Classic Film Series – Science Fiction Double Feature
INVADERS FROM ANOTHER PLANET DESCEND ON TIBBITS OPERA HOUSE!
COLDWATER – Experience two science-fiction classics of the 1950s when Tibbits Classic Film Series screens the original versions of The Day the Earth Stood Still and Invaders from Mars on February 17 at 7pm.
In The Day the Earth Stood Still, a flying saucer lands in Washington DC and is surrounded by a full company of troops. Moments later a lone occupant steps out and is shot by a nervous soldier. After this unprovoked attack, a large humanoid robot emerges from the craft and begins to effortlessly melt all weapons present with a beam shot from its eyes. When the stranger orders the attack to stop, he is taken to a hospital for treatment and interrogation. The visitor later escapes with ease and attempts to accomplish his mission by delivering a message to the United Nations. Finding this to be impossible, he proceeds to find a different means of communication. Assisted by a young boy and his mother, the visitor is eventually able to meet with a group of international scientists & great minds, and proceeds to disclose the true meaning for his visit. Released in 1951 at the height of the atomic age, The Day the Earth Stood Still was an attempt to call attention to the possible dangers of atomic weapons and the political ideals of the time.
Next up is Invaders from Mars. Late one summer evening, young David Maclean sees what he thinks is a flying saucer land then disappear behind a ridge just beyond his house. In an effort to get David back to bed, his father offers to investigate. The next morning, however, David’s once-loving father is now sullen, withdrawn and cold. Slowly, everyone around him begins to act strangely. All have a telltale injection mark on the back of their neck. David manages to convince Dr. Pat Blake of the city health department and Dr. Stuart Kelston from the local observatory that something is amiss. Working together, the trio convinces the commander of the local army base to confront the locals and determine the frightening reason for their strange behavior. Much like other sci-fi films decade, such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers and I Married a Monster from Outer Space, Invaders from Mars is a metaphor for the communist scare. These films all exploited the common fear of the time that communists were living among us, unseen, carrying out their sinister plans.
The Tibbits Classic Film Series will run one double feature a month through May of 2018 and will offer something for any fan of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Download a printable catalog of all the series’ titles by visiting Tibbits.org and clicking on the Classic Film Series banner. Admission to all showings in the Classic Film Series is free and concessions will be available for purchase in the elevator lobby at the brand new Ghost Light Bar. All showings take place at the historic Tibbits Opera House, 14 S. Hanchett St. in Coldwater, MI. For more information, please visit Tibbits.org or call 517-278-6029.