The Man from Earth (2007)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Richard Schenkman

Writer:

Jerome Bixby (written by)

Release Date:

13 November 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Sci-Fi

Plot:

An impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring...

Plot Keywords:

Professor | Reference To Voltaire | Caveman | Farewell Party | Reference To Jesus

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

David Lee Smith	...	John Oldman
Tony Todd	...	Dan
John Billingsley	...	Harry
Ellen Crawford	...	Edith
Annika Peterson	...	Sandy
William Katt	...	Art
Alexis Thorpe	...	Linda Murphy
Richard Riehle	...	Dr. Will Gruber
Steven Littles	...	Moving Man #1
Chase Sprague	...	Moving Man #2
Robbie Bryan	...	Officer

Also Known As:

Jerome Bixby's The Man from Earth (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Agua Dulce Movie Ranch - 34855 Petersen Road, Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company:

Falling Sky Entertainment

Trivia:

The Tony Todd character, "Dan", mentions that he is gonna go home and watch Star Trek. Tony Todd appeared in seven episodes and one video game of Star Trek since 1990, John Billingsley starred in Star Trek: Enterprise and screenwriter Jerome Bixby wrote several episodes of the original series. Richard Riehle also guest starred in an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

Goofs:

Continuity: When John invites his friends into the house, he tells them the electricity is on and the gas is off. Later, the fireplace can be clearly seen to be a gas fire (the flame is coming from the bottom of the fireplace, not from the logs).

Quotes:

Edith: [talking about God] He's everywhere. We just can't see him.
Harry: Pfft. If this was the best I could do, I'd be hiding, too.

Movie Connections:

References Fantastic Voyage (1966)

Soundtrack:

7th Symponhy 2nd Movement

Educational

A seriously engaging film with a small twist at the end. Lots of small inputs of educational facts and figures but stay alert as they come quick and fast. I thought the mix of characters was excellent and the tale outstanding, but that is down to Bixby the writer. The acting was a little wooden but the story-line was fast enough (after a slightly slow start) to save dwelling on this. A sci-fi film with absolutely no special effects, relying solely on the story and a room-full of actors.

A highly recommended film that needs some concentration and thought to fully appreciate, and that might even cause a tear if you become fully immersed. A nice change from the usual no-brainer special effects charged tear-aways.