Monday, September 25, 2023

Earth Vs the Flying Saucers Through a Kid's Eyes

1956


On whether to watch it in black and white or colorized:
"What kind of question is that. "

On a Flying Saucer being in the opening shot:
"This is much better than beneath the sea."

On early effects:
Rosa- "It flew right through the plane."

On Fifties fashions:
"Why are those people so frilly?"

On names:
Anabelle- "Why didn't they call it 'It Came from Outer Space'?"
Me- "That name was used three years earlier. 
Remember the evil giant carrot in the Sci Fi Dine in Previews?"
*Conversation abruptly ends*
[Correction, the carrot was from It Conquered the World, (1956)
It Came From Outer Space was the seaweed eyeball monster.]

On Russell and Carol in the car:
"Why are they so close together?
Is this before seat belts were required?"
*He is complimenting her*
"These are the least smooth lines ever."

On old style subtitles that go for the jist, not every word:
"The subtitle typer is really lazy."

On the car couple hearing something:
"A... UFO, perhaps?"
*a flying saucer zooms in*
"Aaah! Right behind you!!!!
That's a cool colored car."
*They get out*
"Oh, a flying saucer, I'm not driving anymore.
That's what I would do too."

On asking random people to light a cigarette:
"So...everyone just carried fire around back in the day?

On learning Carol was (and is) Russell's secretary before being his wife:
"I don’t like that. 
Now he gives me the heebie jeebies."

On the recording of the Flying Saucer:
"What is that gonna prove?  
I can make that sound." *Does so* 

On Fifties tropes:
Anabelle- "Why dies he have a pipe."
Me- "He's a scientist."
Anabelle- "So?"

On my habit of looking up Wikipedia pages for actors while the film is going:
Me- "Wow, the General made a lot of movies."
Anabelle- "Probably to make up for this one."

On the lights in the sky being dismissed by the authorities:
"There’s no way that just happens.
 That’s something.  
You guys are so stupid."

On the lunch date:
*long and confusing rant showing she is obsessed with how much lettuce there is on the table*

On higher ups dismissing Walters's UFO sighting as "probably a bird:"
"You say that with flying saucers around?  
Walters saw a flying saucer. Don’t hang up on him."
*The saucer is seen again*
"Better call Walters back."

On changing phone technology:
*A  complex question and answer session showing 
Anabelle has absolutely no idea what "the line is dead" meant* 

On the Flying Saucer door sloooooooowly opening:
"The suspense is killing me!!!"
*they emerge*
"Aliens!!!"

On the army shooting the Alien:
"Why don’t you talk to it?  
You guys!  
This will not go well."

On the Alien being a guy in a costume:
Anabelle- "Yay! stop motion!"
Me- "That is not stop motion."
Anabelle - "Yes it is."

On the weird looking thing on the table:
Rosa- "What the hell is that?"
Anabelle- "An Alien, It came from... The flying saucer."
*On screen they say it is a translating device*
Rosa and Anabelle- "Oh, of course."

On the Aliens' helmets:
"Are they going to take their hats off?
I bet they’re all monkeys.
No, that’s that Godzilla movie."

On the voice of the Aliens:
Me- "That’s Paul Frees."
Anabelle- The Burgermeister-Meisterburger!
 Give him a yo-yo!
He sounds like Goofy.  
Hyuck Hyuck"

On the trigger happy army:
Anabelle- "Why did they immediately shoot it?"
Me- "The Fifties." 
Anabelle- "I guess."

On the climax set in Washington DC:
"MOM, ITS THE CAPITOL!!!!
OOH WASHINGTON  MONUMENT !!!"

On the introduction of Major Huglin:
"It's Major Huggins!
He needs a hug."

On Russell punching out the guy watching him:
"This is not helping the accusation that you're sick in the head thing."

On learning the Aliens solar system was disintegrated:
"Awwwww."

On learning how the miind transfer erased Carol's father's brain:
"This is a little depressing."

On the army wanting to use atomic and hydrogen bombs on the saucers in civilized areas:
Anabelle- "That’s not very smart you guys."
Movie- "A new kind of weapon."
Anabelle- "It’s a slingshot. Movie- "An ultra sonic ray."
Anabelle- "It’s not a slingshot."

