Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us (2005) (TV)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Richard Schickel

Writer:

Richard Schickel (writer)

Release Date:

5 July 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Directors Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott and James Cameron discuss the science fiction movies of the 1950s that influenced them. |

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Cold War | Number In Title

Cast

Mark Hamill	...	Himself - Narrator (voice)
Steven Spielberg	...	Himself - interviewee
George Lucas	...	Himself - interviewee
Ridley Scott	...	Himself - interviewee
James Cameron	...	Himself - interviewee
Edmund Gwenn	...	Dr. Harold Medford (archive footage)
Bud Abbott	...	Orville (archive footage)
Walter Pidgeon	...	Dr. Edward Morbius (archive footage)
Anne Francis	...	Altaira Morbius (archive footage)
James Arness	...	The Thing (archive footage)
Michael Rennie	...	Klaatu (archive footage)

Also Known As:

Watch the Skies! (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

56 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Black and White

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Company:

Lorac Productions

Movie Connections:

Features The Monolith Monsters (1957)

A basic accounting of the better known 50's Sci Fi flicks

I was really looking forward to watching this documentary on what I considered to be some of the most entertaining films ever made. Growing up in L.A. during the 60's many of these old black and white films were shown on the local stations. I even remember a Friday night show called "Strange Tales of Science Fiction" that showcased a different Sci Fi flick every week. This documentary however spent way too much time on the opinions of the four famous filmmakers and how they felt about the classic movies of that genre and how they used them as inspiration in their filmaking.

That is not what I was hoping for in this documentary. It really could have been a comprehensive examination of the decade instead of a brief highlighting of the most well known films of the era. Anyone who has studied or been interested in these films are pretty familiar with standouts such as War of the Worlds, Forbidden Planet, The Thing, The Day the Earth Stood Still, etc. I would have liked to see some excerpts from lesser known films and perhaps some interviews with people involved in the making of these movies. I would have to agree the documentary was way too focused on Spielberg's opinions and was a type of commercial for his new release of War of the Worlds.