The Day Mars Invaded Earth

This was a 60's sci-fi movie that had somehow escaped my radar until today. I'm a particular fan of the genre. I almost did not watch it due to the low 4.8 rating on IMDb. This is one of the rare instances where I'm glad to say I disagree with the general consensus. I can see where the under 40 crowd, used to CGI and faced paced action/thriller type sci-fi movies would be bored with this film. Actually I would consider it a combination paranormal/sci-fi flick. The estate on which the film was made is stunningly beautiful, even in black and white. Not your average backdrop for a science fiction film. The premise is terrifying. There are the obvious flaws of "why in the world would they stay once they've seen what they did?" and other arm-chair quarterbacking thoughts that I'd have done a lot differently in their situation. I think it's difficult for 21st century viewers sometimes to put themselves in a 50's or 60's setting. How could they if they did not live during those times? I found the film to be suspenseful and entertaining. Doubt it will make to anyone's "top 10 film" list, but it was a very pleasant surprise and great way to spend a rainy afternoon. There is something primeval about the plot of the film that is very unnerving and thus makes it so scary. There are no cheesy costumed Martians or monsters to spoil this one. It's all intellectual type fear. Give this one a shot - especially if you are age 50+, you won't be disappointed.

A Cape Canaveral space probe to Mars causes an unexpected response for the lead scientist and his family.

The cheezy title along with the hokey first shot of a robot on Mars had me prepared for the worst. However, the storyline quickly turns around and makes the most out of a limited cast, a single location, and a neat Bodysnatchers premise. Hiring movie vets like Taylor and the great Marie Windsor was a shrewd move, since their experienced acting provides needed credibility. Then too, that grand mansion and elaborate grounds makes the storyline's walking both suspenseful (what's around the corner) and slyly scenic. And thankfully, the production avoids padding budget runtime with a lot of static dialog. Instead, there're atmospheric tracking shots down woodsy corridors that provide a few sudden jolts. This sort of technique makes the comparison with the great Val Lewton features of the 40's an apt one, though this film doesn't reach that quality level. Nonetheless, the results, including the surprise ending, are certainly better than the ratings (TMC and IMDb) indicate. No, the movie's no sci-fi classic, but it is a shrewdly done, often subtle, little film that doesn't settle for rubber monsters or the obvious.

This film was a pleasant surprise and reminded me of "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" and "The Shining" both in plot content and, more particularly, the methods used to build atmosphere and suspense.

The film struggles to overcome its budgetary constraints and suffers from some rather wooden performances from the limited cast. It is unfortunate that when dealing with such a small cast a below par performance is a great deal more obvious than it would be in most films. A case of not enough flowers to hide the weeds.

I was surprised to see comments from another viewer who attributed this film to the UK, as far as I can see there are no links to the UK. The writer was Canadian and the cast, director, studio and locations all American.

It's certainly worth 70 minutes of your time to give this production a chance, if nothing else it is a refreshing change from the hideously unconvincing "rubber monster" flicks that were so prevalent in this genre.

This is an interesting little movie. The viewer's hopes are not raised when the opening credit sequence is on top of stock footage of a rocket blasting off. The movie struggles to gain altitude, barely avoiding clipping the trees with its cheesy Martian landing scene. But, baby, does this plane take off after that!

It turns out that the smoldering probe was actually the launching pad for the Martians -- essentially beings of pure energy -- to invade earth and produce dopplegangers of the scientist who built the probe and his family. It gives an interesting juxtaposition: Just who is invading whom? We tell ourselves that we're "exploring" Mars, but what would we do further down the line except colonize? Wouldn't it be reasonable to expect that sentient beings, seeing the planet being explored by another race, might take matters into their own hands?

In another light, one could look at the dopplegangers as the alternate face we show to others (even loved ones) that we may not even wish to recognize ourselves. This could be seen in the way the scientist and his wife relate to each other, especially when it is the "real" person meeting up with the doppleganged spouse. The final 10 minutes of this all-too-short movie are both shocking and thought-provoking.

Sterno says join the invasion forces.

Upon first seeing this film as a youngster, I was frankly disappointed at the lack of a "bear" (to borrow the term used to describe the weekly monster featured in vintage Outer Limits episodes). What kind of monster movie is this, without a monster? They really saved on their budget by having their Martians be invisible--how lame, I thought. But upon seeing it again more recently, I was pleasantly surprised at its subtlety and stylistic nuances. There is a surprising and happy comparison with the Val Lewton/Jacques Tourneur horror films of the 1940's, which stake their appeal on mood, atmosphere, and things the imagination conjures up--as opposed to the old Universal horror films which center on a classic monster. The other comparison would be with some old Outer Limits episodes, which often used a subplot founded on tensions in human relationships (e.g. a troubled husband/wife pair) as a driving force of the story, along with visually rich settings. This film does a similar thing, taking an unusually mature approach to its juvenile subject matter with interesting results. The musical score is effective and classy. In one scene, the wife/mother has to go out and check on a door which is reportedly open when its not supposed to be. This scene (reminiscent of a scene from the original "Cat People") builds tension almost subliminally, with her looking around anxiously, as if someone is there watching. Suddenly she hears footsteps and gets scared. Soon she is fleeing, running down long outdoor landscaped corridors, overwrought. She almost stumbles upon a poolside statue which scares her--even ordinary things become menacing to her in her psychological state. There's nothing hitting the viewer over the head, but rather a careful, slow drawing back of the curtain to reveal what's happening, in a way that builds intrigue and suspense, versus having a boogie man jump out and go "boo!". This zero-budget film has worn a soft spot in the heart of this scifi movie buff for its attention to little things that other offerings neglect. I recommend it to grown-ups nostalgic for the thrill they knew as youngsters watching saturday matinee monster movies, now frustrated because they can no longer suspend their disbelief at the sight of a rubber-suited alien monster as easily as when they were young. Story and characterization are this film's strong suits, and it builds up to a shock end