And it comes right at you!
Exploding from the screen and absolutely thrilling in its rendering, It Came From Outer Space, with an eerie performance from Russell Johnson (This Island Earth, Attack of the Crab Monsters, "Gilligan's Island"), is damn near revolutionary-looking in its brand-new 4K sheen. The movie, of course, begins with a close encounter of the comet kind. Blasting across the desert, the comet comes right at the screen and, after a series of close encounters, it seems this “meteor” is not at all what it seems.
Produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold, It Came From Outer Space is the first 3D film from Universal, but it doesn’t show a damn wrinkle on its countenance thanks to the 4K processing at work here. Of course, it helps that Arnold’s direction is absolutely on fire throughout, bringing all sorts of angles and suspense into this extraterrestrial encounter.
Starring Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush as the couple who originally spot the meteor and then, upon closer inspection, discover that the damn thing is alien spacecraft and not a meteor at all, It Came From Outer Space is all about the desert and its heat and how it affects an entire populace as the pushback as to what amateur astronomer John Putnam and schoolteacher Ellen Fields have seen reaches record heights.
No one wants to believe in martians!
Based on a treatment by Ray Bradbury and scripted by Harry Essex, the film hits all the 1950s science fiction genre staples with force: the paranoia, the tension, the confusion, the stifling of the truth. It’s all here in what goes down as the premiere '50s Hollywood anti-Communist propaganda flick. Heck, there’s even a western bit thrown in the mix as the aliens shape shift into human form and go after some miners in the sturrounding areas. 
There’s even some gags along the way as a kid dresses up as a space man and delivers a message from the Sheriff to the young couple. The hysteria is real as more and more people get replaced by these shape-shifting aliens, but will anyone believe the amateur astronomers?!
Find out in It Came From Outer Space, now on 4K Ultra Blu-ray from Universal! The truth is out there.
Universal Essentials Collection / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital 4K
Home Video Distributor: Universal Studios
Available on Blu-ray - October 3, 2023
Screen Formats: 1.33:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray 3D; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A
Based on a treatment from acclaimed writer Ray Bradbury, It Came from Outer Space starring Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush is a science fiction classic that is as thought-provoking and tantalizing today as it was when it first "landed" on the silver screen. When amateur astronomer John Putnam (Carlson) and his fiancée Ellen Fields (Rush) are stargazing in the desert, a spaceship bursts from the sky and crashes to the ground. Just before a landslide buries the ship, a mysterious creature emerges and disappears into the darkness. Of course, when he tells his story to the sheriff (Charles Drake), John is branded a crackpot. Before long, strange things begin to happen, but will the tide of disbelief turn in time?
VIDEO
Well, it does not disappoint. The brand-new Dolby Vision HDR Master from a new 4K Scan of the original camera negative absolutely ignites this film with a blister of detailed images which never pops. The details are sharp, and the looks of the desert are deep, full of promise, and absolutely inspiring. The film grain is solid and there is no visible dirt during the running time. Everything is smooth sailing on this upgrade. Some of the details in the wardrobe and the environment reveal the intentions of the shoot of the movie and, honestly, I love that about this transfer. Crisp and detailed, feel the heat and the humidity with Universal’s handling of this classic.
AUDIO
The uncompressed monaural soundtrack included here makes the dialogue and music front and center, which is ought to be as the soundscapes of the aliens burst onto the screen.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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Once again, Film Historian Tom Weaver provides a great and informative commentary that fans are going to love.
Special Features:
No punches are pulled as this one is loaded with great supplemental items, including The Universe According to Universal, a theatrical trailer, a blu-ray copy, and the outstanding commentary.
- Includes 4K UHD, Blu-ray and a digital copy of It Came from Outer Space
- 4x Sharper than Full HD with High Dynamic Range (HDR10)
- The Universe According to Universal
- Theatrical Trailer
- Feature Commentary with Film Historian Tom Weaver
- Theatrical Trailer (3D)
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 81 mins
Director: Jack Arnold
Writer: Harry Essex; Ray Bradbury
Cast: Richard Carlson; Barbara Rush; Charles Drake
Genre: Horror
Tagline: Amazing! Exciting! Spectacular!
Memorable Movie Quote: "I tell you from its size and its appearance this thing come from outer space. I even have reason to believe that there's some form of life in it."
Distributor: Universal International Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: June 5, 1953
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 3, 2023.
Synopsis: When amateur astronomer John Putnam (Carlson) and his fiancée Ellen Fields (Rush) are stargazing in the desert, a spaceship bursts from the sky and crashes to the ground. Just before a landslide buries the ship, a mysterious creature emerges and disappears into the darkness. Of course, when he tells his story to the sheriff (Charles Drake), John is branded a crackpot. Before long, strange things begin to happen, but will the tide of disbelief turn in time?
