Film Masters has a very interesting selection for their latest vintage double feature, a pair of Cold War Era “Red Scare” movies which are notable for their bleak stories about the US being bombed and invaded by enemy nations.
This is a package where the extensive bonus features are as much of a draw as the films themselves.
Invasion U.S.A. (1952)
A hit on its release, Invasion U.S.A. introduces us to a group of patrons in a bar, unsettled by the rumblings of war which are gripping the nation. A reporter (Gerald Mohr) interviews them, leading to a discussion their political views and careers, culminating in the predictions of a soft-spoken stranger (a young Dan O’Herlihy, better known to modern audiences for his villains in Robocop and Halloween III).
But the lively discussion is interrupted by the news on television: America has been invaded.
Invasion U.S.A. continues to unfold the stories of these characters as they go back to their lives in an American under attack, facing new and unknown experience of a war at home – which, in the film’s propagandistic fashion, challenges some of their previously held views. The war keeps getting closer, and personal wealth and careers suddenly don’t seem as important when enemy troops are bombing our cities and marching in the streets.
One aspect of the film that feels a little silly is its unwillingness to paint a target. The invading nation (presumably Soviet) is very apparently never identified, leading to a lot of really awkward and unnatural dialogue where they are simply referred to as “the enemy”. (In modern times, the solution to this problem would most likely would use the more elegant tactic of naming a fictional nation, eg “Latveria”, “Val Verde”).
The film incorporates a lot of real military stock footage, which is both good and bad – this real war footage is quite good, and effective, but is used awkwardly – a lot of the “enemy” depictions are obviously in reality American planes and soldiers.
But overall, this is a pretty entertaining film, snappy and short (73 minutes), and looks great in this presentation, described as a “new 4K scan from 35mm archival element”.
Rocket Attack, U.S.A. (1958)
The B-side on this release is the rather dull Rocket Attack, U.S.A., a somewhat haphazardly put together drama which is mostly notable for its shocking ending.
The film’s plot follows a pair of American spies sent to the USSR to confirm suspicions of their nuclear capabilities, and to stop them from launching their nukes. Despite the film’s very short runtime (just over an hour!), it’s kind of a bore, plodding around fore awhile before ultimately working its way to a surprisingly bleak and unexpected conclusion. It’s too little, too late redeem the film, but enough to justify a watch.
Film Masters’ presentation of the film is advertised as a new HD print, and includes both the original academy ratio and a cropped widescreen version.
The Package
This is a pairing of films in which the appeal of the subject matter is as much historical as it is entertainment. Recognizing this, Film Masters has put together a package that brings context to these titles, with loads of extras including two new documentary featurettes by Daniel Griffith (Ballyhoo Motion Pictures), an MST3K episode, and several Cold War Era shorts.
The Blu-ray case contains 2 Blu-ray discs and a 24-page booklet with historical essays by Toby Roan and Don Stradley.
Special Features and Extras: – Disc One (Invasion U.S.A.)
- Feature Commentary by Jason A. Ney
- Better Dead Than Red: Hollywood vs Communism in the 1950s (36:06) – Documentary featurette by Daniel Griffith. In my humble opinion, the crown jewel of this package. I enjoyed this more than either of the feature films. This historical exploration of the explores the Cold War “Red Scare” and in particular the effects of McCarthyism on the motion picture industry, which included blacklisting of suspected Communists and a wave of films exploring pro-American/anti-Communist themes.
- A Matter of Minutes: Remembering Gerald Mohr (18:00) – Another documentary short by Daniel Griffith. This one explores the career of Invasion U.S.A. star Gerald Mohr, as told through the remembrances of his son, Tony Mohr.
- And a Voice Shall Be Heard (21:33) – A short documentary film about telecommunications, which sometimes preceded Invasion U.S.A. theatrically. Unfortunately the aspect ratio is off (a 4:3 image stretched to 16:9), despite being presented by the National Film Preservation Foundation.
- Re-release Theatrical Trailer (1:33) – a re-creation of the theatrical trailer using the new restoration
- Image Gallery (2:15) – some interesting shots here, most notably a behind the scenes look at the miniature work (which is still quite large)
- Atomic Era Short Films – a collection of propaganda and public safety films from the 1950s, including both animated and live action shorts. The quality on these isn’t great; likely the same versions of these films as you might find online on Youtube or the Internet Archive. A couple more of these are featured on the second disc.
- A is for Atom (14:13)
- A New Look at the H-Bomb (10:14)
- About Fallout (23:34)
- Atomic Alert (10:38)
- Fallout (14:13)
- Stay Safe, Stay Strong: The Facts About Nuclear Weapons (22:34)
Special Features and Extras: – Disc Two (Rocket Attack, U.S.A.)
- A 16:9 widescreen (cropped) version of the film
- Feature Commentary by C. Courtney Joyner and Mark Jordan Legan
- Mystery Science Theater episode (Season 2, Episode 5): “Rocket Attack USA” – The MST3K gang roasts Rocket Attack USA. Even with the yuks, it’s still kind of a bore. Because of the film’s short length, it’s also preceded by a serial episode of The Phantom Creeps.
- Re-release Theatrical Trailer (1:29) – a re-creation of the theatrical trailer using the new HD Print
- Atomic Era Short Films
- Our Cities Must Fight (8:45)
- Warning Red (13:50)
A/V Out
Get it at Amazon:
Invasion U.S.A. + Rocket Attack, U.S.A. on Blu-ray | On DVD
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