The Terrornauts Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Terrornauts Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 8, 2025

The mysteries of deep space are explored in 1967’s “The Terrornauts.” The material began life as a 1960 book by Murray Leinster and is turned into a B-movie event by Amicus Productions, who spare many an expense when bringing this tale of unreal contact to the screen. Facing a tight budget, director Montgomery Tully and screenwriter John Brunner aim to keep the picture small in scale and bright with performances, endeavoring to depict a special alien exploration without leaving the comfort of sets and dialogue exchanges. “The Terrornauts” doesn’t overwhelm in its pacing and plotting, but Tully finds ways to keep the viewing experience somewhat engaging, aided greatly by a cast committed to selling this sci-fi realm of radio communication and enemy encounters. A little enthusiasm helps tremendously here, along with a plan to reach an explosive finale, keeping escalation in play.

At a radio telescope site, Project Star Talk is devoted to finding signs of an alien signal somewhere in the far reaches of space. Joe (Simon Oates) is the team leader, aiming to achieve the unthinkable since his encounter with the possibility of alien life as a boy. He’s joined by Ben (Stanley Meadows) and Sandy (Zena Marshall), his trusted colleagues, and Joe is challenged by Dr. Shore (Max Adrian), the manager of the observatory station who doesn’t believe in Project Star Talk. Handed three months to provide proof of his concept, Joe and his team get to work, actually locating a signal, which triggers interest from a robot manning an empty spaceship. Heading to Earth, the robot collects the entire transmitter shed for travel back to its asteroid of origin, putting Joe, Ben, Sandy, accountant Yellowlees (Charles Hawtrey) and tea service attendant Jones (Patricia Hayes) in the middle of a mysterious situation as they’re challenged to figure out what the robot wants, tasked with solving puzzles to acquire information needed to get back home.

“The Terrornauts” brings viewers into the world of Joe and his obsession with finding alien life. Project Star Talk has been generously funded by the Holmes Foundation, but time for permission is coming to a close, as Dr. Shore is growing restless with the team’s activity, demanding some movement on their radio astronomy mission. Pressure isn’t exactly supplied, but Yellowlees arrives to keep up on expenditures, urging Joe and the team to really reach beyond the stars and find something amazing. “The Terrornauts” gets into procedure and experimentation, which isn’t the most riveting stretch of the movie, but motivation is present via a flashback to Joe’s youth, where his archaeologist uncle gifts him a cube pulled from the earth, offering him a vision of alien life he’s been pursuing ever since.

Mild comedy is provided by the stuffy Yellowlees, and Jones joins the party as a working class woman selling beverages to the big brains. “The Terrornauts” remains in exploratory/conversation mode for most of its first half, but something starts to happen in the story to hold viewer interest. This involves the arrival of a spaceship, and for fans of goofy B-movies, there are plenty of wobbly models and unconvincing miniatures to enjoy. The “Dr. Who” faithful might also get a charge out of the picture, as the alien robot maintaining order on the ship resembles a Dalek from the longstanding sci-fi T.V. show.

Joe and the team are eventually taken for an intergalactic ride, only to be left with an escape room of sorts, facing the mystery of knowledge cubes stacked on the ship. The boxes contain clues concerning the full intent of alien contact, and the picture locks into an interesting quest for clarity, putting these big brains (and Jones) to the test. Also discovered is a special portal to another world, which allows the production to indulge in a more traditional battle between human and green-skinned antagonists. These “savages” aren’t interested in intellectual pursuits, and provide “The Terrornauts” with physical challenges as Joe jumps into action clutching a ray gun, out to save his friends using some of the worst aiming seen in the history of film.

The Terrornauts Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "newly scanned and restored in 4K from its 35mm camera negative." Now here's a film with primary power, finding cinematographic focus on bright colors throughout the viewing experience. Rich blues, yellows, and red dominate as the characters move around workspaces and alien environments. Deep greens are found with alien life and rare exteriors visits. Skin tones are natural. Detail is excellent, getting into clear skin particulars, and metallic textures are fully retained. Costuming maintains fibrousness. Interiors are deep, with decorative elements open for inspection. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is nicely resolved. Source is in good condition.

The Terrornauts Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix supplies crisp dialogue exchanges throughout the listening event. Robotic and alien signals are defined as well, maintaining distinct beeping. Scoring handles with clear instrumentation, supporting suspense. Sound effects are appreciable.

The Terrornauts Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Brian Hannan.

• "Budget Cuts" (8:13, HD) is an interview with editor Peter Musgrave, who opens with an honest assessment of co-producer Milton Subotsky, though happy to accept employment from him, helping to develop his career during the 1960s. Growing bothered by work on "The Terrornauts," Musgrave wanted his name taken off the picture, only to be talked back into duty with promises of better projects in the future. However, gigs dried up with Amicus Productions soon after. The interviewee shares more information about Subotsky's professional conduct and his relationship with partner Max Rosenberg.

• "Managing on a Budget" (7:32, HD) is an interview with production manager Ted Wallis, who admits "The Terrornauts" was a "very cheap picture," reinforcing the effort of the Amicus Production team to complete the feature in a matter of weeks. The interviewee celebrates technical achievements from the talented crew, but also admits the shortcomings of "The Terrornauts," including green makeup application that couldn't be removed at the end of the shooting day.

• "Subotsky the Trailblazer" (22:28, HD) is an appreciation piece from Kim Newman.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this release.

The Terrornauts Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Terrornauts" is a dry viewing experience for a good 45 minutes, though it's largely held together by flavorful performances. Broadness is present, but Oates takes his thespian mission seriously, giving his all to the part as Joe fights to make scientific discoveries before it turns into a battle for his own survival. While not loaded with action, the second half of the movie is motivated to supply small thrills, watching the characters scramble to make sense of cube-based puzzles, explore the spaceship, and recognize their purpose. It all leads to a decently explosive finale, building some pep for the production that doesn't seem like it can afford much excitement. For the patient, cinematography is wonderfully colorful and sets are interesting. For the junk cinema lovers, cruddy-looking monsters and goofy aliens arrive to wake up the endeavor. "The Terrornauts" ends up a good degree of fun, refreshingly mindful of the slog it threatens to become, choosing a more active climax to send viewers out on as much of a high as this kind of picture can provide.