"A Review of “This Island Earth”
By Bryan K. Scott
July 9th, 2005
This 1955 science fiction classic stars Rex Reason, Faith Domergue, and
Jeff Morrow. The movie was one of the early films that re-defined
Sci-Fi into the genre that we know today.
The story begins with Dr. Cal Meachum (played by Rex
Reason), a noted scientist, receives a mysterious package, which
appears to be a catalog. He begins to order parts from it and
begins building a device out of these parts. The device turns out
to be a communication device. From this device, he receives a
message from a mysterious man by the name of Exeter (played by Jeff
Morrow). In the message, Exeter informed Dr. Meachum that he had
passed his test to see if he was gifted enough to assist him with a
very special project. Exeter, then, invites Dr. Meachum to his
facility for a visit. Dr. Meachum accepts his invitation eagerly.
When he arrives at the facility, he finds an
international group of top scientists had already been gathered there,
one of which was his old flame, Dr. Ruth Adams (played by Faith
Domergue). Dr. Meachum begins to get immediately suspicious of
the odd looking group of men that are leading the project.
When he and Ruth decide to slip away, they steal a
small plane. They are captured by a flying saucer controlled by
Exeter. It is then that the two learns of Exeter’s real plan.
Exeter explains to them that he is from the planet
Metaluna and it is under attack by the Evil Zagons. His mission
was to find some scientists that they could use to help defend his home
world from the invaders.
After a mind bending journey, they arrive at
Metaluna only to find that the planet was under full bombardment and
falling quickly to the enemy. Exeter pleads with the overlords to
allow him to take them home. They refuse and order the three to
be taken to a brain-reprogramming facility.
They overpower the guard on the way there and escape
in Exeter’s saucer. They return to Earth and, as they re-entered
the atmosphere, Dr. Meachum and Dr. Adams gets out of the saucer in
their small plane. Exeter, succumbing to his injuries from their
escape, crashes the saucer into the ocean.
The special effects are gorgeous for the time.
The flying saucer, though rather orthodox, is well designed and
detailed.
Bryan
Scott is a part time writer/columnist who comes to The Fedora
Chronicles from Oklahoma. He’s a big fan of sci-fi in general. Also
enjoys baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and soccer… As well as
anything dealing with computers and NASA. He’s the security supervisor
at a auto parts manufacturing plant. He's married with THREE beautiful
little girls…
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