Directed by William Cameron Menzies
Starring Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Jimmy Hunt, Leif Erickson, Hillary Brooke, Morris Ankrum, Douglas Kennedy
Finally! Ignite Films has announced a new 4K restoration of William Cameron Menzies’ Invaders From Mars (1953), coming to Blu-ray and 4K this Fall.
This is one movie nuts have been wanting since the minute high-definition reached our homes. Young David MacLean (Jimmy Hunt) discovers an alien invasion of his hometown — and no one will believe him. After all, he’s just a kid — and the townspeople are increasingly coming under the aliens’ mind control. David finds a couple of scientists (Arthur Franz and Helena Carter) who will believe him, and it’s up to them to thwart the alien invasion.
This plays a bit like a kid’s version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956), brilliantly designed and directed by William Cameron Menzies in SuperCinecolor. Menzies uses David’s point of view throughout, even keeping his camera at kid-level. Jimmy Hunt is excellent, which is a big part of the picture’s effectiveness.
Absolutely 100% completely totally essential.
The Hannibal 8 
The screengrabs on Ignite’s website look sensational.
I thought Ignite were a European company (Dutch?) the same people who
did those lovely restorations of the two Randolph Scott Westerns
(CANADIAN PACIFIC,THE CARIBOO TRAIL) released by Kino Lorber
several years back.
I wonder if Kino will release this or perhaps Ignite will put this out
themselves…whatever happens it’s wonderful news.
Right now I’m ploughing through Kino’s very fine Edgar Ulmer Sci Fi
set which quiet rightly is getting rave reviews on Cinesavant and DVD
Beaver.
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