INVASION,
U.S.A. ($25) is an example of how the cold war paranoia of the 1950s
was turned into a highly entertaining exploitation/propaganda flick. Making
ingenious use of stock footage, INVASION, U.S.A. shows what might
happen if an unnamed, but decidedly communist, enemy invaded the United
States and unleashed its atomic arsenal on America. The film follows the
plight of a group of complacent Americans who are sitting in a New York
City bar when the invasion begins. Each returns home to different parts
of the country, but each discovers the same thing- the life they have
known has been brought to an end by an oppressive enemy determined to
destroy capitalist America. The cast of INVASION, U.S.A. features
Gerald Mohr, Peggie Castle, Erik Blythe, Robert Bice, Tom Kennedy, Wade
Crosby, William Schallert and Dan O'Herlihy. It should be noted that INVASION,
U.S.A. features appearances by Noel Neill and Phyllis Coates, the
two actresses who portrayed Lois Lane in THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN
television series of the 1950s.
Synapse
Films has made INVASION, U.S.A. available on DVD in a windowboxed
presentation that allows one to see the entire frame of the film’s 1.33:1
theatrical aspect ratio. The black and white transfer is really super,
producing a sharp and nicely defined image. However, INVASION, U.S.A.
the film element used for the transfer does show its age in the form of
a few blemish- primarily at the reel changes. Also, I should note that
the stock footage used in the movie is of varying quality and tends to
look more worn than the principal photography featuring the film’s actors.
There is a bit of noticeable film grain throughout the presentation, but
it is never excessive. Black appear accurate, whites are stable and contrast
looks just fine throughout. Dual layer authoring keeps digital compression
artifacts well concealed.
The
Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is relatively good for a low budget
film that hasn’t been carefully preserved by a major studio. There is
a bit of noise and hiss on the track, but it doesn’t become particularly
bothersome at modest amplification levels. Dialogue is well rendered and
always completely understandable. Music and sound effects can be a bit
harsh sounding, but it is never objectionable. There are no alternate
language tracks or subtitles included on the DVD.
The
basic interactive menus provide access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as a goodly amount of supplemental materials.
Starting things off is RED NIGHTMARE, a thirty-minute propaganda
film made by Warner Bros. for the department of defense in 1962. Produced
under the supervision of Jack L. Warner, RED NIGHTMARE stars Jack
Kelly, Jeanne Cooper and Jack Webb in this tale of the communist takeover
of small town America.
Two
"atomic" audio programs are included on the DVD, which were
taken from two spoken word LP recordings from the cold war period. If
The Bomb Falls offers instructions on how to stock and live in
a fallout shelter for up to two weeks, while The Complacent Americans
offers a dramatization of an A-Bomb attack on a fictional city. Newly
produced for the DVD is on camera interviews with actors Dan O'Herlihy,
William Schallert and Noel Neill. While none of the participant have any
significant memories of INVASION, U.S.A., it’s nice to see and
hear these three well-known performers once again. Another cool feature
is the Conelrad 100, which lists the 100 top Atomic films
of all time, along with a brief synopsis for each. A theatrical trailer
for INVASION, U.S.A. closes out the supplemental section.
If
you like cold war films from the 1950s, then INVASION, U.S.A. is
a movie you will have to check out on DVD. The movie is an absolute hoot
and Synapse Films has produced a great DVD with a solid transfer an excellent
supplemental material.
INVASION,
U.S.A. ($25) is an example of how the cold war paranoia of the 1950s
was turned into a highly entertaining exploitation/propaganda flick. Making
ingenious use of stock footage, INVASION, U.S.A. shows what might
happen if an unnamed, but decidedly communist, enemy invaded the United
States and unleashed its atomic arsenal on America. The film follows the
plight of a group of complacent Americans who are sitting in a New York
City bar when the invasion begins. Each returns home to different parts
of the country, but each discovers the same thing- the life they have
known has been brought to an end by an oppressive enemy determined to
destroy capitalist America. The cast of INVASION, U.S.A. features
Gerald Mohr, Peggie Castle, Erik Blythe, Robert Bice, Tom Kennedy, Wade
Crosby, William Schallert and Dan O'Herlihy. It should be noted that INVASION,
U.S.A. features appearances by Noel Neill and Phyllis Coates, the
two actresses who portrayed Lois Lane in THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN
television series of the 1950s.
Synapse
Films has made INVASION, U.S.A. available on DVD in a windowboxed
presentation that allows one to see the entire frame of the film’s 1.33:1
theatrical aspect ratio. The black and white transfer is really super,
producing a sharp and nicely defined image. However, INVASION, U.S.A.
the film element used for the transfer does show its age in the form of
a few blemish- primarily at the reel changes. Also, I should note that
the stock footage used in the movie is of varying quality and tends to
look more worn than the principal photography featuring the film’s actors.
There is a bit of noticeable film grain throughout the presentation, but
it is never excessive. Black appear accurate, whites are stable and contrast
looks just fine throughout. Dual layer authoring keeps digital compression
artifacts well concealed.
The
Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is relatively good for a low budget
film that hasn’t been carefully preserved by a major studio. There is
a bit of noise and hiss on the track, but it doesn’t become particularly
bothersome at modest amplification levels. Dialogue is well rendered and
always completely understandable. Music and sound effects can be a bit
harsh sounding, but it is never objectionable. There are no alternate
language tracks or subtitles included on the DVD.
The
basic interactive menus provide access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as a goodly amount of supplemental materials.
Starting things off is RED NIGHTMARE, a thirty-minute propaganda
film made by Warner Bros. for the department of defense in 1962. Produced
under the supervision of Jack L. Warner, RED NIGHTMARE stars Jack
Kelly, Jeanne Cooper and Jack Webb in this tale of the communist takeover
of small town America.
Two
"atomic" audio programs are included on the DVD, which were
taken from two spoken word LP recordings from the cold war period. If
The Bomb Falls offers instructions on how to stock and live in
a fallout shelter for up to two weeks, while The Complacent Americans
offers a dramatization of an A-Bomb attack on a fictional city. Newly
produced for the DVD is on camera interviews with actors Dan O'Herlihy,
William Schallert and Noel Neill. While none of the participant have any
significant memories of INVASION, U.S.A., it’s nice to see and
hear these three well-known performers once again. Another cool feature
is the Conelrad 100, which lists the 100 top Atomic films
of all time, along with a brief synopsis for each. A theatrical trailer
for INVASION, U.S.A. closes out the supplemental section.
If
you like cold war films from the 1950s, then INVASION, U.S.A. is
a movie you will have to check out on DVD. The movie is an absolute hoot
and Synapse Films has produced a great DVD with a solid transfer an excellent
supplemental material.