#itcamefromouterspace

I was somewhat charmed the first time I saw It Came from Outer Space. During this second viewing, not so much. Maybe I need a tie-breaker third viewing to decide whether this film is good or not.

When amateur astronomer and science fiction writer John Putnam (Richard Carlson) investigates an object falling from the sky, he discovers an alien ship. It's quickly buried by an avalanche, but not before at least one of its passengers escapes. Not even John’s girlfriend Ellen (Barbara Rush) believes his story so when the alien starts taking over people’s bodies, it’s up to John to save the day.

The picture starts off strong. The townspeople don't believe our hero and the aliens' mysterious agenda keeps you intrigued. Additionally, the performances are unusually good for a film of this kind. Even the small roles are filled with memorable performers. Kathleen Hughes in a small but sexy role being one of the highlights. There are several surprises throughout plot- and direction-wise. The Hays code forbade depictions of sex outside of marriage but this movie's got two unmarried adults hanging out at each other’s houses alone at night. Ellen breaks other social expectations by doing as she pleases and being gun-ho about investigating the alien business once things start going really crazy. As for the aliens and spaceships, the designs are pretty cool and some neat ideas are thrown around. The “monster vision” effect is pretty cool too.

Once the uncertainty is over and we really dig into the actual extraterrestrial stuff, this picture misses opportunities when it's not all over the place. Firstly, the aliens' look is revealed way too early. There’s no buildup at all. You get a full view within 20 minutes and the creature looks pretty silly. From there, where does this movie want to go? Are the aliens sinister? Are they benevolent but misunderstood? I’ve seen this movie twice and I’m still not sure. It’s like they’re bipolar or excessively deceptive because their actions do not make any sense one way or another. It’s hard to give a good example without revealing too much but remember Mars Attacks!? That scene where the Martians walk around with a radio that keeps repeating “We come in peace” over and over while they disintegrate anyone who approaches with open arms? If someone told me that scene was a parody of this film, or that it was created because Tim Burton vividly recalled being totally confused after It Came from Outer Space, I wouldn't be surprised.

This film probably has a lot more historical significance in the realm of the American science fiction genre than it has entertainment value. The promise hinted at in the beginning keeps slipping away. Ellen is a perfect example. She starts off kind of tough eventually devolves into a helpless screaming female. It’s not entirely bad, but with that ending and an unmemorable plot, I can only recommend this one to die-hard sci-fi enthusiasts. (On DVD, May 19, 2015)