In this blog post, we’ll explore the world of old alien movies and discuss why they still hold up today. If you’re a fan of sci-fi, then you know that old alien movies have been a huge influence on modern films.
The Significance of Old Alien Movies
Old alien movies have played a significant role in shaping the sci-fi genre that we know and love today. Many of the ideas and themes that we see in modern films were first introduced in older movies. It’s not just the sci-fi genre that has been impacted by old alien movies – pop culture as a whole has been influenced by these classic films. From fashion to music, the impact of old alien movies can be seen in many different areas of our lives.
What Makes Old Alien Movies Stand Out
One thing that sets old alien movies apart from their modern counterparts is the way they develop characters. In older films, characters were often given more time to develop, which made their stories more compelling.
Another factor that makes old alien movies stand out is their use of practical effects. Instead of relying on CGI, older movies used more practical effects to bring their alien creatures to life. This gave the films a unique and sometimes even more realistic feel.
Lastly, the storytelling in old alien movies is often different from modern films. In many cases, older movies were more focused on the story and the characters, whereas modern films can sometimes feel more focused on action and special effects.
Best Old Alien Movies
1. The War of the Worlds (1953)
In “The War of the Worlds,” a mysterious object crashes in a small town in California, revealing itself to be a massive alien spacecraft. As the aliens begin their deadly assault on Earth, it’s up to a small group of survivors to fight back and save humanity from destruction.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The War of the Worlds (1953)
2. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
A scientific expedition to the Amazon discovers a prehistoric creature that is half-man, half-fish. As the creature becomes more aggressive towards the crew, they must fight to survive in its aquatic territory. With stunning underwater photography and a memorable monster design, Creature from the Black Lagoon is a horror classic.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
3. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
In “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” a flying saucer lands in Washington D.C., carrying an alien visitor named Klaatu and his powerful robot companion. Despite his peaceful intentions, Klaatu is met with suspicion and fear from humanity, leading to a dramatic showdown that could determine the fate of the entire planet.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
In “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” a small town doctor begins to notice that his patients are becoming emotionless and distant, leading him to uncover a terrifying conspiracy. It turns out that aliens are slowly replacing the townspeople with identical copies, leaving only a handful of humans to fight back against the invasion.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
5. It Came from Outer Space (1953)
In “It Came from Outer Space,” a meteor crash-lands in a small Arizona town, unleashing an otherworldly creature that begins to take over the bodies of the local residents. As the creature’s true intentions are revealed, a race against time begins to stop the alien before it can destroy humanity.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: It Came from Outer Space (1953)
6. Forbidden Planet (1956)
In “Forbidden Planet,” a group of space travelers arrive on the planet Altair IV to investigate the disappearance of a previous mission. They soon discover that the only survivors are a scientist and his daughter, who have created a powerful machine that can materialize anything they desire. But as the crew begins to explore the planet and the mysterious machine, they uncover a dark secret that threatens to destroy them all.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Forbidden Planet (1956)
7. The Thing from Another World (1951)
An Air Force crew is dispatched to investigate an unidentified flying object that has crashed in the Arctic. The crew discovers a frozen alien craft and the body of its pilot, which they bring back to their station. When they accidentally thaw the creature, they find themselves trapped with a deadly extraterrestrial that can mimic any life form it touches.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Thing from Another World (1951)
8. The Blob (1958)
A small town is terrorized by an amorphous, gelatinous creature from outer space that devours everything in its path. As it grows larger and more dangerous, a group of teenagers and a scientist must race against time to stop it from consuming the entire town.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Blob (1958)
9. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
After being exposed to a mysterious radioactive cloud, a man begins to shrink at an alarming rate. As he becomes smaller and smaller, he must navigate a world that has become increasingly dangerous and threatening, from the family cat to a spider in the basement.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
10. Them! (1954)
A nest of giant ants is discovered in the New Mexico desert, and a team of scientists and military personnel must race to stop the creatures before they can spread and cause widespread destruction. As the ants grow larger and more intelligent, the stakes get higher and the danger becomes more palpable.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Them! (1954)
11. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
Alien spacecraft begin attacking major cities around the world, and it’s up to a team of scientists to figure out how to stop them. As the saucers become more powerful and their attacks more devastating, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
12. The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)
A British rocket returns to Earth with only one of its three astronauts still alive. The survivor is infected with an alien organism that turns him into a murderous monster, and it’s up to Professor Quatermass to stop him before he spreads the infection to the rest of the world.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)
13. The Fly (1958)
A scientist experiments with a matter transporter, but when he accidentally merges with a fly during a demonstration, he begins to undergo a horrifying transformation. As he becomes more fly-like, he starts to lose his humanity and threatens to harm those around him.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Fly (1958)
14. The First Men in the Moon (1964)
Two men journey to the moon and discover a race of insect-like aliens living underground. When the aliens take them captive, the men must find a way to escape and return to Earth before it’s too late.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The First Men in the Moon (1964)
15. The Andromeda Strain (1971)
When a military satellite crashes in a small town, a team of scientists is sent to investigate. They discover that the satellite brought back a deadly alien virus that threatens to wipe out all life on Earth, and they must race against time to find a cure before it’s too late.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Andromeda Strain (1971)
16. The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)
A journalist investigates strange weather patterns in London and uncovers a shocking truth: two nuclear blasts on opposite sides of the globe have knocked the Earth off its axis and hurtled it towards the sun. As the planet reaches its fiery demise, the clock ticks down on humanity’s last hope for survival.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)
17. The Time Machine (1960)
In the year 1899, a brilliant inventor creates a time machine and travels to the distant future. There, he discovers a world of Eloi, a beautiful and peaceful people who live above ground. But as he delves deeper, he realizes that the Eloi are not alone and a terrifying truth is revealed: the Morlocks, a savage race of cannibals who hunt the Eloi for food.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Time Machine (1960)
18. 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)
A group of astronauts returns from a mission to Venus with an unexpected passenger: a strange creature that grows rapidly and wreaks havoc on the city of Rome. As the creature evolves into a terrifying monster, a battle to stop it from destroying everything in its path ensues.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)
19. The Green Slime
In the depths of outer space, an ominous, green-hued asteroid is hurtling towards Earth. A team of astronauts are sent on a perilous mission to intercept the asteroid and destroy it before it collides with the planet. But what they find on the asteroid is far more terrifying than they could have ever imagined. Upon landing on the asteroid, the team discovers a slimy, green substance that seems to be alive and rapidly growing. As they investigate further, they uncover an army of grotesque, tentacled creatures that have emerged from the slime and are intent on killing anything in their path.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Green Slime (1968)
20. Mothra (1961)
A giant egg washes ashore on a Japanese island, and when it hatches, it reveals a giant moth-like creature, Mothra. When a group of greedy businessmen capture Mothra and bring her to Tokyo, they soon discover the error of their ways as the creature rampages through the city, seeking to reclaim her egg and protect her people.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Mothra (1961)
21. Destroy All Monsters (1968)
In a future where all of Earth’s giant monsters are confined to an island known as Monsterland, aliens take control of the creatures and force them to destroy major cities across the world. Can humanity unite to stop the monstrous onslaught and save the planet?
