Unearthly Stranger

Looks like I'll be the sole voice of dissent in these reviews. I was not thrilled by this film the way the other reviewers were. It is done on a very low budget and it hampers the effectiveness. Only 5 main actors and an equal amount of sets give the film a claustrophobic feeling, heightened by the director filming the actors in close-up in almost every scene. The budgetary restrictions may have required this, but it gets tiresome early on, with the movie resembling a tv show. Camerawork is flatly done and becomes repetitive due to the lack of sets and obvious speed with which this must have been shot. In one scene a character shuts the door behind him. It bounces open and another actor in the scene must sidle over to close it. The premise for the film, being able to visit far off worlds with your mind and actually physically inhabit those worlds is preposterous if you spend any time really thinking about it. The lead actor overacts most of the movie, and shouts a lot of his lines, which becomes annoying quickly. There's little action throughout which leaves a lot of endless talking, with the viewers far ahead of the actors. There is little suspense to be generated when we know exactly what is going on early in the movie. A good twist in the final scene helps somewhat, but I was half asleep by that point. While it's not exactly a classic, I would recommend seeing I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE rather than this.

One of the better British sci-fi films of the period. Despite being somewhat talky, UNEARTHLY STRANGER is very well acted. The opening sequence--a terrified man running through night-time London streets-- looks the very essence of Film Noir, but we quickly realize his terror comes not from criminals, but from some unearthly source. John Neville, as a man married to a beautiful but very strange woman he had met only two weeks before, is adept at playing disbelief and eventual terror. His cohorts (Patrick Newell and Philip Stone) at work are well-written characters and well played by the actors. As the wife, Gabriella Licudi (not Italian, it's her stage name) conveys a strangeness somewhat unique in this type of film. Jean Marsh is memorable as Neville's secretary. The emphatic score by Edward Williams is fine, if intrusive at some points. Largely forgotten now, this film might make a good double-feature with VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED.

Every month or so NASA comes up with they have discovered X star in X Galaxy etc and then depresses us with the fact that these are xx LIGHT years away, so there is no hiding the fact that we are going nowhere in a space ship- sooner- or later. Likewise there are no aliens coming here in a space ship either as traveling at the speed of light in a space ship is a scientific impossibility. This modest little movie explores how the travel could be done by an advanced alien. It's wonderful cast of 6 ! (few set pieces,no effects or bug eyed monsters) and stark photography make it all very plausible, and something think to about even today as it leaves us questioning the real life stories of the fate of certain people of influence and the hope that indeed love conquers all ..everywhere.

We love digging up neglected low-budget sci-fi films and we really enjoyed this one. In some ways it is quite typical British sci-fi of its period, in other ways it is odd and unusual. It had a feel of an extended TV production, and reminded us of the soon-to-come Patrick Macnee & Diana Rigg series 'The Avengers', not surprising really as several names in the credits later showed up in that series. Overall, this film is an enjoyable entertainment, a cut above the B-movie fayre that characterises the early 60's.

If you grew up on The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, and you liked these, it's not a stretch that you'll find Unearthly Stranger to your liking. This is a Brit B-Movie of the times, the early sixties when the actual talk of UFOs and possible aliens, more or less, began permeating pop culture. By keeping the story compact, using a cast that plays it serious with a bit of intelligence no matter how slightly bare bones the story…it mostly works in it's modest scope. There are some elements to this film that at the time must have seemed tremendously far- fetched, quite unbelievable? It's interesting that many of these elements became more accepted, in fact they've only expanded with time. One of is the element of remote viewing which is alluded as his having something to do with the secret project being studied. The others would be hybrid aliens and some kind of extraterrestrial shut-down of electrically controlled things. Anyone who has read up on more modern UFOs know of cars being disabled, nuclear weapon systems being taken mysteriously off line, and even mysterious unexplainable sounds in whole communities. All of that is already in this movie strangely enough. I'd say it's out there without being too out there at all. At the time I imagine it seemed quite weird. Pretty good in hindsight.

Shows what can be done on a small budget and almost miniscule special effects.The storyline is typical of the fifties but well told regardless.Phillip Stone,here in his first film is very good.I remember him batting for the London Theatres cricket XI against my old boys side.Anyway an excellent film well worth seeing.

Wonderful little British science fiction thriller. Unearthly Stranger features John Neville as a recently married rocket scientist who discovers that many things in his life are not what they appear to be. Neville's wife is played by Gabriella Licudi and she gives her character a very exotic and surreal persona.Phillip Stone in his film debut plays Nevilles superior. Patrick Newell plays the head of security who is immediately suspicious of Neville's wife. Neville's character has been part of a scientific team that has been researching the possibility of space travel by the power of thought.Members of the team seem to be dying as a result of unexplained accidents and Neville has become terrified that he too will come meet with an accidental death because of his association with the project. Stone and Newell both point out to Neville his wife's many strange living habits and certain powers she seems to have that just are not human. They both meet with strange unexplained deaths Neville also notices that Licudi seems to be getting more and more depressed and anxious. She finally tells him the reason for his and this leads them both to an eerie climax that the viewer will never forget. Unearthly Stranger kind of slipped under the radar when it was first released but it has gained an almost cult like status as the years have gone by. It's not easy to find but it is worth seeking out.

I think the idea of the movie was good and the and interesting. But that all the movie practically is one long flashback told by Dr. Mark Davidson who we see in panic in the start does take some of the excitement out of the movie. It is a bit like reading the last chapter in a book first to see if you want to read the rest. That said I think the idea was good enough and I could live without knowing how, why, and who. The actors did a fine job too. The movie is not fast paced and it is talky. I did not mind it being talky but would have liked more filling as there was a clear hint where it would end. All in all I do not regret watching it. I have seen both much better and much worse sci-fi. I would recommend to sci-fi lovers that care more about story than special effects and do not mind that the movie is a bit talky.

When you see this film, your first remembrance will be, "dark." As in low lighting. Inexplicably, this adds to the suspense, much the same way that Val Lewton successfully utilized shadow to cover for his lack of budget, in such nuggets as "The Leopard Man" and "Curse of the Cat Creature." The second thing about "Unearthly Stranger" is that it joins the ranks of such British gems as "Dead of Night" (1945) and the Quatermass series for its dialogue alone. The story itself is fairly unique-- scientists are attempting to achieve the power to transport their "essences" to other planets via mind concentration alone, and aliens from other planets are looking to stop this advancement by offing all scientists at work on this. The perspective is from a newly-married scientist, a la "I Married a Monster From Outer Space," but without that film's harrowing melodrama. Effects are minimal here, reflecting both the low budget and the British method of story-telling, so FX fans will be disappointed, but acting students will be pleased with the non-hysterical range displayed. All in all, a worthwhile watch.

This is a film that is well worth watching, and is in danger of being forgotten. I suspect this is because for whatever reason, it has been completely overlooked by not being issued either on video or DVD. I know that there ARE copies to be had, but these are usually from questionable sources and are of inferior quality. The only time I have seen a decent copy is when it has been shown on TV. Certainly, if I was to compile a list of films that have been neglected and are overdue for release, this would way up there on top. Sci-fi films are not usually my bag, but this film holds your interest all the way, and has fine performances from all concerned.