Michael Osadciw
Screenwriter
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Blu-ray Disc Review
THE DAY
THE EARTH
STOOD STILL
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Film Year: 1951
Film Length: 92 minutes
Genre: Science Fiction
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Colour/B&W: B&W
BD Specifications:
Resolution: 1080/24p
Video Codec: AVC @ 26MBPS
Disc Size: BD-50
Audio:
English DTS 5.1 HD Master Audio
English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Subtitles: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese
Film Rating: G
Release Date: AVAILABLE NOW
Rating: :star: :star: :star: :star: / :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Starring: Michael Rennie (Klaatu), Patricia Neal (Helen Benson), Hugh Marlowe (Tom Stevens), Sam Jaffe (Prof. Jacob Barnhardt), Billy Gray (Bobby Benson)
Screenplay by: Edmund H. North
Directed by: Robert Wise
From Out Of Space… A Warning And An Ultimatum.
A messenger from a neighboring planet named Klaatu, arrives with his spaceship in Washington, D.C. People are both curious and afraid at the saucer but are quick to respond with violence to this intergalactic visitor. After a failed attempt to speak to the world’s leaders about his mission, he reveals that in this post-war era, human conflict is proving threatening to peace and stability in outer space. Nuclear power will be harnessed and will transport man beyond the reaches of Earth’s atmosphere and the warring nature of humans will not be tolerated. If the people of Earth do not comply, drastic actions will take place – including the existence of Earth herself. This is the day the earth stood still.
I can’t believe I haven’t seen this movie up to this point. What a great film I’ve missed over the years. Without giving up too much of the film’s plot, the message of this film is timeless; humans are violent creatures. We do have the choice to end violence or destroy ourselves. Unfortunately, in a world so big with so many cultures, so many beliefs, and so many disagreements, the end to all war seems like a dim hope. Its no wonder science fiction wrote of concerns from other worlds. Should such a rigid and unforgiving solution proposed by Klaatu be applied to our world today? Strict policing would put a clamp on society to make it conform to non-violence, but that also would eliminate many freedoms including the right to disagree… just be sure to leave your temper and club at home.
VIDEO QUALITY: 4.5/5 :star: :star: :star: :star:
This is the first time I’ve seen an older film in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio on my screen. I have seen an old 4:3 film in HD in a professional environment and I was very impressed. Anyone who says that there is no difference in image quality watching an old film on SD DVD or HD BD is incorrect. Edges are much more distinct. The grain in the image takes on a visual texture that DVD can’t seem to reproduce. The increased resolution improves image depth and the realism of the image. In fact, there were many times I felt like I was transported back in time when watching this. It’s like reading an old book; I can read about people’s point of view back in the day directly from the writer rather than from some historian telling me another version of the truth. When watching this disc, watching shots that only a few people would find important (such as one when Klaatu and Helen are speaking in the living room), I gained perception of the living room setup. I felt like I was taking a walk back in time – I could clearly see the designs in the carpet, the set up of the living room, and depth between the chair and other objects. From a historic point of view, it’s important for me to see this…to “feel” this… and for the first time I felt this because high definition made it happen. Fox has done a wonderful job in bringing The Day the Earth Stood Still to Blu-ray disc. Whatever work Fox did on this film, it made a remarkable improvement. Only some shots remain a bit blurry, or it looks like the film had a few pieces from other elements put in place. Maybe some parts were unusable so they used the next best thing…I really don’t know. But these moments are fairly seamless and not distracting. As a first time viewer of this film, I am impressed.
