It Came From Outer Space

"You're not going to tell these people you saw Martians runnin' around down there?" Yes, that is exactly what amateur astronomer John Putnam (Richard Carlson) is compelled to do after he spies a creature emerging from what looks like a crash-landed meteor in the Arizona desert. As the hysteria grows, and several of the townspeople begin to act very strangely, his is the voice of reason determined to "find out what they're doing here." And, yes, that is Russell Johnson, the Professor from Gilligan's Island, as one of the first small-town citizens to be taken over by the alien Xenomorphs to help repair their spacecraft. Based on a story by Ray Bradbury, this 1953 thriller was directed by Jack Arnold, who would go on to helm such seminal sci-fi classics as The Creature From the Black Lagoon, Tarantula, and The Incredible Shrinking Man (not to mention--the horror, the horror--the Bob Hope comedy Bachelor in Paradise). This DVD boasts some out-of-this-world extras, including commentary by film historian Tom Weaver and an original documentary. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)