Put that in your pipe and smoke it

March 28, 2009 4:27 PM

Keep watching the skies - The New York Times looks back at 50s Sci Fi films in anticipation of Alien Trespass, the new film from X-Files veteran R.K. Goodwin. One or two of those classics haven't even been remade yet!
posted by Artw (19 comments total)

...of course remakes come in two kinds: Yer 70s kind and yer shit kind.
posted by Artw at 4:31 PM on March 28, 2009

Don't tell me that this and this are shit remakes.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:26 PM on March 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

Two of the best remakes of 50's sci-fi were in the '80s not the '70s: The Fly and The Thing.

Or on preview, what FoB says
posted by octothorpe at 5:28 PM on March 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

70s films in spirit :-)
posted by Artw at 5:30 PM on March 28, 2009

Keep watching the skis!
posted by paladin at 6:53 PM on March 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

The invasion of the body snatchers remake from the 70's was an excellent one, too. Let's be fair here. For the site of spock as a psychiatrist who inexplicably wears fingerless leather gloves, alone.
posted by Hickeystudio at 12:18 AM on March 29, 2009

Second time I've seen the trailer and I've loving all the old-skool 'special' effects, nothing like a good bit of rear-projection

Oh and The Thing is the exception that proves the rule
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:42 AM on March 29, 2009

I'm surprised that the movie "It, the Terror from Beyond Space" hasn't been remade. Guy-in-a-rubber-suit-with-a-zipper-up-the-back notwithstanding, that movie scared me to death as a kid. But in my day, movies were scarier. If a kid happened to mention that a new monster movie was coming out, half the neighborhood had to be sedated.
posted by digsrus at 6:00 AM on March 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I've always felt Earth vs. The Flying Saucers would be good re-make fodder. There's almost no story, beyond "flying saucers arrive, begin shooting everything with their electric death rays, scientists create sonic gun to bring them down." The whole thing would be a CGI wet-dream. As long as they kept the classic saucers.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:21 AM on March 29, 2009

The main thing I'm getting about Alien Trespass is how much fun everybody is having making it.
posted by Enron Hubbard at 6:31 AM on March 29, 2009

This looks like the kind of movie that I had hoped the last Indiana Jones movie would be like. Early on Spielberg had said that he was going to make that movie with old school physical special effects but somehow by the time it got released it was chock full of crappy CGI ants and such.
posted by octothorpe at 6:50 AM on March 29, 2009

I'm surprised that the movie "It, the Terror from Beyond Space" hasn't been remade.

Well, and it's one of my favorite films, it's generally acknowledged that Alien took a lot of 'inspiration' from It, the Terror from Beyond Space...

I like to see them remake When World's Collide where SPOILER the whole world is destroyed except for a few blond handsome types who fly off into space leaving the rest of us spuds behind to pummeled by the rogue planet.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:11 AM on March 29, 2009

fearfulsymmetry: "I like to see them remake When World's Collide where SPOILER the whole world is destroyed except for a few blond handsome types who fly off into space leaving the rest of us spuds behind to pummeled by the rogue planet."

Looks like there is a remake in the works by the guy that made Van Helsing and the Mummy movies. Um, joy.
posted by octothorpe at 7:20 AM on March 29, 2009

I was hoping this would sort itself out, but it appears that the derail about this being a remake is going to stick.

I don't think this is a remake. I cannot find any source material for it listed. Please, correct me if I'm wrong...

I think it is, perhaps, a tribute, a pastiche. It is to 50s Sci Fi (SyFy?) movies what Far From Heaven was to Douglas Sirk movies. You know, only without the gay subtext and all the weeping.

Maybe this movie will be what I hoped Mars Attacks would be.
posted by hippybear at 8:18 AM on March 29, 2009

Why oh why can't they recreate 1950's color nowadays? They did it in Amazon Women on the Moon in 1987. Is it impossible to do digitally? Too expensive?
posted by gubo at 8:35 AM on March 29, 2009

Looks like there is a remake in the works by the guy that made Van Helsing and the Mummy movies. Um, joy.

Thanks for that bit of news... and it had been such a nice a day until then.

They really are going to remake everything, aren't they. And when they've finished, remake them all again.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:32 AM on March 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

The more remakes the better - keeps the originals alive; + it took 2 tries before 'Maltese Falcon' got any good.
posted by jettloe at 9:43 AM on March 29, 2009

Indeed, hippybear, it's a tribute. And I'm super excited about it - looks awesome.

And those who are interested in schlock tribute, give The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra a try.
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 10:03 AM on March 29, 2009

Alien Trespass stars dish on the sci-fi homage—and rubber monsters
posted by Artw at 3:45 PM on April 3, 2009