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Destroy All Monsters (1968)
22. Village of the Damned (1960)
After a mysterious event renders all the women in a small English village pregnant, they all give birth to eerie children with striking eyes and telepathic powers. As the children grow more dangerous and sinister, the village must come to terms with the terrifying truth about their offspring.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Village of the Damned (1960)
23. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
An alien from a dying planet arrives on Earth, hoping to use the planet’s resources to save his people. But as he becomes more and more involved in human affairs, he struggles to maintain his alien identity and avoid detection by the government, leading to a tragic fate.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
24. Solaris (1972)
Psychologist Kris Kelvin travels to a space station orbiting the oceanic planet Solaris to investigate strange occurrences among the crew. As he begins to experience his own hallucinations and nightmares, Kelvin becomes haunted by the tragic memories of his past. Is the planet Solaris causing these visions or is Kelvin losing his sanity?
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Solaris (1972)
25. The Brain from Planet Arous (1957)
After a series of strange occurrences in a small town, it is discovered that a powerful alien brain from the planet Arous has taken control of a local scientist’s body. With the brain possessing nearly unlimited power, it plans to take over the world. Can anyone stop this dangerous alien before it’s too late?
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Brain from Planet Arous (1957)
26. Plan 9 from Outer Space
In “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” aliens have descended upon Earth with a sinister plan to resurrect the dead and use them as an army to conquer the planet. With the help of their advanced technology and their undead soldiers, the aliens launch a full-scale invasion, leaving a trail of terror and destruction in their wake. As the undead rise from their graves and roam the countryside, a group of humans struggle to fight back against the alien threat. But with the odds stacked against them and the alien technology seemingly unstoppable, their chances of survival grow slimmer by the minute.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Plan 9 from Outer Space
27. The Crawling Eye (1958)
A remote mountain resort becomes the site of a series of grisly murders, all committed by mysterious, tentacled creatures that seem to be able to move about freely in the thick fog that surrounds the area. As panic sets in, a small group of survivors must fight for their lives against an otherworldly threat that seems unstoppable.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: The Crawling Eye (1958)
28. Revenge of the Creature (1955)
Deep in the murky depths of the Florida Everglades, a terrifying creature lurks. This is no ordinary beast, but a fearsome humanoid monster with scales, claws, and an insatiable hunger for human flesh. The creature was captured by a group of scientists and taken to an aquarium in Florida, where it is studied and put on display for the public. But the creature is not content to be held captive, and it soon breaks free, wreaking havoc on anyone who crosses its path. As the creature begins to terrorize the town, the scientists must race against time to stop it before it’s too late. But the creature is cunning and ruthless, and it won’t stop until it has exacted its revenge on those who have wronged it.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video: Revenge of the Creature (1955)
29. The Phantom Planet (1961)
In “The Phantom Planet,” a group of astronauts embark on a dangerous mission to explore an uncharted planet that has been mysteriously appearing and disappearing in our solar system. As they land on the strange world, they soon discover that they have been shrunk down to miniature size and are now at the mercy of its bizarre and hostile inhabitants. The planet’s strange and eerie landscape is filled with treacherous traps and terrifying creatures, and the astronauts quickly realize that their survival depends on finding a way to reverse the shrinking process and escape from this nightmare world. But as they struggle to find a way back to their own planet, they discover that the true horror of the Phantom Planet is far worse than they could have ever imagined.
Watch on Amazon prime video: The Phantom Planet (1961)
Conclusion
To sum it up, old alien movies may not have the same flashy effects and modern techniques we see in today’s movies, but they still hold up surprisingly well. The classics we discussed in this post prove that great storytelling, strong characters, and practical effects can stand the test of time. It’s important to remember the impact that old alien movies have had on the sci-fi genre, and to preserve them for future generations to enjoy. Who knows, maybe someday we’ll see a resurgence of practical effects and character-driven storytelling in modern films. Until then, we’ll always have these timeless classics to look back on and appreciate.
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