News
How Aliens Invaded B-Horror in the 1950s
On June 24, 1947, private pilot Kenneth Arnold claimed that he saw a string of nine shining, unidentified flying objects during a clear-skied summer flight over Mt. Rainier. These reflective flying discs – which he estimated were traveling upwards of 1,200 mph – marked the first of many sightings to follow.
Naturally, there are reported cases of flying objects throughout history. For centuries they were usually attributed to ghosts, angels, and other supernatural beings. But as science fiction grew as a genre, the idea of these flying objects being of an extraterrestrial nature was more broadly accepted.
In 1938, Orson Welles caused mass hysteria with his Mercury Theatre On the Air radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds – an adaptation of the novel by H.G. Wells. The radio play was structured as a normal evening of programming with news bulletin interruptions to provide updates on the fictional alien invasion in New York. The Mercury Theatre program was generally not subject to commercial breaks, adding to the realism of these news bulletin “interruptions”.
In the late 1940s – after WWII had subsided – the public was more tuned in to dangerous technological developments and the power they held. They all knew the mantra of “watch the skies”. They’d heard stories of the mysterious “foo fighters” seen by fighter pilots flying over Germany. So when Kenneth Arnold came forward with his report of a strange sighting, newspapers plastered his tale across the front page with a serious, even-handed tone.
The phrases “flying saucer” and “flying disc” entered the English lexicon, and a new fascination was formed. Science fiction had incorporated aliens as a threat in pulp novels and comics, but the complex ideas hadn’t shifted to the silver screen.
The fiendish monsters that haunted horror films in the 1940s were winding down in popularity, so the horror genre embraced science fiction, the Atomic Age, and their new audience; teenagers.
As teens piled into their cars and flocked to the drive-ins, films were made to cater to their pop culture preferences; fast-paced and violent with snappy dialogue and wild fantasy. Tired of melodramatic movies and TV nights at home, this new generation wanted new ideas.
Aliens and space invaders accepted that challenge. They provided new ideas that capitalized on the public interest in UFOs and abductions while lending their themes to social allegory. Films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1959), It Came From Outer Space (1953), The Blob (1958), and Invaders From Mars (1953) struck fear into the hearts of their audiences while subtly reflecting on McCarthyism and the Red Scare.
These films are now iconic in the genre. Even Plan 9 From Outer Space (1958) – though less successful with critics – has earned its place as a cult classic.
The interest in mysterious beings and unknown monsters fused into 1950s creature features as well. The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954), The Thing from Another World (1951), The Alligator People (1959), and an adaptation of the aforementioned The War of the Worlds (1953) featured strange new creatures with otherworldly origins.
Humans get a charge from fear – we thrive on it – which is one of the reasons that horror as a genre is so popular. We like to feel scared. In a post-war era, the public didn’t have to stand on guard for a potential Earthly threat, so they followed the extraterrestrial lead as both a source and outlet for their anxieties. Sometimes, when you’ve spent so long “watching the skies” for potential danger, it’s hard to look away.
For more on extraterrestrial fears, click here to read about the 1957 abduction of Antonio Vilas-Boas.
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Movies
‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt
Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.
In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.
This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.
Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.
“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”
The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”
The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.
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Movies
‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time
It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?
It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.
Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.
Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.
The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.
It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.
The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.
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News
Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween
Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.
The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.
This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.
This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.
“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”
But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.
This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.
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