Director William Cameron Menzies' 1953 sci-fi classic
Invaders From Mars has been given the 4k restoration
treatment. The film sees a young boy (Jimmy Hunt) witness an alien
invasion in his small town. Hunt will be honoured at a special screening
of the new restoration at this year's Cinecon on Labor Day weekend.
Invaders From Mars will then be released on blu-ray and 4K
UD in the US by Ignite Films on September 26th. Arrow Films are set to
release the film at a later date in the UK.
Bonus features on Ignite's edition include a new trailer and the restored
original trailer (both of which you can watch below); interviews with star Hunt, Menzies' biographer James Curtis and
recollections of Menzies eldest granddaughter Pamela Lauesen; featurette with acclaimed film directors John Landis, Joe Dante, editor
Mark Goldblatt, special visual effects artist and two time Oscar Winner
Robert Skotak (foremost expert on Invaders from Mars), and enthusiast and film preservationist Scott MacQueen; John Sayles' introduction at Turner Classic Movie Festival in Hollywood,
April 2022; before/after clips of restoration – original negative and archival film
elements - with film restoration supervisor MacQueen; restored segments in 2K of the Alternate International Version -
alternative ending and extended Planetarium scene; gallery with original Press Book pages, behind the scenes photos from the
restoration process; and a 20-page extensive essay on the restoration process: 'Invaders From Mars: A
Nightmare of Restoration by MacQueen.
"Invaders from Mars was one of the most complex projects I
have ever undertaken," says MacQueen. "In the days of analog
restoration, it would not have been possible, but 21st century digital
tools have been game-changers. Released in an archaic process that is
irretrievable today Invaders from Mars was pieced together
from five different sources. Additionally, eight minutes of European
scenes and an alternate ending, and the original trailer, have been
preserved. As star Jimmy Hunt says, Invaders from Mars has
never looked so good."
