those hues are most associated with Mars and Martians). The restoration brings out those colors vividly, without making the print looked smoothed over by modern technology. The sound quality is much improved, with the eerie unearthly choral linked to the alien invaders a major highlight.
The old Image Entertainment DVD of INVADERS FROM MARS featured both the U.S. and overseas versions of the film. The Ignite Blu-ray just has the original American version, with the overseas alternate ending and a eight-minute scene shot to fill out the running time included as extras.
The extras also include a restored original trailer and a look at the career of the production designer and director of INVADERS FROM MARS, the great William Cameron Menzies. There's also an interview with the star of the film, Jimmy Hunt, and a talk with various monster kid filmmakers (such as John Landis and Joe Dante) who discuss the impact the movie made on them. A short look at the restoration of the film with Scott McQueen is also here.
There's also a 20-page booklet inside the disc case, with essays on the movie's production history, and eventual restoration. It's thorough and informative, but I do have a quibble with the booklet--the stills used as restoration examples are very small, and the captions for them are even smaller. Considering that most of the people who would buy this disc are (ahem) of a certain age, I wouldn't be surprised if a few magnifying glasses might be pulled out during the reading of it.
The extras on the disc give out plenty of info as well, and they are worth seeing....but they are all brief. It takes about a little over an hour to go through them all (a full-length program could be made just on the life of William Cameron Menzies alone). This disc does not come with an audio commentary, and I think it should have, especially since there's more than enough to discuss about the making of the film and the various interpretations of it.
The reason I mention the brevity of the extras and the lack of an audio commentary is due to the price of the Blu-ray. This was more expensive than a Criterion product (and the 4K version costs even more). I'm not regretting getting it, and I do understand that Ignite Films wants to get the money back that they put into the restoration. I just hope there isn't a cheaper version of this release in the future after so many pre-ordered and waited so long to get this one.
It is appropriate that INVADERS FROM MARS finally gets a major restoration and a high-end home video release. It's one of the most important and influential science-fiction movies of the 1950s. William Cameron Menzies took the handicap of a low budget and turned it into an advantage, making the story into a true nightmare of a 12 year old boy dealing with those closest to him becoming a threat. The bizarre monsters, the weird shot perspectives, the strange editing choices...INVADERS FROM MARS could have been just another cheap sci-fi tale, but it's much more than that. I have to say that this is an impressive restoration and release (if you can afford it).
I'd never heard of Ignite Films until I read your review, so I looked them up. Pricey, to say the least! I have the Image DVD and also the Midnight Movies release, so I don't feel the need to upgrade. You are so right about the small print on some of the extras, including the essays. I just got a few items from Flicker Alley, and my Dollar Tree reading glasses aren't helping me read the booklet or the information on the back of the case. Maybe it's time to face reality and see the eye doctor!
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