50s Sci-Fi Collection Blu Ray Review (Warner Archive Collection)

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is a 1958 science fiction film directed by Nathan Juran (The Black Castle, Gunsmoke, Land Raiders, The Deadly Mantis, and Lost in Space) under the name “Nathan Hertz”. It was written by Mark Hanna (Slaughter, Not of This Earth, Blood on the Arrow, and The Undead). It was produced by Bernard Woolner (Hillbillys in a Haunted House, Swamp Women, Mutiny in Outer Space, Teenage Doll, and Las Vegas Hillbillys). Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman was remade in 1993. It had an estimated budget of $88,000. Nancy Archer (played by: Allison Hayes from Perry Mason, Chicago Syndicate, A Lust to Kill, and Double Jeopardy) is a beautiful wealthy young woman trapped in a loveless marriage to a philandering husband Harry (played by: William Hudson from The Amazing Colossal Man, The She-Creature, and The Killer is Loose) who only wants her money. She exacts a terrible vengeance when exposure to radiation from an alien UFO causes her to grow into a 50-foot-tall monster. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is a 1953 science fiction film directed by Eugène Lourié (Gorgo, The Colossus of New York, and Foreign Intrigue). It was written by Lou Morheim (Larceny, The Big Valley, The Hunting Party, and The Last Blitzkrieg) and Fred Freiberger (Starsky and Hutch, Superboy, Emergency +4, Super Friends, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, and Space:1999). It was produced by It was produced by Jack Dietz (Voodoo Man, The Corpse Vanishes, The Black Scorpion, The Highwayman, and Follow the Leader). The estimated budget was $210,000. An A-bomb test in the Arctic awakens a dangerous giant dinosaur and it makes New York City its own personal stomping ground as terrorizes everyone in sight. Tom Nesbitt (played by: Paul Hubschmid from The Zurich Engagement, Bagdad, Games of Desire, and The Tiger of Eschnapur), Thurgood Elson (played by: Cecil Kellaway from Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Harvey, and The Postman Always Rings Twice), and Jack Evans (played by: Kenneth Tobey from The Thing from Another World, Airplane!, Hellraiser: Bloodline, The Howling, Gremlins franchise, and It Came from Beneath the Sea) all work together to hunt down this monster. World Without End is a 1956 science fiction film written and directed by Edward Bernds (Return of the Fly, Gasoline Alley, Colt .45, Reform School Girl, and The New 3 Stooges). It was produced by Richard V. Heermance (Flight to Mars, Up in Smoke, The Oklahoman, The Young Guns, and The Westerner). Four intrepid astronauts which includes John Borden (played by: Hugh Marlowe from The Day the Earth Stood Still, All About Eve, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Another World), Dr. Eldon Galbraithe (played by: Nelson Leigh from Ma Barker’s Killer Brood, This is the Life, and The Pilgrimage Play), Herbert Ellis (played by: Rod Taylor from Inglourious Basterds, The Birds, Giant, and Falcon Crest) and Henry ‘Hank’ Jaffe (played by: Christopher Dark from Terror in the Sky, Rawhide, and Bonanza) successfully complete mankind’s first mission to Mars. Only to run afoul of a warp in space. Tossed centuries into the future, they discover an Earth devastated by nuclear war, where all of the vicious mutant beast-men rule the surface. Underground is a society marked by listless males and lustful ladies. They are now trapped in a tomorrow they never made, the four astronauts take on the mutants and the malicious women while fighting to bring humanity back to the surface before it’s all over. Them! is a 1954 science fiction film directed by Gordon Douglas (Between Midnight and Dawn, In Like Flint, Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off, Barquero, Skullduggery, They Call Me Mister Tibbs!, and Fortunes of Captain Blood). It was written by Ted Sherdeman (Latitude Zero, Bewitched, Hell to Eternity, Misty, Wagon Trail, and Hazel). It was produced by David Weisbart (Mildred Pierce, Rebel Without a Cause, A Streetcar Named Desire, Valley of the Dolls, and Love Me Tender). These radiation-mutated ants are 12 feet long and capable of lifting tons. They quickly become giant problems for Sgt. Ben Peterson (played by: James Whitmore from The Shawshank Redemption, Battleground, The Majestic, The Relic, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and Give ’em Hell, Harry!), Dr. Harold Medford (played by: Edmund Gwenn from Miracle on 34th Street, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Les Miserables, and The Trouble with Harry), Robert Graham (played by: James Arness from Gunsmoke, How the West Was Won, Hondo, Iron Man, and The Thing from Another World), and all of the unlucky residents of Los Angeles. They’re big, they’re