If you know me then you know that I am a huge fan of the black and white monster movies from the 1950s. One of my favorites has always been the 1953 feature INVADERS FROM MARS though until now, it has only been available on a thread-bare DVD. In huge news, Ignite Films has restored this movie and it is now available to order exclusively from their website (this is not available on Amazon).
A must-have for film buffs, the brilliant 4K restoration of INVADERS FROM MARS is an excellent addition to any collection.
Fearful memories of this timeless 1953 sci-fi classic still haunt the dreams of fans who have never forgotten the story of a young boy who witnesses an alien invasion. It’s since become a modern classic and was also one of two early 50s classic alien-invasion science-fiction films (the other is Robert Wise’s “The Day the Earth Stood Still”) reflecting Cold War tensions, the Red Scare, and paranoid anxiety typical of many films in the 50s.
Prior to its release, INVADERS FROM MARS was featured for its excellence in restoration at the Turner Classics Movies Festival in Hollywood, Il Cinema Ritrovato in Italy, and the Fine Arts Film Festival in Venice, CA. It also received the inaugural Hollywood Professional Association award for Restoration and Preservation. Star Jimmy Hunt received the Cinecon Legacy Award at last year’s festival in Hollywood.
Bonus Features
- Restored 4K original 1953 trailer and a newly commissioned trailer 2022
- Interviews with star Jimmy Hunt, William Cameron Menzies’ biographer James Curtis and recollections of Menzies’ eldest granddaughter Pamela Lauesen
- Featurette with acclaimed film directors John Landis, Joe Dante, editor Mark Goldblatt, special visual effects artist and two-time Oscar Winner Robert Skotak (foremost expert on Invaders from Mars), and enthusiast and film preservationist Scott MacQueen
- John Sayles’ introduction at Turner Classic Movies Festival in Hollywood, April 2022
- Before/after clips of restoration – original negative and archival film elements – with film restoration supervisor Scott MacQueen
- Restored segments in 2K of the Alternate International Version — alternative ending and extended Planetarium scene
- Gallery with original Press Book pages, behind the scenes photos from the restoration process
- 20-page extensive essay on the restoration process: “Invaders From Mars: A Nightmare of Restoration” by Scott MacQueen