Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

This Island Earth Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson July 18, 2019

Up until 1955, a majority of sci-fi pictures had aliens visiting Earth but This Island Earth was one of the first to reverse that trend. Atomic scientist Cal Meacham (Rex Reason) and his assistant Joe Wilson (Robert Nichols) happen upon directions and parts that lead them to construct an "interocitor," an oversized TV with the shape of an upside-down triangle. A peculiar-looking individual named Exeter (Jeff Morrow) appears on the screen to inform them that inhabitants of his native planet Metaluna have set up a laboratory in Georgia to recruit the best scientists specializing in nuclear energy. Metaluna continues to lose its supply of nuclear energy because neighboring planet Zahgon is extracting it with guided meteors. Metaluna's cities are crumbling beneath an ionization layer and a rocky surface barely keeps its dwellers afloat. Exeter needs science wizes like Cal to devise an energy field that will rejuvenate a red ray that's Metaluna's best defense weapon to thwart another attack from Zahgon. Upon arrival, Cal meets an old flame, the pretty brunette Ruth Adams (Faith Domergue), who has some difficulty remembering Cal. But there's no time for rekindling romantic sparks because Cal and Ruth are in for far more than where their imaginations will take them.

I remember first reading about This Island Earth in Vivian Sobchack's genre study, Screening Space: The American Science Fiction Film (1997), which was required reading for a sci-fi/fantasy film course I took. The Universal DVD had been on my wish list for years and I was delighted when I heard Shout! Factory announced it would bring it to Blu-ray in the US. The first act tests the audience's patience with heavy dialogue in the pseudo-scientific babble exchanged between Dr. Meacham and his assistant. It becomes a more interesting film when Cal and Ruth visit Exeter, after which their fates are intertwined. The other "stars" include Clifford Stine (cinematography) David S. Horsley (special effects), William Fritzche (technical consultant), Alexander Golitzen, and Richard H. Rieder (the latter two were in charge of art décor).

The disc's bonus materials imply that This Island Earth had a very mixed, if not negative reception when it was released in theaters in 1955. My research discovered a few mixed critiques (that bordered on the favorable) and many others that were highly laudatory. A syndicated, unsigned review that appeared in the Ames (IA) Daily Tribune deemed it "possibly the best of the outer-space films yet to reach the screen." The Pittsburgh (PA) Sun Telegraph's Leonard Mendlowitz described it as "easily the most imaginative science ­fiction yarn to reach the screen to date." Philip K. Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times lead his review with this opening: “This Island Earth” is one of the most fascinating—and frightening — science-fiction movies to come at us yet from outer space."

This Island Earth Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This Island Earth's long-awaited North American debut comes as an unofficial special edition courtesy of Shout!'s imprint, Scream Factory. The film is available to view in two different aspect ratios on this MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50: 1.37:1 (Screenshot #s 1-10) and 1.85:1 (Screenshot #s 11-20). While the film was originally composed and shot in 1.37:1, debate still centers on which ratio(s) it was exhibited. A Variety review from 1955 lists 2.10:1 while other sources in different venues it was screened seem to indicate it was projected at 1.85:1. In any case, it's a bonus that the viewer has two options for the first time on home video. (The Image Entertainment DVD from 1998 was cropped to 1.33:1.) A new 4K scan of the interpositive was performed on both ratios and the results are pretty marvelous on the color spectrum. A fairly thick veneer of grain is present and image density as well as texture are prominently on display. I occasionally spotted some minor print damage and very thin tramlines.

From my research, each of the masters used for the various German BD editions and the French BD-25 by Elephant Films are struck from dated prints. Scream Factory's transfer sports an average video bitrate of 29998 kbps and a total bitrate of 36.79 Mbps for the whole disc. Elephant's mean bitrate is only 19.99 Mbps.

Please note that there are only optional English SDH on the 1.85:1 presentation and NOT on the 1.37:1 option.

This Island Earth Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Scream supplies a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono mix (1960 kbps, 24-bit) and the restored DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 Perspecta Stereophonic Sound Track (2259 kbps, 24-bit). I concentrated primarily on the 3.0 mix and found its speaker-centered, directional sound track easy to follow as it moved along each one of the front channels. It's also historically fascinating to see how music, dialogue, and f/x were originally deployed, featured, and highlighted in the film's overall sound design. Some of the lower-level noises were a bit more difficult to pick out because certain distinctive sounds were given greater fidelity and importance.

