The Sustentative
Alongside Robert Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still and Christian Nyby’s The Thing from Another World, Jack Arnold’s It Came from Outer Space helped set the standard for 1950’s invasion narratives and loosely veiled political indictments. Based on a Ray Bradbury short story, Arnold’s effort would influence countless generations of filmmakers, foremost of which is John Carpenter, the work serving as the impetus for the master for becoming a director.
John Putnam (Richard Carlson) and Ellen Fields (Barbara Rush) witness a falling meteor, which crashes near the former’s home. Upon investigation, an alien being appears but dissipates as falling rubble buries the spacecraft. As John attempts to convenience the town of Sand Rock, Arizona of the possible danger, two telephone repairmen, Frank (Joe Sawyer) and George (Russell Johnson), disappear only to reappear as effigies of themselves. Only after Ellen goes missing does Sheriff Matt Warren (Charles Drake) and the town actively pursue the case. Ironically, John informs the townspeople that the aliens are not a threat, that they are only attempting to reconstruct their space vessel after an unplanned crash, and that they are safe so long as they do not act aggressively toward the beings within the next 24 hours.
What is most fascinating about Arnold’s film in the duality in which its main premise can be interpreted. We watch as the people of Sand Rock are adamantly apathetic in respect John’s claims that an alien spacecraft is hidden under the debris and that an alien presence is roaming the countryside unchecked. Everyone, including his fiancée Ellen, readily dismisses John’s concerns as haggard and lofty, often caustically citing his profession as they wave his off. Yet the mindsets between the town and John transverse one another once Ellen is captured as the latter discovers that the aliens mean no harm but, if intruded upon, are willing to act defensively. Thus, be it conservative or liberal, It Came from Outer Space can be read as trumping many of the McCarthy Era cautionary invasion tales as it goes one further and explores, not only the paranoia of the masses, but the ramifications of such emotions. Obviously a prototype for the signature film of the genre, Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers prototype, It Came from Outer Space is perhaps most effective in its presentation of extreme polarities as Matt forms a posse to ensure that John’s voiceover sentiment that the community, “sure of [the town’s] future” is maintained and prophetic.
Unfortunately, for the all of the sociological, philosophical, psychological, and political girth that the film exhibits, it is plagued by a barrage of vices, depleting most of its content as a consequence.
The B-Movieness
Indeed, the town of Sand Rock has become a bit too complacent for Arnold opens with John noticing and, hiddy-ho accepting, Ellen’s acrid acknowledgment that amenities such as a warm meal will be kicked in the ass as soon as she gets the rock. But, alas, no worries–a big-ass meteor damn near takes out the house after the bitch wishes upon a star. So, what have we learned so far? Ixnae on the owjoblae just so long as you keep her damn mouth shut from here on out, comprende?
However, something is askew in the dry, dry village for Pete Davis declares that he couldn’t have possibly heard the crash due to John’s incessant banging on his front door. Now, either we missed something and John is prophetic and started knocking before the collision or we have landed slam-bang in the middle of the Twilight Zone where time is bendable . . .
Which seems to be the case. As if tossing meteors, rubble, parallax error and the like at us via 3D vision wasn’t enough, Arnold tries his damnedest to taint our perceptions even more via poor, poor editing. Wait, what’s that, John sees something in the crater? Let’s have a look. Oh, it’s the silhouette of a man. No, scratch that, it’s just John. No, it is another figure. Nope just John. Fuck, I’m gonna need a blowjob after all. Gimme that ring back!
But don’t fret my distraught cineophiles, we’re here for you in all your befuddledness. Yes, there’s chumminess abound as Pete has an ever ready, “Oh brother” waiting in the wings while the town sheriff will undoubtedly greet you with a good ol’ boy, “Hello.”
By the way, did you know that Joshua trees are frightening, but not so much so as a dead coyote, yet equal to the thought of going into a mine shaft? No? Well, in case you ever need a vocal reminder, Ellen has a designative, qualitative scream for each occasion.
Also, in case you were wondering, the precept for unearthing a U.F.O. is it must be radioactive in order to bother will all the dirt-under-the-fingernails hassle. No Geiger click, no shovel, sorry. This inequitable scenario also applies to posse membership: No hat, no rifle. No exceptions.
Of course, if some of this is a little blurry or you’re feeling a bit overanxious like John as you find yourself overacting, implementing hyperactive inflections with every other word, you can do as the Romans or, more specifically, George, in that if you cannot, for the life of you, figure out why an astronomer has a spotlight on his car, then go ahead, freely sample the Arizona peyote and everything will become ever so clear to you as you will then have reason to pause and comment upon the sun even though it is an overcast day. But don’t forget you’ll need to stand at such an angle that the stumpy, wobbly telephone pole don’t block your vision (we build ’em assessable ’round these here parts ’cuz of that whole unnecessary expendature of energy thing we have goin’ with the Geiger Counter).
Yes, that’s it, you’re getting it now. The aliens are only here for bad tweed blazers, replete with elbow patches. Of course, what else? Ope, don’t get testy. Yes, at exactly 92 degrees, no more, no less, you have reason to be a bit irritable but unless you keep your little monster under control (remember, you’re on your own now that she has the rock), mini-me Ellen will use her magic wand-cum-arc welder and cut that sucker clean off. You stand warned.
But alas, it’s all been a movie, how else can you explain a spaceship taking off with such force that it shakes the damn camera but those in frame have either a) extremely good equilibrium, b) an astounding synchronicity when it come to group undulation, or c) forgot to move around a bit? So, yes, everything’s fine, the blond trophy wife is safe and refusing to put out and Henry Mancini will never again bombard you with his theremin. What did you expect from a film whose rejected creature wound up in Joseph Newman’s This Island Earth, a film so bad that MST3K chose it as its feature in their cinematic debut?
-Egregious Gurnow
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
