The Man From Planet X :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

Scarey Alien

2006-02-01
I haven't seen this one yet, but from what I understand, the Alien bears an uncanny resemblance to the Kid From Deliverance. Now THAT's worth watching!

Classic '50s scifi

2005-11-04
Like another reviewer, I too was scared to the living daylights by this film. Born in 1951, I remember seeing it on a snow covered afternoon (probably during the same time I was exposed to Howard Hawks' "The Thing"). For months afterward, I had visions of looking behind my bed for the "Man from Planet X" (why he would visit me is beyond comprehension). However, to the movie itself: filmed in black and white, it is a strange film, more a mystery than a techno scifi thriller. It is a Brit film, which may explain the unique feel of the film. The alien's spacesuit is traditional for the early '50s (bubble helmet, backpack, etc. The use of "music" as an inter-planetary language is unique (Speilberg was perhaps influenced by this film in this respect re: close encounters). The spaceship also resembled the ship in "E.T.", so there might be some comparison here. If fact, both this film and E.T. center on the "misunderstanding" between two interplanetary cultures. Interesting. This film is great for its atmosphere of early '50s scifi and should not be missed. Although this might be pushing the point, the eventual discovery that the alien, although an unknown creature, was not a threat, had true resonance during the cold war. Highly recommended if you prefer atmosphere over special effects.

A cult movie about alien invasion

2005-08-21
"The Man of Planet X" (1951 - 70 minutes), is a delicious cult of science fiction directed by Edgar G. Ulmer from the story of Aubrey Wisberg and Jack Pollexfen, and with the main actors: Robert Clarke, Margaret Field, Raymond Bond and William Schallert.
Professor Elliot (Raymond Bond) works in an observatory in the Scottish island of Burray and discovers a new planet in the Solar System, Planet "X". The route of the enigmatic celestial body will pass quite near the planet Earth.
John Lawrence (Robert Clarke), an American journalist friend of Elliot, goes to the island to get information about the unusual fact and finds Dr. Mears there (William Schallert), an unscrupulous scientist and his disaffection.
The professor Elliot's daughter, Eunid (Margaret Field), is the first one to see a stranger alien spaceship and its occupant, after having her car damaged in a road with much fog, at night. The mysterious space traveler makes contact with professor Elliot and his friends and will use a device to control their minds.
Is the visitor friendly? What are his intentions? What is his relationship with Planet "X"?

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The WEIRDEST Visitor the Earth has ever seen!

2003-12-21
That's one of the taglines for this United Artists release. After watching this movie, my first impression was "Man, what a cornball movie." But after a little more thought, and realizing that this came out in 1951, I soften a bit. Yeah, it was corny, but it did have its' charms.

Robert Clarke stars as John Lawrence, a newspaper reporter called to a Scottish moor by his friend, Professor Elliot, to cover what will be the story of his lifetime. A seemingly stray planet is headed in the general direction of Earth, and the moor is the location that it will pass closest to Earth. Prior to this event, they find a strange, alien object on the moors, followed by actual alien spaceship fashioned in classic 50's sci-fi fashion. Not only that, but the alien spacecraft is inhabited by a pretty funky looking humanoid creature. If you've ever seen the Honeymooners episode where Ralph dresses up as a spaceman, then you will have a pretty good idea of what this alien looks like.

Anyway, they try to communicate with it, with the help of another scientist, Dr. Mears, played by William Schallert, the only actor I recognized as he's been on like a bazillion TV shows, probably most famous being The Patty Duke Show, and a whole mess of movies. Seems he has rather a dubious past, and his intentions are less than admirable when dealing with this advanced creature from another world.

When Mears starts throttling the alien for his space secrets, the alien takes off, and things start to get a little hairy as the alien begins to set his plans into action. What is this alien's connection to planet X? What are his intentions on our planet? Wait until the end of the movie to find out, because while throughout most of the movie the plot slides along at the pacing somewhat akin to a snail, we see the pace quicken like a jackrabbit in the last ten minutes or so, including a huge, steaming pile of rather clunky exposition to fill the viewers in to what's going on...and a really unintentional question asked at the end by the female lead that made me wonder if she had even experienced the events in the movie because the question really contradicted everything that happened, at least in my opinion.

My only real gripe with the movie is Robert Clarke. Quite a handsome man at the time, looking sort of like Errol Flynn, he just didn't seem to fit in well in this genre. He seemed a little too sophisticated, a little to debonair, with his pencil thin mustache, to play the part he was given. I envisioned sci-fi veteran Richard Carlson playing the part much better.

