NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Film Detective Blu-ray (July 2021): Film Detective have transferred Lesley Selander's Flight to Mars to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Special Edition". The image, especially in the first 22-minutes, is weaker where the grain can look clunky, contrast is variable and the detail is not the same as the rest of the film. The entire presentation has a blue/gray leaning but doesn't look overly distracting. There is even some teal creeping in. After the first 22-minutes the image looks superior - contrast markedly improves as does detail, fine grain support and there is some depth with a soft palette for the colors. It is on a single-layered disc with a middling bitrate but I'd rate the 1080P as very watchable and certainly in advance of SD.    

NOTE: We have added 64 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Film Detective use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original English language. Flight to Mars has robust spaceship launches but other than that few aggressive sequences with some sparky scientific equipment. They have authentically modest depth. The score is credited to Marlin Skiles (Framed, My Gun is Quick, Queen of Outer Space, Flat Top, The Maze, Dead Reckoning) sounding clean with consistent dialogue in the lossless transfer. Film Detective offer optional English or Spanish subtitles (for the feature and the commentary)  on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Film Detective Blu-ray offers a commentary by Justin Humphreys (author of Names You Never Remember, with Faces You Never Forget.) He discusses how Flight to Mars was at the dawn of the 1950's science-fiction boom, Things to Come being a major influence on the sets, how Cameron Mitchell (Steve Abbott) represents the common man in Flight to Mars, he discusses other genre films from the 50's; Rocketship X-M, Destination Moon, technical advisor of astronomical art, Chesley Bonestell, the lesser production values of Flight to Mars, having a thin script, Monogram being a "B' studio, production designer Ted Haworth, the special photographic effects artists Jack Rabin (who's career really took off after this) and Irving Block and other production details including cast details and how they made it Flight to Mars in five days. It's a good, detailed, commentary. There is a new documentary short from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures with C. Courtney Joyner entitled Walter Mirisch: From Bomba to Body Snatchers running 15-minutes. He is great is discussing further details of producer Walter Mirisch. Eventually he won the Academy Award for Best Picture as producer of In the Heat of the Night (1967.) We also get 10-minutes of Interstellar Travelogues: Cinema's First Space Race - a new documentary short with celebrated science fiction artist/historian Vincent Di Fate (author of Infinite Worlds : The Fantastic Visions of Science Fiction Art) talking about films like Fritz Lang's Frau im Mond, Wernher von Braun, the V-2 rocket the evolution of the genre and the space race. Lastly, is a full color insert booklet with an essay by Don Stradley.  

Lesley Selander's Flight to Mars is low budget 50's sci-fi... and we love that. It's modest but has inventive effects (constrained by the budget) with later examples extending much further.  It's short at about 70-minutes but I love this sub-genre. Film Detective's Blu-ray has a lot going for it with this forgotten effort in 1080P, a commentary, two documentaries and the booklet. You have to enjoy the costumes, leggy Marguerite Chapman as a benevolent alien, and the brief philosophy. The sexist comments are pure kitsch. Fans will appreciate this complete package.

Gary Tooze