Despite predictions that this would be Marvel's first flop, it surprised everybody with its mixture of sci-fi thrills, FX humor and nostalgic pop soundtrack. A fun ride.
After enduring decades of cut-up television showings of The Crawling Eye and a laserdisc version in the 1980s on which the source print was out of focus on one side and the sound was lousy, this DVD makes up for all of it. Transferred off of original British source elements (and, thus, using the original U.K. title The Trollenberg Terror) and masked to the proper theatrical aspect ratio, the movie looks as sharp as this reviewer has ever seen it, and the contrasts are very rich. All of this may seem superfluous in what seems to most onlookers like a shocker of a film -- the subtleties don't seem important, until you realize that this movie is as much a mystery as it is a horror film, and is very much a character-driven piece. The movie is usually thought of as a poor relation to The Creeping Unknown, which had appeared two years earlier out of England, but The Crawling Eye actually has a good deal more character development, and several layers of clues that spread out across the length of the story. It's a pleasure to watch on several levels, for the acting, the direction, and the rather cleverly told story of an attempted invasion of Earth. After watching this disc, one actually longs to see the original six-part ITV television broadcast on which this movie was based -- one gets a sense that the movie packs a huge amount of information into 85 minutes, but the film adaptation will have to do. Image Entertainment has done a great job of transferring the movie to DVD and packaging it, with 16 chapters and a simple (but clever and creepy) menu that opens automatically on start-up. The annotation is nicely thorough, although not as deep as it might have gotten on the subject of England's mid-'50s science fiction revival, but it has some interesting observations about the movie's American star Forrest Tucker.
Customer Rating
3
Nice little British shocker.
on May 30, 2015
Posted by: GeoffreyFourmyle
Well worth checking out if you like science fiction and horror film s from the '50s.
This hard hitting release from the landmark mafia drama The Sopranos includes all 86 episodes of the show, following the story of Tony Soprano, a Mafioso living in New Jersey who strives to reconcile the brutal violence of his criminal life with his ability to function in his emotional and personal life.
Customer Rating
5
What can you say...
on May 30, 2015
Posted by: GeoffreyFourmyle
...about this show that hasn't already been said? One of the greatest series to ever appear on television.
This release contains every episode of the series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, one of the series created by Gerry Anderson that featured puppets.
Customer Rating
5
S.I.G.
on May 30, 2015
Posted by: GeoffreyFourmyle
Another classic Gerry Anderson show. A little more serious and dark than his previous entries.
This release serves up every episode from the fourth season of HBO's Game of Thrones, the fantasy series about various clans vying for control of a kingdom that is based on the thick novels of writer George RR Martin.
Customer Rating
5
Valar Morghulis
on May 30, 2015
Posted by: GeoffreyFourmyle
Another excellent season of Game of Thrones. A must for any fans of fantasy.
Experience awaits beneath the ocean depths in this release featuring all 39 episodes of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's beloved Supermarionation series Stingray.
Customer Rating
5
Stand by for action!
on May 30, 2015
Posted by: GeoffreyFourmyle
Gerry anderson's classic Supermarionation series is a must for fans of sixties kidvid.
I've alway preferred this movie to the sequels as good as they are. A lot of people didn't meet the character until The Road Warrior and this gives Max's backstory.