This is a really good-looking print, but don't expect any extras other than a trailer. I do appreciate MGM releasing these Midnight Movies at a reasonable price, and I know they've started doing double bills for the same price, but not here, as this DVD was released prior to that worthwhile change. Are there better sci-fi movies of that time period out there? Sure, The Thing, and War of the Worlds to mention two, but this one ain't so bad, if you got 71 minutes to kill and an interest in classic science fiction movies.

Scared the living daylights outta me when I was six. 2003-06-09
I don't have time to write a lenghty treatise here, but this film was successful in scaring the living daylights out of me when I saw it in the theater as a six year old. I have to give it 5 stars because of the impact it had on me. Looking at it now as an adult, it seems almost comical. But it was effective then. Also, this is one of the first films (if not the first) with the theme of alien invasion. Important film in my life. It definitely is worth a look. This is a classic film of the sci-fi genre. Watch it and enjoy.

It's true! 2008-06-07
Well, that "title" got your attention, didn't it?

I remember seeing part of this when I was about 11. I always wanted it. So I've looked for it on those sci-fi collection sets, you know, every paper mache horror short of Godzilla, abominable snowmen, every attempt to scare the pre-adolescent, most of which had special effects budgets of around $5. But I could never find it. Then, while in Florida last Christmas, at a video store, some told me it was "out of print." (I think that's the phrase I heard. Was I dreaming? Or nightmaring???)

Well, I finally got it, and, sure enough, the Scottish accents are worse than I remember them. But the fine special effect live up to my expectations!

Oh, one of the actors, William Schallert, was in an old "Star Trek" episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles." That makes it worth is, doesn't it?

The story line was pretty standard 1950s sci fi: the guy's invading us and wants to take over us innocent earthlings. But it had a little of a "moral":If we'd treated this creature nicely, who knows what wonderful things we may have learned from such an advanced species!

I won't want to give away too much of the "plot." Just enjoy it, and don't anticipate staying awake too late fearing an invasion from a plastic-faced alien who can't even smile!

I learn something from this Sci-Fi film. 2008-03-15
I was 11 years old, but I had wondered "how would you talk to someone from an advanced race if you had no common language". This film was not the best of sci-fi flicks, but it was the first film, that explained how you would do it. I learned something that day, that would stay with me forever. It is worth watching at least once.

Classic Sci-fi 2007-04-30
Three of the most wonderful alien invasion movies of all time were made in 1950's. "The Day The Earth Stood Still," "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers," and, "The Man From Planet X." Each of these films are dvd must haves. "The Man From Planet X" is a film response among others to social issues as well as the public interest and fears of numerous ufo sightings during that time period i.e. "UFOs Buzz the White House" and of course Roswell. The same thing has been going on for the past several years. Kecksburg Incident, Phoenix Lights...Signs, Independence Day, Close Encounters of the Third Kind...Whatever the case, I was extremely pleased with my purchase. It was delivered within 3 days of purchase.

The hour is near and The Man from Planet X will be waiting 2006-08-06
The story is mostly narrated by a newspaperman John Lawrence (Robert Clarke) that also takes part in an adventure that we now hear only as a rumor. It takes place in 1951 on an isolated Scottish island near the end of the world (in more ways than one). A planet (Planet X) is approaching ours and they seam to have sent a vanguard for what purpose we do not know.

To fathom this out is a renowned scientist Professor Elliot (Raymond Bond) his demure daughter Enid (Margaret Field) and the newspaperman. Also aboard the characters is Dr. Mears (William Schallert) who has a nefarious past and should have gotten twenty years. Friend or foe what will we find? And how will Dr. Mears communicate?

As Planet X approaches the hour is near and The Man from Planet X will be waiting.

1950's entertaining S-F 2006-05-24
"The Man From Planet X" is a low-budget black and white 1950 science-fiction movie, one of the earliest of the genre that included "The Thing," "Them," etc. I believe this VHS edition was released in 2000 and it is a good quality transfer, full screen with no closed captioning. As for the quality of the movie itself, do you really have to ask? I first saw it when I was eleven and I thought it was very scary and atmospheric, with all that fog blowing across the Scottish moors late at night, and the grotesque alien peering out of the porthole of his tiny spacecraft. The production designer did a nice job with an obviously minimal budget, and the lighting, settings, and costumes do contribute to the suspenseful atmosphere. The movie has all the usual 1950's S-F cliches, including the strange object approaching the Earth, the wise old scientist and his beautiful daughter who falls in love with the courageous investigating reporter and who screams piercingly and predictably at the sight of the hideous visitor from space, and so forth. If you're in the mood, and if movies like this could draw you to the theater during your childhood, you'll enjoy it. And it's fun to be eleven again.