Battle of the Worlds

1961
4.3| 1h24m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 30 October 1961 Released
Producted By: Ultra Film
Country: Italy
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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Dr. Fred Steele (Umberto Orsini) and Eve Barnett (Maya Brent) work together at an astronomical station on a bucolic island. The station's scientists learn they must deal with a rogue planet -- "The Outsider" -- that has entered the solar system. which must be controlled by an alien intelligence… Professor Benson's(Claude Rains) expedition discovers a race of humanoid creatures dead...

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Director

Antonio Margheriti

Production Companies

Ultra Film

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Battle of the Worlds Audience Reviews

Motompa Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.
Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Cristi_Ciopron One of those '60s tiny budget, really bad Sci Fi movies, where the 'actors' perform unlikely scenes as if they are under sedatives or worse, while an ethereal, disturbing score floods everything, the atmosphere is unwillingly eerie; like other Italian flicks of the very same trend, it has a crazy enough, if silly, storyline, a certain freedom and inventiveness, perhaps a good sense of the show—it has scenes on Mars, a vile, perhaps even depraved seductress, an unapproachable but ultimately kind genius, etc.. Now compare that to a classic Bert Gordon—not to mention the even sillier Buchanan—and you'll see for yourself what I mean—the Italian Sci Fi looks a bit more lively, less morose; though, of course, still goofy rubbish.BATTLE OF THE WORLDS is goofy Sci—Fi, derisory and unremarkable, aimed at kids, where silliness competes with clumsiness and witlessness—a knockout cocktail; a team of scientists faces the extragalactic threat.An object from another galaxy approaches the Earth; its trajectory indicates a rational activity. It is guided by a rational force, and the UFOs don't take time to appear as from behind this object. And in these circumstances, the fate of the humanity lies in the hands of a group of scientists headed by the grumpy oldster I have already mentioned. After a while, the flick becomes all about this zany old—timer and his antics.I admit not having recognized the presumptive Gemma in this flick; have you? Some '60s goofy Sci—Fi movies, derisory and lame, had nonetheless a bit of charm, a kind of fun, an appeal; you can call them flicks, perhaps they are no more than footage, goofy Sci—Fi footage. Each connoisseur has his own selection in this genre, as each knows his dish. Anyway, for fans of a certain kind of goofy Sci Fi, BATTLE OF THE WORLDS, mediocre rubbish from the '60s, provides some fun.
dbborroughs For me this film is an old friend. Its a film I've seen countless times thanks to showing on the Late Late Show while I was growing up.Its been forever in the bargain bins. The film is about a giant asteroid that comes close to earth and our attempts to find out why its sending out ships to attack us. As a film its an okay time killer its not bad. Its not great but its definitely not bad. Its certainly better than many of the space opera films that followed in its wake through the 60's and early 70's. One of the reasons I think the film works, and is the reason I will watch the film again and again is the presence of Claude Rains as the mad genius who wants to know whats going on so he can save the world. Its a force of nature performance that allows him to really tear the roof off and go for it. Certainly it more than a little over done but some how seeing the great man being out of character is a great deal of fun. I really like the film and recommend it to those with a love of science fiction
aaronmocksing1987 "CORNFIELD!!... YOU'RE WONDERFUL!" Claude Raines stars in a movie in which I was forced to watch with the volume set very high (at my mother's, who bought this terrible movie, wishes). I never really understood the plot as it doesn't seem explained much at all; the only things I got was that the world was in danger and a senile old man that everyone likes (despite his hatred and constant acts of crudeness to everyone else) is sent in to help. Then they enter a tunnel, with what looks like a bunch of children's toys holding it together, where the old man laughs again before going out with the planet. As said before, I never got the plot and I chose not to watch it again. If I put it up, I deal with Claude's bombastic insults towards his annoyingly "quaint" co-workers. If I put it down, I still won't get the plot as no one will be speaking.Thank goodness for Star Wars to come along and make a TON of more sense, as well as something likable.I also never truly understood what the song is playing in the opening titles. It sounds like she's saying, "We are but SPIDERZCH.." followed by a direct shout of the director's name: "ANTOOOOOOOOOINE!!!!!"
Chris Gaskin I've just seen Battle of the Worlds for the first time and is very similar to When Worlds Collide, which was made ten years before this in 1951.A planet is discovered to be on a collision course with Earth and a way is devised to try and stop it. To makes things worse, Earth is attacked by flying saucers from this planet but they are eventually defeated. A party, including Professor Benson then lands on this planet and they manage to blow it up and successfully do so, but with Benson still on there as he refused orders to evacuate. Earth is saved yet again.Battle Of the Worlds tends to be a little talky and slow moving in parts but the flying saucer scenes are OK. Despite it being talky, it is fairly eerie in parts.This features a good performance from Claude Rains (The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man, The Lost World) as Professor Benson but he is the only star I've heard of in the cast.To sum up, an average movie but not brilliant.Rating: 2 and a half stars out of 5.