4th Annual Primetime Halloween Spooktacular- IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953)

Presenting Primetime's Fourth Annual Halloween Spooktacular Backyard Movie Event! Think of it as a cool party wrapped up in one of our backyard movies.

First let me make one thing clear. This is not a spook house. No one's going to be jumping out of shadows or chasing you with chainsaws. It is simply a spooky atmospheric way to get you ready for one of my favorites days of the year. Its all treats and no tricks. We are encouraging costumes although they are not required. We'll have a photo booth set up so you can capture your costume brilliance for all to see. In line with the movie, the general theme will be classic sci-fi with a healthy dose of the wonder of Anaglyphic 3-D! So just dressing in offsetting red and blue probably fits the bill.

I've been wanting to do an "old style" 3-D movie for some time now. You know...the kind with the silly looking cardboard red and blue lens 3-D glasses you see in a lot of vintage photos from the 1950's? I've been collecting DVD's and Blu-Rays of the films themselves for some time. Most of the films were not very good, but there were some exceptions. In fact, what many people consider the first big Hollywood 3-D film was Alfred Hitchcock's DIAL 'M' FOR MURDER (1954), which actually came out a year after our film, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953). So sorry Mr. Hitchcock...this movie beat you to it, although many people forget that fact.

The reason I mention this is that when IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE hit theaters, it really was an must-see event for moviegoers, and Hollywood fully expected all films to eventually transition to the 3-D format. As a result, the studios considered this film to be a showcase for a new technology and they desperately wanted it to succeed.

Based on a story by Ray Bradbury, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE established many of the tropes that would later become the staples of 1950's sci-fi and especially 3-D movies. It's star, Richard Carlson, was a well known albeit "B-movie" actor. However the success of this film would largely be responsible for him getting his next much more famous role as a dashing young hero in the classic CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954), a film which was not shot in 3-D but would later be converted to 3-D as studios tried to desperately lure back audiences sucked into the new television vortex.

Although the film veers quite a bit from the original Bradbury story, it retains Bradbury's belief that maybe we shouldn't be so quick to shoot at things we don't understand or who seem to be different than us. This theme would continue throughout sci-fi for decades and would most noticeably be featured in films such as THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951), which was largely shot at the same time as this movie. But honestly - Michael Rennie's Klaatu in TDTESS is a matinee idol when compared to the nonetheless sympathetic walking carpets in ICFOS. It's easy to feel empathy towards someone who looks like you. These aliens - not so much. And therein lies the conflict present in most of the great sci-fi "alien" stories. Maybe its not such a hot idea to go in guns blazing against a race of beings that has apparently mastered the time-space barrier.

But again, let's not let the thoughtful story get in the way of all the landslides, projecting poles, and ray gun blasts COMING AT YA in glorious 1950's 3-D.

It's gonna be a fun night, with lots of surprises in the yard and a special preshow.

Bring your bug spray and lawn chairs. There will be free hot dogs, movie candies, movie nachos and popcorn. Maybe some other stuff.

Feel free to bring other stuff if you want, including your own lawn chair. I have some spares and some blankets, but not enough for a full house. BYOB. I'll have some soft drinks and water, but if you're picky, bring your own on that as well.

We'll socialize for about an hour before the movie, which will start around 8:15. There will be my usual special Halloween-themed Alamo Drafthouse style preshow. Preshow will be playing when you walk in. There will be no early admittance to the event to allow it get dark and preserve some of the surprises. Doors will open at 7:15.

RAIN POLICY - If the weather forces us to postpone, we'll announce it on this page. But I really want to do it before Halloween.

CARPOOLS - My parking around here really is limited thanks to overbuilding on nearby lots, so carpooling is encouraged.