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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 4)

Klaatu barada nikto

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy The Day the Earth Stood Still on DVD

Robert Wise directed this very good, but slowish and slightly high-minded, sci-fi picture about an alien (Michael Rennie) and his robot landing on earth and causing all kinds of hysteria. Bernard Herrmann adds one of his most famous scores, complete with the ghostly, wailing Theremin music. Fox's DVD and the disc includes documentaries, stills and trailers as well as Edmund H. North's shooting script. Wise provides a director's commentary track. Also available on Blu-Ray.

Starring: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray, Frances Bavier, Lock Martin
Written by: Edmund H. North, based on a story by Harry Bates
Directed by: Robert Wise
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 92 minutes
Date: April 3, 2003