AUDIO QUALITY: 4/5 :star: :star: :star: :star:
The original mono soundtrack is included on this disc, but I listened to the 5.1 soundtrack and I was very impressed. Sound effects and dialogue are dated, but it’s not as bad as I was expecting. The audio does has some oooomph but it’s the slightly aggressive treble that keeps it from being completely comfortable at a loud listening level. This happens when the loudness in the soundtrack increases, and there is some decent dynamic range in this mix. The quieter sounds come through nicely and aren’t masked by hiss, pops, or other audio artefacts. My assumption is that there was some cleaning up on the audio side. Dialogue is lodged firmly in the center channel without bleeding in other channels. Directional effects do happen from time to time, but most are still centralized. It’s the innovative music orchestrated by Bernard Herrmann that makes this soundtrack come alive in all channels. The soundstage is wide, deep, and spacious. The use of the Theremin, an instrument that intrigues me to no end, adds to that eerie, jittery fear that the film wants to convey. The 5.1 encoding is lossless DTS-HDMA.
TACTILE FUN!!: 1/5 :star:
TRANSDUCER ON/OFF?: ON
A bit of LFE rumble is present, such as when the flying saucer lands on Earth. Even though the moments are few and far between, when the film calls for it, it adds to the experience without feeling over the top.
SPECIAL FEATURES: 4/5 :star: :star: :star: :star:
The main menu has music and sound effects that can be turned on or off. I opted to turn it off for a while when browsing the menu while listening to the commentary tracks.
audio commentaries - Commentary 1: Director Robert Wise and Nicholas Meyer (Director Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). Meyer questions Wise about the film as it plays, and Wise gives his insight. It’s a quiet commentary as both men speak very calmly. Commentary 2: Film and Music Historians John Morgan, Steven Smith, William Stromberg and Nick Redman. This commentary is much louder. The men discuss and contribute to a variety of subjects regarding this film. For more diverse information about the film, I’d recommend this track first, although it’s quite hard not to listen to the commentary from the director.
Isolated Music Track - by far my favourite feature, you can hear the new 5.1 music mix encoded in DTS-HDMA lossless audio! The music plays a huge role when creating the mood of the film that even the director, Robert Wise, was very impressed how it, and the use of the theremin, added dimension to the film. It’s recorded very well, is very clear, and quite dynamic. Thank you Fox for doing this. I’ll be looking forward to seeing more of this in the future.
The World of Theremin (HD, 9min) - the instrument is introduced by musician Peter Pringle and he gives a bit of history of the device and roughly shows how it is made and how it works. Cool instrument, and I didn’t think it was as old as it really is! He then goes on to play the main title sequence. An interactive feature lets you create a music piece using the theremin for a 30 second clip of the film. I think I’ve now found my Christmas holiday project – building my own theremin!
Gort Command! Interactive Game -
The Making of The Day the Earth Stood Sill (HD, 23:53) – from how the screenplay came to be based on a sci-fi story “Farewell to the Master” by Harry Bates. It features many people from the film industry as well as relatives of the deceased.
decoding “Klaatu Barada Nikto” Science Fiction as Metaphor (HD, 16:14) – about the division of the world between superpowers, democracy vs. communism, and the use of nuclear weapons.
A Brief History of Flying Saucers (HD, 34:02) – aerospace and UFO researchers discuss historical flying saucer identifications
The Astounding Harry Bates (HD 11:03) – a look at his life before he wrote the book, and we get to hear some audio of him speaking.
Edmund North: The Man Who Made The Earth Stand Still (HD, 14:43) – about the writer, who is anti-war but is known for doing war and history films.
Race to Oblivion: A Documentary Short Written and Produced by Edmund North (SD, 26:52) – a public service announcement about the state of war on Earth, with Burt Lancaster, and an interview with an atomic war survivor.
Farewell to the Master: A Reading by Jamieson K. Price of the Original Harry Bates Short Story - (audio only, 1:36:56, three chapters)
Fox Movietone News (1951), (SD, 6:21) – down with those Russians!
Teaser Trailer, Theatrical Trailer, The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008 Trailer), and seven galleries. An extended 7-minute trailer of the 2008 version of the film can be seen only when the disc is first put in the player.
IN THE END...
Released only weeks away from the 2008 theatrical remake, The Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic not forgotten. If you plan on picking up this disc, you’ll get excellent A/V, very good special features, and a coupon-sticker to apply to the 2008 theatrical release.
