The Day the Earth Stopped

I believe one of the reasons why so-called "A" movies have in general better ratings than "B" movies is the marketing campaign that helps to brain wash with delicious trailers the audience long before they even get to see the movie. "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was no exemption, but after all the movie was not really that good, was it?

Now "The Day the Earth Stopped" is IMHO much better than what you would expect from a "B" movie. Maybe the overall acting isn't that brilliant but you still develop an emotional connection with C. Thomas Howell and classic beautiful actress Sinead McCafferty. She reminds somewhat on Sophia Loren, or Brigitte Bardot but is still herself. How can one criticize on too much make-up? Cleopatra in Ancient Egypt or the Ladies in the 50ties utilized generous make-up as well. I did not think for a second about too much make-up. And, the role requires to portrait a mysterious perfect being from a different planet!! Sinead McCafferty knows how to act without saying too much, and it comes naturally, convincing, what else could you possibly want?

Also, I strongly disagree with the critique on bad film music. The score may not be perfect in all scenes, however, the composer produced several beautiful tunes that make me reach out for the soundtrack.

Cheers, TC

Terrible, terrible, what were they thinking? Bad Acting. Bad Directing. Bad Story Line or Script. Made me wonder if they get someone to watch what they've made prior to releasing a movie. I actually sat through nearly half this movie for a laugh, then I just fast forwarded in big chunks.

Oh, we two Aliens, we wont let them talk to anyone important and we'll keep them in an old abandoned warehouse and let a low ranking officer beat them up a bit. First 2 minutes of the film look promising, don't let it fool you.

Nothing good about this movie sorry.

Did I mention this was terrible?

Once again, the direct-to-DVD movie studio The Asylum blatantly rips off a major Hollywood movie not just with its title, but with its story. Of course, the movie being ripped off is "The Day The Earth Stood Still". Make no mistake, this is a BAD movie, but I found it a little better than Asylum's other mind-numbing movie. There are a few okay special effects sequences, which come across even better when you know this was a REAL low budget movie. And star/director Howell really does seem to be trying on both sides of the camera. While his performance ends up just being adequate, he does at least score a few points with his direction, giving the government base interiors and a few outdoor locations a moody, somewhat creepy feel. But ultimately, the low budget and the screenplay defeat his efforts. Much of the movie looks really cheap, with little to no set dressing and few extras. The opening of the movie is somewhat confusing, starting at what seems to be chapter two. But the biggest problems the movie has is its tone. There seems to be no sense of urgency or panic, and although the running time is just 85 minutes, it feels like it runs at least a half hour longer. It's sad that Howell and Judd Nelson's careers have gone so low that they are working for The Asylum. Won't someone else with real Hollywood power give them another chance?

Within the first ten minutes I was thinking hard about if this was a very elaborate Youtube spoof or a serious film. The acting is so undeniably awful it makes you cringe. The camera work is cheap and amateur while the sound and lighting could be done by an undergrad making their first drama. You think I'm joking? Look for the massively over exposed shot at 00:09:98.

It just gets worse from here. Very low budget, poorly written and astounding that it made it this far. There is a weird mix between shots that blew the budget and money saving stuff that makes things look just plain nasty. How many times have you seen a government agent jumping from an expensive black truck only to start setting up a fold out table for his equipment? Mix this with cheap CGI and you have an instant looser. Should have been killed in pre-production. Watch if you want to know how not to make a feature film.

*shakes head*

I've seen some bad movies in my days. I'm also quite a big sci-fi fan, so my tolerance level was high enough. But this is one of those movies I really DISCOURAGE people to watch. The performances are lame, the storyline is ancient history, the sets are lame, and, except SOME computer graphics, the movie is just pure crap. Everything is big and shiny (the cars, the actors), but I can't shake the feeling of a high-school medium-grade film project. Why do directors, producers, etc., feel the need to create such junk? I would REALLY love to see less (if any) such "movies"... Just donate the money to less fortunate children or throw a party or something, but stop wasting people lives and nerves!