I remember seeing this 1951 flick multiple times when I was a kid. There are certain sounds that still make me feel uneasy -- the same way the flying monkeys in "The Wizard of Oz" still put a knot in my stomach.

Here's the original's promo trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi183566617/

I missed the first 40 minutes of it, but since I'd seen it multiple times before, it was easy to pick up on the story line. This was an amazingly forward thinking sci-fi flick considering it's date of creation. I only hope the new remake about to be released will do the story line justice.

Why is a remake necessary? IMHO. The original was a classic. Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Sam Jaffe, etc.

And Keanu Reeves is a joke. Best to watch the original.

Same with the Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Kevin McCarthy. All the other versions sucked.
Or the original bxw's of THE FLY. (which these days might be a good new way of transportation, provided they get the kinks out of those machines).

Hollywood is being lazy and cheap when they don't pay writers to write a new idea, instead of a retread.

Bll and Ted's Excellent Adventure showed all one needed to know on Keanu Reeves.(or Johnny Pnemonic).

GOOD LORD!

First it snows in Houston,
Than I agree with every word in Grahams post!

LOL!!!

For those of us in Canada

I'm off to see it tonight!

Let ya know what I think...!

In the meantime, who is this Keanu Reeves guy...

("I knew that would be you")

Well, I got down to the new Keanu Reeves movie and I highly recommend it; It'll make your weekend to get out and see it. You'll be glad you did. His movie touched on some major themes, not the least of which is what would a superior civilization do if they made open contact with us today!

There was also a scene in the movie where Keanu's character was asked to bring back the dead. To which Keanu's character replied that (despite all their advanced alien technology) there was some things they could not do, because when it came to death, "nothing really dies, it just transforms!"

This I have to whole heartedly AGREE with!

But it's not for everybody to so easily understand.

And there is a reason for that too!

But you will enjoy the movie, iit's quite good and more importantly, it's a highly probably scenario (as to how the American government and military would react in such a given situation).

Cheers

- Perry

Thanks for the review, Perry! I really don't get out to the movies as much as I wish I could, but I certainly wouldn't mind catching this one on an IMAX screen.

perry-

are you familiar though with the original?

Or was this the first time seeing the subject matter?

Graham if a remake is done well then it draws in new generations. When I saw it the first time in the 50's BSW* I was scared. Since George Lucas ASW** it takes more to entertain. Without entertainment the message won't be passed on.

[*Before Star Wars ** After Star Wars]

{Now since we are talking old to new. Does any one remember the twilight zone episode where Aliens were displeased with the direction the world had taken. They were going to destroy the world out of disappointment but gave them one more chance. The people made peace, destroyed al weapons and signed agreements. When the Aliens came back the world showed what they accomplished. The Aliens said you were put on this world to be like us. We gave you another chance and you choose peace. You will never be the waring children we wanted and the world was destroyed. }

The kindest reviews of this abomination of a re-make (I'm being a big hypocrite, not having seen it) have been that it's not as bad as it could have been. Most of the reviews, however, disagree with this.

Maybe Sean Penn will remake Soylent Green next. At least Sean can act.

Maybe Johnny Depp should have done it.

It's the old who's the best James Bond question (Sean Connery the only bond). Name this new thing something else.
Or Superman (George Reeves and only George Reeves.)
Or Batman (as good as the latest one was Adam West still could have kicked Christian Bale's WAM ZAP ZOOM BANG)

How many people here really want to see Indiana Jones 7, ONLY starring Shia LaBouf and not having Harrison Ford in it

You see, to me, throwing millions into a remake only dilutes the message.

How many people here are waiting to see a remake of Gone with the Wind with Miley Cyrus and Joe Jonas? (maybe a musical version?)

As for George Lucas, alot of purists would say he should have left well enough alone with the first 3 Star Wars, and not remade them with the next 3
(though he did get a whole new generation of fans) which should insure someone makes episode 7-8-9 down the road

Remember Gus Van Zant's Zany remake word for word retelling of Hitchcock's Psycho with Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche anyone?

or dare I say it

Cedric the Entertainer as Ralph Kramden in the Honeymooners Remake a few years ago. (I so wanted to like it, I really did)

However, if one goes for a little entertainment or something, nothing wrong with it...but the low budget, cheesy effects type of thing in the 1950s was
what made those movies work in the first place.

RIP Forrest Ackerman... (who most likely would also go and see remakes like this, and try really hard to like them, though I am not speaking for him)

One thing the movie has going for it is, most of the really good movies released now are only playing in one or two theatres in NY and LA, so by process
of nothing else playing, it is a weekend, and kids gotta see something, so it could easily make $50million dollars or so, and if it does make some money, we can be assured the trend will continue (there may be hard economic times, but kids always seem to find money to get into the movie theatres, don't they?)

Haven't seen the remake (not sure I want to, but... I probably can't resist.). The original is a classic as has been said. I saw it twice on AMC the last two nights. I figure the remake will focus on some of the gaps in the original. Like when the woman (Young Captian Janeway from Voyager) says "Gord... Klatuu Barrada Nicto" and Gord goes off to retrieve Klatuu's dead body. They didn't develop that very well in the original. Just showed Gord burning a hole in the jail cell (where were all the soldiers and cops they showed just before that scene supposedly guarding his body?). And you mean to say he just walked down the street to the police station and then away with Klatuu and nobody saw him?

Yeah I'll probably go see it but they can't top Sam Jaffee as Professor Barnhard.