Michael Osadciw
December 08, 2008.
Review System
THE DAY
THE EARTH
STOOD STILL
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Film Year: 1951
Film Length: 92 minutes
Genre: Science Fiction
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Colour/B&W: B&W
BD Specifications:
Resolution: 1080/24p
Video Codec: AVC @ 26MBPS
Disc Size: BD-50
Audio:
English DTS 5.1 HD Master Audio
English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Subtitles: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese
Film Rating: G
Release Date: AVAILABLE NOW
Rating: :star: :star: :star: :star: / :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Starring: Michael Rennie (Klaatu), Patricia Neal (Helen Benson), Hugh Marlowe (Tom Stevens), Sam Jaffe (Prof. Jacob Barnhardt), Billy Gray (Bobby Benson)
Screenplay by: Edmund H. North
Directed by: Robert Wise
From Out Of Space… A Warning And An Ultimatum.
A messenger from a neighboring planet named Klaatu, arrives with his spaceship in Washington, D.C. People are both curious and afraid at the saucer but are quick to respond with violence to this intergalactic visitor. After a failed attempt to speak to the world’s leaders about his mission, he reveals that in this post-war era, human conflict is proving threatening to peace and stability in outer space. Nuclear power will be harnessed and will transport man beyond the reaches of Earth’s atmosphere and the warring nature of humans will not be tolerated. If the people of Earth do not comply, drastic actions will take place – including the existence of Earth herself. This is the day the earth stood still.
I can’t believe I haven’t seen this movie up to this point. What a great film I’ve missed over the years. Without giving up too much of the film’s plot, the message of this film is timeless; humans are violent creatures. We do have the choice to end violence or destroy ourselves. Unfortunately, in a world so big with so many cultures, so many beliefs, and so many disagreements, the end to all war seems like a dim hope. Its no wonder science fiction wrote of concerns from other worlds. Should such a rigid and unforgiving solution proposed by Klaatu be applied to our world today? Strict policing would put a clamp on society to make it conform to non-violence, but that also would eliminate many freedoms including the right to disagree… just be sure to leave your temper and club at home.
VIDEO QUALITY: 4.5/5 :star: :star: :star: :star:
This is the first time I’ve seen an older film in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio on my screen. I have seen an old 4:3 film in HD in a professional environment and I was very impressed. Anyone who says that there is no difference in image quality watching an old film on SD DVD or HD BD is incorrect. Edges are much more distinct. The grain in the image takes on a visual texture that DVD can’t seem to reproduce. The increased resolution improves image depth and the realism of the image. In fact, there were many times I felt like I was transported back in time when watching this. It’s like reading an old book; I can read about people’s point of view back in the day directly from the writer rather than from some historian telling me another version of the truth. When watching this disc, watching shots that only a few people would find important (such as one when Klaatu and Helen are speaking in the living room), I gained perception of the living room setup. I felt like I was taking a walk back in time – I could clearly see the designs in the carpet, the set up of the living room, and depth between the chair and other objects. From a historic point of view, it’s important for me to see this…to “feel” this… and for the first time I felt this because high definition made it happen. Fox has done a wonderful job in bringing The Day the Earth Stood Still to Blu-ray disc. Whatever work Fox did on this film, it made a remarkable improvement. Only some shots remain a bit blurry, or it looks like the film had a few pieces from other elements put in place. Maybe some parts were unusable so they used the next best thing…I really don’t know. But these moments are fairly seamless and not distracting. As a first time viewer of this film, I am impressed.
