I recently spotted a piece about an upcoming new movie - a remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still, starring Keanu Reeves - and naturally enough it got me to thinking about the original. (The movie, not Keanu.) Even though I like many of the newer films and do appreciate their astonishing special effects, a part of me knows that the experience of watching the newer stuff will never approach the sheer terror I sometimes felt when watching movies as a boy.
I can still remember how it felt to crouch in my seat, squirming and peeking through my fingers at the movie screen, watching that film or any of the others that made a strong impression on me in those days. It sometimes seemed as if there was a new one coming out every week, and I saw as 
many of them as I could.
When Worlds Collide was a favorite, as was This Island Earth, and War Of The Worlds. In fact, one my scariest cinematic memories is a scene from the latter. The hero and heroine are digging through some rubble and a creepy, pulsating alien hand slowly comes into view behind her and clutches her shoulder. I think I probably yelled louder than she did.
Of course, some of it was scary and silly at the same time. In This Island Earth, a cheesy-looking alien with a giant head is constantly menacing the heroine, played by the intriguingly-named actress Faith Domergue. (My friends and I incorrectly pronounced her name Dommer-goo.) Even as a boy, I knew that the alien was just a guy in a monster suit, but it was still fun — and scary.
Article comments