Search - It! The Terror from Beyond Space on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1958 DVD Release: 08/28/2001 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 9 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 3 Genres: Science Fiction, Horror, Creature Film, Sci-Fi Horror

One of the best of the medium-budgeted science fiction flicks of the 1950s, It! The Terror from Beyond Space is set in "the future" (1973, to be exact). An rescue ship travels out to Mars to retrieve the only survivor of a space probe that has experienced some sort of cataclysm. That survivor, Col Ed Carruthers (Marshall Thompson) is accused of murdering his fellow crewmen. But Ed claims that the killer was a Martian monster, and hopes to prove his assertions by signing up for a second journey to the Red Planet. Before long, the crew members of this second expedition are being systematically killed off, and it looks as though Ed is up to his old tricks. As it turns out, however, Ed was telling the truth: there is a monster on board, the savage descendant of the once-mighty Martian civilization, who snuck on board when an irresponsible crew member left the door open. The monster stays alive by absorbing the vital body fluids of its victims-and there seems to be no way to stop this parasitic creature! If the plot of It! The Terror from Beyond Space seems vaguely familiar, it is because it was one of the primary inspirations for the 1979 sci-fi classic Alien. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Marshall Thompson - Col. Carruthers
Shawn Smith - Ann Anderson
Kim Spalding - Col. Van Heusen
Ann Doran - Mary Royce
Richard Benedict - Bob Finelli
Dabbs Greer - Eric Royce

A favorite among many fans of 1950s horror and science-fiction movies, It! The Terror from Beyond Space is given the MGM Midnight Movies treatment and boy does it look great. The high-contrast print looks very nice throughout. And though there is still evidence of scratches and lines, just compare the actual movie to the original theatrical trailer and see the difference. It! has been given a full-frame transfer, which is how it was originally seen in theaters anyway. The English mono soundtrack is fine. French and Spanish subtitles are also offered. As stated above, the disc also contains the fabulous original trailer, which includes "subliminal" messages like, "See It!" and "Look Out for It!." Priceless stuff -- and a reminder of how studios would try anything to get people into the theaters. If you haven't seen It! yet, perhaps you should before It! sees you. ~ Derek Hill, All Movie Guide