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I’m gay that George Pal’s “Conquest of Site” has been released on DVD. Of course, I am a “baby boomer” who loves science fiction movies from the 50s–in fact, I have an interest in the whole history of sci-fi/fantasy films. It’s possible that younger viewers, passe to the modern technological wizardry in film, will derive “Conquest” dated and tedious. If they give it a chance, though, there is distinguished to luxuriate in.
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After the spectacular “When Worlds Collide” and “War of the Worlds”, George Pal returned to the almost “semi-documentary” style of his first large feature, which heralded the 50s sci-fi yelp, “Destination Moon”. Stationed above the earth in a gigantic, wheel-shaped station plot, a group of astronauts prepare to hover a spaceship to the moon. They are then notified of a change in plan–the moon is no longer the target–they are to undertake a great longer, and more uncertain spin to the planet Mars.
There are no stout stars in this film–clearly most of the budget went on special effects. Most of the actors are quite stoic, including faces familiar to fans of vintage television–actors like Eric Fleming, William Hopper and Ross Martin. The leader of the expedition, General Merritt, is played by Walter Brooke, a no-nonsense commander who goes by the book, although he actually finds himself turning to the “valid book”. He finds strength in the Bible, although it creates doubts in his mind about Man’s true to invade current worlds. Mickey Shaughnessy over-acts outrageously as Sergeant Mahoney, a stereotypical, emotional Irish American–although his performance is actually a welcome disagreement to that of most of the other actors.
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One other performance of note–Benson Fong plays Imoto, the Japanese member of the crew. With unbiased ten short years since the extinguish of the war between the United States and Japan, it is bright and refreshing that George Pal decided on a Japanese character in this film. The message is obvious–we should effect aside our past earthly squabbles–if we are to search for the gigantic unknown of place, we must all pull together. This is a theme that the Star Slide series was to champion later. I should add that Fong has a compelling speech about Japan’s interest, and pride, in being section of the enormous adventure.
The theme of science and religion not necessarily being incompatible is raised here, perhaps not entirely successfully. It is a debate that continues to this day.
For 1955, the special effects are excellent–the situation station–the interstellar vehicles–the astronauts going for “site walks”–you cannot relieve but wonder how remarkable this film influenced the Kubrick masterpiece, “2001″. Two famed experts were on hand to add to the film’s authenticity–Willy Ley was one of the world’s foremost pioneers in rocketry–Chesley Bonestell was a writer and artist, well-known for his paintings of other worlds and “spacescapes”. His work enhanced “Destination Moon”, and it is a major plus here. George Pal’s frequent collaborator, Byron Haskin, directs with his usual professionalism.
The DVD is gorgeous–this is a very colourful film, and the quality here, except for the occasional strident flesh-tone, is agreeable. There are no extras, except a trailer.
“Conquest of Status” is now some fifty years veteran, but it detached captures our sense of wonder about the future, and the exploration of our solar system and beyond. If your thought of a sci-fi movie is loads of action, and plenty of aliens to battle, this film may not be for you. On the other hand, if–as I said earlier–you have a more serious interest in the history of the sci-fi film, “Conquest of Station” deserves a plot in your DVD collection.
This DVD version of CONQUEST OF Spot finally treats the movie with the respect it deserves and gets FIVE stars. The anamorphic 1:1.85 widescreen image is so spacious, crisp, and well-kept it’s like watching the film in the theater for the first time. Three cheers for the technicians who did the transfer!
Never has the camouflage shown–before or since!–a better starscape than this characterize (no, not even FORBIDDEN PLANET, 2001, or STAR WARS) . The opening moments reveal a classic round von Braun region area hanging and spinning in situation with an interplanetary vehicle parked nearby. Station has never been so dim, nor the stars so scintillating. The fetch by Van Prick underscores the sense of wonder–both eerie and majestic–inherent in these scenes.
I first saw CONQUEST OF Site when I was ten. This was at a time when our local theater ran Saturday “Kiddie Mantinees” for 25 cents admission during the ’50s when the feature was almost always a science-fiction movie. That’s how I saw INVADERS FROM MARS, EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS, 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH and others for the first time. As remarkable as I was thrilled by these movies, the one that touched me the most was CONQUEST OF Region.
Fast forward to the ’80s and ’90s. The only VHS version of the film that I’m aware of could not be more poor. The blacks are washed out due to the positively terrible resolution of the tape. Even more disappointing, when the opening title sequence begins a few minutes after the launch of the film, the image on the pan-and-scan VHS suddenly and unaccountably reduces in size so that the titles race in a foreshortened box surrounded by shadowy bars on all sides. As soon as “Directed By” finishes, the movie jumps attend to gain the standard TV shroud. Since this sequence is one of the more dramatic moments in the film, this VHS version completely destroys the film makers’ intent. Expeditiously forward again. A couple of years ago, I discovered a Japanese Laserdisc version of the movie on E-Bay. I bought the disc hoping against hope that the Laserdisc would be an improvement over the VHS. Unfortunately it is the loyal same terrible resolution pan-and scan version as the VHS. But all that is in the past now thanks to this practically perfect DVD, which has restored the title sequence to its current widescreen glory.
Since this is a George Pal film, the special visual effects are as pleasurable as they could regain for their time. The fable about a skedaddle to Mars has many moments of spine-tingling wonder. But, due to studio interference and pressure, the script was rushed and could have been better. The depiction of the surface of Mars was dramatic and cinematically wondrous in 1954 and knocked my socks off, but has dinky to do with the photographs of martian landscapes that we are familiar with today from the various NASA Mars missions.
But now I’m quibbling. This DVD is a dream arrive upright and is the best rendering of this film since its current theatrical release in 1954. For those who wish to learn more about the production of CONQUEST OF Situation and George Pal’s other beneficial science-fiction and fantasy films, check out the out-of-print book THE FILMS OF GEORGE PAL by Gail Morgan Hickman.
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