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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
Directed by David MacDonald
UK 1954
A new restoration of the 1954 British black-and-white science fiction film
Devil Girl from Mars directed by David MacDonald and starring Patricia
Laffan, Hugh McDermott, Hazel Court, Peter Reynolds, and Adrienne Corri. *** Devil Girl from Mars (1954) is a British science fiction film centered on Nyah (Patricia Laffan), a domineering Martian woman who lands her flying saucer near a remote Scottish inn to abduct human men for breeding, as Mars faces a population crisis due to a gender imbalance. The story unfolds as Nyah, clad in a striking black outfit and accompanied by a menacing robot, terrorizes the inn’s eclectic group of occupants—including a scientist, a journalist, a barmaid, an escaped convict, and locals—who band together to resist her. As Nyah’s advanced technology and cold authority clash with human ingenuity and defiance, the film builds to a tense confrontation, blending campy B-movie thrills with Cold War-era anxieties about invasion and gender roles. The narrative culminates in a desperate plan to thwart Nyah’s mission, offering a mix of sci-fi spectacle and quirky humor set against a claustrophobic, fog-shrouded backdrop. |
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Theatrical Release: May 2nd, 1954
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Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Studiocanal (Cult Classics) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray vs. Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Box Cover |
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Bonus Captures: |
Presently only part of Tales Of Adventure – Collection 5 which has The 27th Day (1957,) The Night The World Exploded (1957,) This Island Earth (1955,) Devil Girl From Mars (1954,) The Gamma People (1956) and as a bonus 1962's The Underwater City in standard-definition. NOTE: At the writing of this review the image on the Amazon.com site is inaccurate. |
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Distribution | Studiocanal (Cult Classics) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray | Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:16:57.625 | 1:17:07.875 |
Video |
1. 37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 31,885,605,747 bytesFeature: 26,348,777,472 bytes Video Bitrate: 38.91 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
1. 37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 32,304,010,478 bytesFeature: 24,247,627,776 bytesVideo Bitrate: 32.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate Studiocanal Blu-ray: |
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Bitrate Imprint Blu-ray: |
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Audio |
LPCM Audio English
2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit |
LPCM Audio English
2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit |
Subtitles | English, None | English (SDH), None |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Studiocanal (Cult Classics)
1. 37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 31,885,605,747 bytesFeature: 26,348,777,472 bytes Video Bitrate: 38.91 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary with Kim Newman and writer & journalist Barry Forshaw• NEW Interview with novelist and critic Kim Newman (18:14) • Stills gallery (1:17)
Standard Blu-ray Case inside slipcase Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Imprint
1. 37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 32,304,010,478 bytesFeature: 24,247,627,776 bytesVideo Bitrate: 32.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• NEW Audio Commentary by film historian Phillipa Berry
(2025)
Chapters 13 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
ADDITION: Imprint
Blu-ray
(May 2025): Imprint has transferred David MacDonald's Devil Girl from Mars
to Blu-ray.
Presently, this is only part of
Imprint's Tales Of
Adventure – Collection 5, which has
The 27th Day (1957,)
The Night The World Exploded (1957,)
This Island Earth (1955,)
Devil Girl From Mars (1954,)
The Gamma People (1956,) and as
a bonus, 1962's The Underwater City in standard-definition. This new 1080P transfer of
David MacDonald's Devil Girl from Mars
is pretty much exactly the same, video-wise, to last year's Studiocanal
edition.
Produced by the Danziger Brothers on an estimated budget of £20,000, the
film leverages its theatrical origins and claustrophobic single-location
setting - a remote Scottish inn - to create a moody, fog-shrouded atmosphere
that amplifies its invasion narrative. The Imprint HD presentation matches
the rich black levels of the Studiocanal. It is almost a duplicate in terms
of video. Cinematographer Jack Cox (Hitchcock's
The Lady Vanishes,
Number Seventeen,
The Skin Game,) a veteran of British cinema, balances theatrical
clarity with atmospheric tension, using lighting and framing to enhance the
sense of isolation and alien menace.
Ditto for the linear PCM audio - it mimics the Studiocanal
Blu-ray
release. The sound design of Devil Girl from Mars is a functional yet
evocative component of its low-budget British science fiction aesthetic,
shaped by the technological constraints and cost-saving practices of 1950s
B-movie production. Comprising a sparsely used musical score (Edwin Astley,
see below), practical sound effects, clear dialogue, and minimal ambient
audio the Imprint duplicates the 2024 Studiocanal sound transfer. The Aussie
company offer
optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE
Blu-ray.
The Imprint
Blu-ray of
Devil Girl from Mars includes a robust set of extras that enhance its
value for collectors and sci-fi enthusiasts, offering historical context,
critical analysis, and genre insights. Phillipa Berry, a noted film
historian specializing in genre cinema, provides a new commentary track for
2025. With Berry’s expertise, the commentary is offers a scholarly
perspective, focusing on the film’s historical and cultural context, such as
its reflection of 1950s British anxieties, the film's often overlooked or
ridiculed status, gender dynamics, and low-budget filmmaking techniques.
