50s Sci-Fi Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

50s Sci-Fi Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III September 3, 2025

Warner Archive has been stepping up their multi-disc collection efforts in recent months, and that's very good news indeed for anyone looking to fill up their shelves on the cheap: these low-risk sets simply bundle together a quartet of like-minded titles in a space-saving format at wallet-saving prices. Unlike most of their star-themed sets such as ones highlighting films featuring Clark Gable and Greta Garbo, this 1950s Sci-Fi Collection is all about kitschy genre-themed entertainment. Included in this sleek set are 1953's The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, 1954's ambiguously-titled Them!, 1956's Cinemascope color feature World Without End (also known as Flight to the Future), and 1958's Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman. While collections like this are rarely complete, notably absent are The Cyclops and Queen of Outer Space, two similarly campy classics from 1958 that were released by Warner Archive back in 2018.

For a full synopsis of each film in this collection, please follow the links below.

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (reviewed by Michael Reuben) - The first feature film to include a credit for stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen, "Beast" is also the film that is generally credited with starting the long series of creature features in which popular culture reflected anxieties about the future of humanity in the atomic age.

Them! (reviewed by Michael Reuben) - Federal agents fight to destroy a colony of mutated giant ants. Among its other pleasures, "Them!" holds an important place in the history of sci-fi. The scene in which Pat, Ben and Robert burn out the egg chamber with flame throwers is an obvious precursor to a famous sequence in Aliens, and the film contains an uncredited (but speaking) appearance by future "Star Trek" legend Leonard Nimoy as an Army information officer.

World Without End (reviewed by Michael Reuben) - In 1957, the first manned expedition to Mars encounters a mysterious energy field that accelerates the spaceship beyond its instruments' capacity to measure. When the four-man crew regains consciousness, they have crash-landed on what they eventually discover to be Earth—in the 26th Century. The film quickly came and went, but it has since developed a cult following.

Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (reviewed by Randy Miller III) - Don't get your hopes up: the "beast" doesn't get much screen time and is overshadowed by lukewarm drama. Nonetheless, this one's a kitschy sci-fi cult classic that, as that title often implies, offers a mix of "guilty" and "pleasure". It's got its moments but is mostly remembered for the questionable dialogue, lo-fi effects, and occasional eye candy, which of course extends to the iconic poster art.

50s Sci-Fi Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For details about each film's 1080p transfer, please follow the review links above.

50s Sci-Fi Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For details about each film's DTS-HD Master Audio mono mix, please follow the review links above.

50s Sci-Fi Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This four-disc set ships in a hinged keepcase with separate hubs for each disc. Like earlier WAC multi-disc collections, this one simply repurposes existing poster-themed cover artwork as a four-piece collage. Several lightweight bonus features, identical to those found the previous Blu-rays linked below, can be found on two of the four discs.

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms - The "The Rhedosaurus and the Rollercoaster: The Making of 'Beast'" DVD-era interview with Ray Harryhausen, A "Harryhausen & Bradbury: An Unfathomable Friendship" retrospective featurette, the 2003 Harryhausen interview excerpt "Armatures", and the film's trailer.

Them! - None, unfortunately.

World Without End - None again. Bummer!

Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman - A DVD-era audio commentary featuring Tom Weaver (no stranger to the format, especially on classic horror titles) with supporting actress Yvette "Honey Parker" Vickers, and the trailer.

50s Sci-Fi Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

1950s sci-fi may be more of an acquired taste for new viewers, but those old enough to remember this kitschy corner of American pop culture in its heyday will know exactly what they're getting with Warner Archive's brand-new themed collection, which highlights a quartet films already release by WAC and Warner Bros. during the last 10 years. The four discs in this sleek collection offer solid A/V presentations -- within the boundaries of their respective source material, of course -- and some contain a few lightweight bonus features too. Collectively, it's an inexpensive and space-saving way to fill out your classic film collection and thus comes Recommended... unless, of course, you're already a die-hard fan of this distinct sub-genre and own most or all of them on Blu-ray already.