On the scientist noting, "The theory is beautiful but we don’t have the tools to make it work:"
Anabelle (chemistry major)- "Relatable."
Scientist- "Interrupt their magnetic field with a high power electric field."
Anabelle (chemistry major, definitely not physics major)-  *retching noise*

On the one Alien left behind from the saucer:
Anabelle- "What the heck! You guys!"
Me- "It’s E.T."
Anabelle- "What? No he's too tall."
*The Alien starts walking behind the army people*
Anabelle- "Why are you following him. He’s just gonna shoot you?"
*He does*
Anabelle- "See?"

On the scientists taking the helmet off the dead Alien:
Rosa- "Uh...That was underwhelming."
Anabelle- "It looks like alien emoji."
Me- "It looks like the 'Grays.' Now they're cliché aliens, but it had to come from somewhere."
Anabelle- "What if it was just human? That would have been better."

On the flying saucers starting to attack:
(For each of the frequent explosions)
*Screams*
or
"Weeeee!!"
or 
"Aaaah!" 

On the Flying Saucer dropping people its captured:
Rosa and Anabelle- "Oooh!"
Anabelle- "Her father. Awww."

On pronunciations:
Anabelle- "Why are they saying WARSHington?"
Me- "They're from Bahhston?"
Anabelle- *rolls eyes*

On a sense of familiarity:
Me- "This movie is one hundred percent what Mars Attacks is based on."

On referencing there will be an explosion on surface of sun:
"Aaaahhhh!!!
Wait.
That’s the same shot of the sun they started movie with."

On the large countdown showing humanity has nine days left:
"Thank you. That is the number nine."

On a romantic moment with Russell and Carol:
"Ewww kissing."

On some rear projection travel:
Anabelle- "They are clearly not driving."
Me- "True."

On gender roles in the Fifties:
Russell (to Carol) - "Pack my bag."
Anabelle- "Pack your own bag!"

On them working out details on a paper map:
"They’re coloring!"

On the flying saucers flying over Washington DC right after our trip:
Anabelle- "The Lincoln Memorial!
The Reflecting pool !!!
The Smithsonian Castle!! 
The National Gallery!!!
I can’t believe I saw the Mellon Fountain in this fine piece of cinema!!!
And a fine piece it is.
We were there!!
Hey this is before they built the Hirschhorn!"
*A Saucer crashes in the river*
Anabelle- "It’s in the Potomac.
Whoah, Look how big it is."
*More flyovers*
Anabelle- "Look! That!"
Me- "The National Archives."
Anabelle- "I don’t know! That’s why I said, 'That!'"

On the Flying Saucer crashing on the White House lawn:
"Just like Andrew Jackson when he got drunk.
Hey we were there!
We should have watched this when we were there. 
It would have been more suspenseful."

On old movies having quicker resolutions:
"How can they fix all this In five minutes?"

On the Flying Saucer wobbling around the Washington Monument:
"No!
Noooo!!!!"
*It stabilizes*
"Whew.
We’re good."
*It smashes into the monument*
"Nooooooooooooooooooooo!
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT FELL DOWN!!!!
AAAAAAAHHH!!!"
*Pause*
"Is this when it was closed?
*Play*
Is nothing sacred?"

On a Flying Saucer passing the Capitol:
"It didn’t take out Capitol.  
Huh. Favoritism.
The aliens are Mom."
*It passes behind the Capitol*
"Ooh Supreme Court."
*And back again*
"Look, Mom, the Capitol.
They made this movie for you.
Unless they burn it down."

On the Aliens emerging and being immediately shot down:
"That was easier than I thought it would be."

On the Flying Saucer getting less stable around the Capitol:
"Why is is not hitting the Capitol?"
*It crashes into it*
"Oh no it is!
The Dome! It exploded!!!
Good thing we didn’t go this day.  
Is this when they built Hirschhorn?
Because there was nothing else to see?"

On the cast reflecting after the Aliens are vanquished:
Movie- "Such a nice day."
Anabelle- "Except for all the dead people."
Movie- "Such a nice world. "
Anabelle- "What!? They just took out the Capitol."

On the film overall:
"So much better than what barely ever came from beneath the sea."


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