"Classic Ropey Old British Tat"
Oh yes, the UK wasn't just making all-time classic SF like THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT in the 1950s, there was stuff like this as well (and FIRE MAIDENS OF OUTER SPACE and if you liked that you'll love this). DEVIL GIRL FROM MARS is getting a Blu-ray and DVD release from Studio Canal and of you didn't get to see it on Saturday morning TV back in the day now's your chance.
A motley assortment of characters including a model (Hazel Court), a physics professor who is essentially Quatermass-lite (Joseph Tomelty), an annoying alcoholic journalist (Hugh McDermott who probably wasn't supposed to be annoying back in 1954) and an escaped convict (Peter Reynolds) all find themselves together in a remote Scottish pub run by John Laurie with Adrienne Corri behind the bar.
A massive spaceship lands in their back garden and Patricia Laffan in a supremely impressive black leather outfit emerges, along with her enormous robot. She's come to collect men to take back to Mars and humanity has no chance. We know this because she keeps coming in through the French windows that are more a conceit to British drama than Scottish accuracy to tell them so. Does she succeed in her scheme or is it thwarted in a welter of very low-budget but creative effects?
In their commentary included on this disc, Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw express considerable affection for this film, even going so far as to cheekily suggest that Jonathan Glazer's Scarlet Johansson-starring UNDER THE SKIN is a remake (well she does land in Scotland). Certainly the two films would make a good double bill. They also quite rightly say that the US equivalent of this would be ROBOT MONSTER or possibly even PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE but in terms of quality (cast wise if nothing else) this is way above those film in terms of quality. Studio Canal's disc also comes with a 17 minute talking head piece from Newman which includes some of what's in the commentary but also has different material.
Important: A DVD was provided for review and worked fine on our player, but numerous reports have come in about the Blu-ray of DEVIL GIRL FROM MARS having synchronisation issues so you may want to wait before you buy.
DEVIL GIRL FROM MARS is out from Studio Canal on Blu-ray and DVD on Monday 15th January 2024
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