AUDIO QUALITY: 4/5 :star: :star: :star: :star:The original mono soundtrack is included on this disc, but I listened to the 5.1 soundtrack and I was very impressed. Sound effects and dialogue are dated, but it’s not as bad as I was expecting. The audio does has some oooomph but it’s the slightly aggressive treble that keeps it from being completely comfortable at a loud listening level. This happens when the loudness in the soundtrack increases, and there is some decent dynamic range in this mix. The quieter sounds come through nicely and aren’t masked by hiss, pops, or other audio artefacts. My assumption is that there was some cleaning up on the audio side. Dialogue is lodged firmly in the center channel without bleeding in other channels. Directional effects do happen from time to time, but most are still centralized. It’s the innovative music orchestrated by Bernard Herrmann that makes this soundtrack come alive in all channels. The soundstage is wide, deep, and spacious. The use of the Theremin, an instrument that intrigues me to no end, adds to that eerie, jittery fear that the film wants to convey. The 5.1 encoding is lossless DTS-HDMA.
TACTILE FUN!!: 1/5 :star:
TRANSDUCER ON/OFF?: ON
A bit of LFE rumble is present, such as when the flying saucer lands on Earth. Even though the moments are few and far between, when the film calls for it, it adds to the experience without feeling over the top.
SPECIAL FEATURES: 4/5 :star: :star: :star: :star:The main menu has music and sound effects that can be turned on or off. I opted to turn it off for a while when browsing the menu while listening to the commentary tracks.
audio commentaries - Commentary 1: Director Robert Wise and Nicholas Meyer (Director Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). Meyer questions Wise about the film as it plays, and Wise gives his insight. It’s a quiet commentary as both men speak very calmly. Commentary 2: Film and Music Historians John Morgan, Steven Smith, William Stromberg and Nick Redman. This commentary is much louder. The men discuss and contribute to a variety of subjects regarding this film. For more diverse information about the film, I’d recommend this track first, although it’s quite hard not to listen to the commentary from the director.
Isolated Music Track - by far my favourite feature, you can hear the new 5.1 music mix encoded in DTS-HDMA lossless audio! The music plays a huge role when creating the mood of the film that even the director, Robert Wise, was very impressed how it, and the use of the theremin, added dimension to the film. It’s recorded very well, is very clear, and quite dynamic. Thank you Fox for doing this. I’ll be looking forward to seeing more of this in the future.
The World of Theremin (HD, 9min) - the instrument is introduced by musician Peter Pringle and he gives a bit of history of the device and roughly shows how it is made and how it works. Cool instrument, and I didn’t think it was as old as it really is! He then goes on to play the main title sequence. An interactive feature lets you create a music piece using the theremin for a 30 second clip of the film. I think I’ve now found my Christmas holiday project – building my own theremin!
Gort Command! Interactive Game -
The Making of The Day the Earth Stood Sill (HD, 23:53) – from how the screenplay came to be based on a sci-fi story “Farewell to the Master” by Harry Bates. It features many people from the film industry as well as relatives of the deceased.
decoding “Klaatu Barada Nikto” Science Fiction as Metaphor (HD, 16:14) – about the division of the world between superpowers, democracy vs. communism, and the use of nuclear weapons.
A Brief History of Flying Saucers (HD, 34:02) – aerospace and UFO researchers discuss historical flying saucer identifications
The Astounding Harry Bates (HD 11:03) – a look at his life before he wrote the book, and we get to hear some audio of him speaking.
Edmund North: The Man Who Made The Earth Stand Still (HD, 14:43) – about the writer, who is anti-war but is known for doing war and history films.
Race to Oblivion: A Documentary Short Written and Produced by Edmund North (SD, 26:52) – a public service announcement about the state of war on Earth, with Burt Lancaster, and an interview with an atomic war survivor.
Farewell to the Master: A Reading by Jamieson K. Price of the Original Harry Bates Short Story - (audio only, 1:36:56, three chapters)
Fox Movietone News (1951), (SD, 6:21) – down with those Russians!
Teaser Trailer, Theatrical Trailer, The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008 Trailer), and seven galleries. An extended 7-minute trailer of the 2008 version of the film can be seen only when the disc is first put in the player.
IN THE END...
Released only weeks away from the 2008 theatrical remake, The Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic not forgotten. If you plan on picking up this disc, you’ll get excellent A/V, very good special features, and a coupon-sticker to apply to the 2008 theatrical release.
Michael Osadciw
December 08, 2008.
Review System
