‘Invaders From Mars’ 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – Sci-Fi Classic Is Given Its Due With A 5-Star Release

In the early 1950s, Cold War tensions and the burgeoning space race created a heady mix of paranoia and unbridled creativity as filmmakers speculated as to the marvels – and horrors – that lay beyond the stars. Among those leading the charge, William Cameron Menzies’ (Things to Come) Invaders from Mars terrified audiences upon its release in 1953 with its chilling vision of an insidious alien attack on small-town Americana.

On a dark and stormy night, a young boy, David McLean (Jimmy Hunt, Pitfall), observes what appears to be a flying saucer crash-landing in his town. Shortly thereafter, the grown-ups – including his own parents – begin acting decidedly strangely. Convinced there’s a link between this epidemic of bizarre behavior and what he witnessed that night, David turns to local health official Dr. Blake (Helena Carter, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye) for help. But can these two unlikely heroes, together with famed astronomer Dr. Kelston (Arthur Franz, The Caine Mutiny), withstand the might of a full-blown invasion from outer space?

A landmark in sci-fi cinema, Invaders from Mars inspired filmmakers as wide-ranging as Don Coscarelli (Phantasm), Brad Bird (The Iron Giant) and John Carpenter (The Thing). Now fully restored for its 70th anniversary, this trend-setting Atom Age classic unleashes its spine-tingling terror on a whole new generation of filmgoers in this brand new 4K presentation from Ignite Films!

For additional thoughts on Invaders from Mars, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/Bx4vP5G81XY?t=2882]

Video Quality

Ignite Films presents Invaders from Mars with a drop dead gorgeous 2160p HDR10 transfer sourced from a meticulous 4K digital restoration of the Original Camera Negative and Master Positives. Scott MacQueen and his team at UCLA had a monumental task of getting this one back into fighting shape with the quality of the surviving Eastmancolor/CineColor elements, and you can learn the exact details of this in the very thorough included booklet. The previous releases of the film were not even close to being acceptable, but this new restoration allows it to feel alive once again. This release is a dream for those who have been waiting for this sci-fi classic to be treated with respect. 

Ignite Films is new to the boutique label game, but if this is any indication of how they are going to treat their titles, we are in for a treat. The company has really delivered on the promise of this release with a transfer that is truly stunning. The luscious colors within the environments, costumes and production design yield an even greater degree of complexity and vibrancy. Simply take a look at the green of the alien visitors to see how deep and radiant certain hues can be. The HDR10 brings a depth and stability of color that will knock you sideways. Black levels are close to perfect with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights are solid with no trace of blooming. 

The degree of detail and clarity is also astounding while retaining the necessary amount of natural film grain. There are very small signs of some digital clean-up which MacQueen admits was necessary to cobble together some of the duplicates, but it is not executed in an unnatural or detrimental way like some major studios seem to do. Considering how many opticals are present, it is surprising how consistent everything appears. Grain resolves favorably without ever being clumpy or unsightly. The texture on display in the costumes and within the production design are a revelation. Even facial details present with striking clarity. The film appears to be almost entirely free of dirt and damage, which is a testament to the restoration efforts. There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. This is a top-tier effort that should be celebrated.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray provides a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio restored mono track in the original English as well as a Spanish dub. While some may desire a more immersive audio option, we are happy to have the original audio track included in relatively stable quality. Despite some moments of military action, the story is mostly suspense driven and low key which does not require the source to dig too deep. When things kick into gear, the soundscape delivers in all the necessary ways. The track delivers dialogue clearly which is never overwhelmed by any music or sound effects. There are very minute signs of age-related issues with this track, but nothing that ever seriously detracts. This track holds up well considering the condition of the source. Optional English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Korean subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Special Features

• William Cameron Menzies – The Architect of Dreams: A 17-minute featurette with William Cameron Menzies’ biographer James Curtis and Menzies’ eldest granddaughter Pamela Lauesen. In this piece you learn about the early life and career of the director and production designer, his work with color films, the development of Invaders from Mars, personal recollections of the man and more. 
• Jimmy Hunt Saves The Planet: An 11-minute interview with actor Jimmy Hunt who discusses his career as a child actor, memories of working with both major stars and crew members, the impact of Invaders from Mars on his life, shooting on a soundstage, his feelings about director  William Cameron Menzies and much more that makes for a rewarding watch. 

• Terror From Above: A nearly 23-minute featurette with figures such as film directors John Landis, Joe Dante, editor Mark Goldblatt, special visual effects artist and two time Oscar Winner Robert Skotak (foremost expert on Invaders from Mars), and enthusiast and film preservationist Scott MacQueen. In these discussions, the subjects discuss their personal history with this historic film, the impact it had on their lives and careers, the style of William Cameron Menzies, the special effects work, the legacy of the feature and more. 

• Restoring The Invasion: A seven-minute featurette with film restoration supervisor Scott MacQueen in which he guides you through the efforts that were taken to restore this film to its full glory with a plethora of before-and-after examples. 

• TCM Festival Intro: A seven-minute intro with filmmaker John Sayles from the Turner Classic Movies Festival in Hollywood held in April 2022 in which you get some brief background and anecdotes about the film. 

• European Observatory Sequence: A nine-minute piece is provided here that shows the changes that were requested by foreign distributors six months after the opening of the film in which Arthur Franz, Helena Carter and Jimmy Hunt had to reunite under the direction of Wesley Barry. This scene is hilariously out of place in so many ways, but it is interesting to have as a historical artifact. 

• European Ending: A three-minute complement to the previous piece which finds the foreign distributors getting their way with a new ending that ruins the impact of the theatrical ending. 
• Trailers: This disc provides the Theatrical Trailer (2:19) and the Re-Release Trailer (2:17).
• Image Gallery: A collection of stills and marketing material for the film is provided here. 

• Booklet: This release comes with a multi-page booklet featuring the essay “A Nightmare of Restoration” by film preservationist Scott MacQueen which gives even more detail about the restoration efforts and challenges.

Final Thoughts

Invaders from Mars is a true gem of throwback science fiction storytelling. The simple decision to tell this story from the perspective of a child both narratively and visually really enhances the disquiet of the situation. The point of view brought by director William Cameron Menzies is a huge benefit to this feature in a number of different ways. The eye for design makes this a visual feast, while the care put into mining the thematic material pushes this well over the finish line. This is every bit as great and worthy of recognition as the more buzzy title released during this era. Ignite Films has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a knockout A/V presentation and deluxe assortment of special features. Fans of old school sci-fi will find themselves blown away by this presentation. Highly Recommended 

Invaders from Mars will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on July 11, 2023.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD or Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Ignite Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.