The Rocky Mount (NC) Telegram newspaper provided a noteworthy footnote at the time: "Actual sounds from the bound­less domain of outer space are heard....[Universal-International] was given access to special recordings made by auto­matic apparatus placed on rocket missiles shot into the stratosphere, and used the weird sound track as accompaniment for the flight of a space ship in the film."

One review credited Joseph Gershenson, Universal's music department head at the time, as composing the music but this is incorrect. As David Schecter notes on a short running commentary and in a documentary, at least 75 percent of the music deserves to be credited to Herman Stein.

This Island Earth Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Film (1.85:1 Theatrical Widescreen Version;) (1:25:55; 23.15 GB)

• The Film (1.33:1 Open-Matte Full Screen Version) (1:25:55; 17.26 GB)

• NEW Audio Commentary with Author and Academy Award-Winning Visual Effects Artist Robert Skotak - Skotak talks at length about the contributions that cinematography, makeup, special effects, matte paintings, art decorations, and sets made to the film. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Audio Interview with Film Historian David Schecter on the Music of This Island Earth - this is more of a running commentary that plays over the film till it concludes at the 28:17 mark. Schecter excerpts several re-recordings that were done of Herman Stein's music (for TIE and other films). He also discusses the source music. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Alien Ideas – An Interview with Filmmaker Luigi Cozzi (Starcrash) (21:11, 1080p) - Cozzi relates the deep impact that This Island Earth made on him and younger filmmakers. He claims that Jack Arnold later took over for director Joseph Newman but film historians have noted the lack of official or reliable documentation to corroborate this. Cozzi speaks in English and the interview isn't subtitled.

• NEW Facts about Perspecta Stereophonic Sound by Bob Furmanek (9:38, 1080p) - a slew of static screens documenting the history of Perspecta Sound; illustrated by photos and a compilation of newspaper clippings.

• This Island Earth – Two and a Half Years in the Making: The Extended Documentary – A Look at the Making of This Island Earth (47:55, 1080p) - this retrospective doc was produced and directed by Daniel Grffith and narrated by film historian Tom Weaver. We hear from screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner, film music historian David Schecter, visual effects artist Robert Skotak, documentarian Ted Newsom, archivist Bob Burns, and filmmaker Joe Dante. In English, not subtitled.

• WAR OF THE PLANETS: 1958 Castle Films Release for the Home Market Including Both the 50-Foot Silent Headline Edition and the 200-Foot Sound Complete Edition (11:05, 1080p)

• Trailers from Hell – This Island Earth with Commentary by Filmmaker Joe Dante (2:45, 480i) - in 2013, director Joe Dante introduced and narrated this trailer. The image quality, however, isn't the same as the stand-alone trailer on the disc. This one contains more film artifacts and some cigarette burns. In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:20, 480i) - a full-frame original trailer for This Island Earth in color with voice-over and music. The image quality is mediocre but watchable. In English, not subtitled.

• Behind-the-Scenes Gallery (2:31, 1080p) - 32 black-and-white photographs depicting behind-the-scenes happenings during the making of This Island Earth. Culled from Universal's archive, the stills show a lot of Regis Parton donning the Mutant's garb, the Metalunas, and Jeff Morrow.

• Poster and Lobby Card Gallery (6:52, 1080p) - a total of 90 images. The first 46 consist of high-res black-and-white photos on the set as well as other stills taken from Universal's press kit. The next 44 stills comprise lobby cards (color) and an assortment of posters from US and international ad campaigns. Scans of an exhibitor's "Showman's Manual" rounds off the slide show.

• Publicity Stills Gallery (4:23, 1080p) - about 58 black-and-white publicity shots and poses with the actors. Additionally, there's pictures of the cast members performing their scenes.

This Island Earth Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This Island Earth is one of the most important sci-fi pictures from the 1950s and a classic that has stood the test of time. Scream Factory has assembled a fan's dream package rife with old and new supplements. The image transfer looks mostly excellent and the Perspecta Stereophonic 3.0 mix sounds clean and authentic to the original recording. A COLLECTOR'S WORTHY edition.