bad, and they got a serious attitude problem that’s going to destroy whatever comes in their path. No one will won’t find a can of bug spray poisonous enough to stop ’em!!!! This 50’s Sci-fi collection from the Warner Archive Collection has so much variety to it. It has a little bit of everything for everyone in this set. Kaiju is one of the bigger sub-genres covered here. Warner Bros Pictures delivers Giant Women, Dinosaurs, Aliens, Mutants, and Huge Ants. It’s a glimpse at the post apocalyptic world through so many crazy scenarios and brutal situations. I respect what they did in the 50’s with almost no money and major ambition but they all found a way. Directors Nathan Juran, Eugène Lourié, Edward Bernds, and Gordon Douglas took no money in an early studio setup and they just got creative with their low budget projects. Allison Hayes as Nancy Archer chews the scenery and she’s so over the top in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman but it’s such an entertaining performance. Kenneth Tobey as Jack Evans is the hunter trying to solve all the chaos in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. He’s trying to eliminate these murderous prehistoric killers. The best thing about is the ahead of it’s time visual fx from the legendary Ray Harryhausen (Clash of the Titans, Mighty Joe Young, One Million Years B.C., 20 Million Miles to Earth, It Came from Beneath the Sea, and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad). Hugh Marlowe as John Borden steals the show in World Without End. This is one of my personal favorites from all of these early sci-fi productions. The iconic James Whitmore is top notch in Them as Sgt. Ben Peterson. This is one of the better earlier humongous insects features. The impressive supporting cast from all of these includes Paul Hubschmid, Cecil Kellaway, Nelson Leigh, Rod Taylor, Christopher Dark, Edmund Gwenn, James Arness, Yvette Vickers (Attack of the Giant Leeches), Roy Gordon (The Wasp Woman), Lee Van Cleef (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), Paula Raymond (Devil’s Doorway), Donald Woods (13 Ghosts), Steve Brodie (The Giant Spider Invasion), Ross Elliott (Tarantula), Nancy Gates (Alfred Hitchcock Presents), Joan Weldon (Day of the Badman), Onslow Stevens (House of Dracula), and Sean McClory (Body Bags). There’s all kinds of action, suspense, horror, drama, monsters, and some unintentional humor thrown in the mix for these independent science fiction features. Back in the day, they didn’t care about not having a budget. They just got creative and made things happen. Warner Bros Pictures has so many hidden gems in their catalog and archives so it’s great to see them giving some of these a new life on home video after all these years. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, World Without End, and Them all have influenced so many movies that followed with their brave attempts at making something bigger than what it usually is, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss these high definition presentations and list the special features from the Warner Archive Collection! These 1080p (2.55:1 / 1.85:1 / 1.78:1 /.1.33:1) transfers are all from a variety of newer 2K and 4K restorations from the Warner Archive. These are all massive improvements compared to their older versions, it’s really cool to see these sci-fi movies from the 50’s looking this good after all this time. I never expected any of these to get upgraded like this. Most of them are black and white which elevates it’s sharp picture quality. It has English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono tracks on all 4 discs for this sci-fi set. These monster and disaster projects definitely stand out when it comes to audio. All of the dialogue is crisp, the chaos is elevated, and the music has a nice boost to it. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and World Without End only have English SDH subtitles. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms and Them have a variety of subtitles. It has English SDH, French, Japanese, and Spanish subtitles. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman has an “Audio Commentary” with film historian Tom Weaver. It has the “Theatrical Trailer”. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms has the little over 6 minute “The Rhedosaurus and the Rollercoaster: The Making of Beast”. It has the almost 17 minute “Harryhausen and Bradbury: An Unfathomable Friendship”. It has the under the minute “Armatures”. It has the “Theatrical Trailer”. There’s no extras on World Without End. It has the little over 3 minute “Ants”. It has the “Theatrical Trailer”. This 50’s Sci-fi Collection is a great home video release if you are into this sub-genre and monsters. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!