Berry’s analysis delves into Nyah’s subversive role, the film’s stage-play
origins, and its place in the sci-fi canon, supported by archival research
or production anecdotes. The commentary should appeal to academic viewers
and fans seeking a deep dive. We've enjoyed Phillipa's supplement work on
Rock Hudson Collection,
Tales Of Adventure – Collection 4,
Maria Montez & Jon Hall Collection etc. This 2024 commentary from
the Studiocanal
Blu-ray
edition, featuring horror and sci-fi expert Kim Newman (author of
Classic Monsters
Unleashed) and genre critic Barry Forshaw
(author of "British
Crime Film",
"British
Gothic Cinema",) is still a highlight, offering a lively,
engaging discussion (see comments below.) Invasion From Outer Space
is a new 11-minute interview with Jon Towlson (Subversive
Horror Cinema: Countercultural Messages of Films from Frankenstein to the
Present,) a film historian and author specializing in sci-fi and
horror, is tailored for the 2025 release. Towlson explores Devil Girl
from Mars’s place in the 1950s sci-fi landscape, focusing on its
invasion themes, British production context, and cultural significance. The
short runtime promises a concise, focused discussion, covering Nyah’s gender
dynamics, the film’s low-budget ingenuity, or its influence on later sci-fi.
Lastly, the 18-minutye interview with Kim Newman, recorded in 2024 is also
here. He offers a deeper dive into his perspective on Devil Girl from
Mars (see below.) Together, these features significantly enhance the
disc’s value, making it a must-have for collectors and sci-fi scholars.
Devil Girl from Mars is notable for its campy, subversive, take on
gender roles, particularly through Nyah, a commanding female antagonist who
subverts 1950s expectations of femininity. Her dominatrix-like appearance -
black leather cape, miniskirt, and boots - and assertive demeanor challenge
the era’s domestic ideals, presenting a woman in control of advanced
technology and a militaristic mission. Released during the early Cold War,
the film taps into fears of external threats and technological superiority.
Nyah’s saucer and robot evoke Soviet advancements while her authoritarian
control mirrors totalitarian regimes. The isolated Scottish setting
amplifies the invasion motif, with the inn as a microcosm of humanity under
siege. Unlike American sci-fi, which often emphasized military responses,
the film’s British perspective favors civilian ingenuity and moral
resistance, reflecting post-war resilience. Nyah, played with icy charisma
by Patricia Laffan (mostly minor roles in
Quo Vadis,
Death in High Heels,
I See a Dark Stranger,
etc.) is the film’s centerpiece, a commanding presence whose theatrical
delivery and striking costume make her both alluring and menacing. Her
disdain for Earth’s “backward” society and calculated seduction of the men
(particularly Carter) create a complex villain, blending feminist defiance
with alien otherness. Laffan’s performance leans into camp, elevating the
role beyond the script’s limitations. A perfect
addition to Imprint's
Tales Of
Adventure – Collection 5
boxset. Devil Girl from Mars’s restoration and extras (which
advance over last year's Studiocanal
Blu-ray) honor
its cult status, offering an essential experience for collectors and
enthusiasts of British B-movie sci-fi. Devil Girl from Mars is a
quirky, ambitious B-movie that punches above its weight with a bold female
antagonist, a tense single-location narrative, and a playful mix of Cold War
paranoia and gender subversion. The film’s campy charm and thematic depth
make this
Blu-ray a
must-own for many.
***
NOTE: We have added 66 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures
(in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
Studiocanal (Cult Classics) use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the
original English language. Devil Girl from Mars
has loud effects of the 'flying saucer' spaceship, a mechanized robot,
freeze-ray explosions, even a good olds fashioned revolver etc. that come through with
surprising impact. The score was by
Edwin Astley (Visa
to Canton
Contraband
Spain,
The
Giant Behemoth
1962's
The Phantom of the Opera,
The Naked Prey)
adding some inventive flavor to this sci-fi gem. NOTE: "Astley
reused his Saber of London TV series score for this film" and
Devil Girl from Mars's sound editor was Gerry Anderson of
Supermarionation fame! The audio is clean with consistent dialogue
in the uncompressed transfer but can appear out-of-sync*, although I
didn't notice it in three viewings - others have. There were similar
complaints of the DVD with some suggesting it was a post-DUB issue. Studiocanal (Cult Classics) offer optional
English subtitles on their Region 'B'
Blu-ray.
*NOTE:
Studio Canal are offering a replacement disc
HERE as they have corrected the
out-of-sync audio. (Thanks Gregory!)
The Studiocanal (Cult Classics)
Blu-ray
I have always loved Devil Girl from Mars.
Nyah's (Patricia Laffan -
Quo Vadis,
23 Paces to Baker Street) fetishistic-ally striking costume, as
a literal alien dominatrix, has supreme camp value. Part of my huge
appeal is the out-of-the-way British Inn / Pub and characters - escaped
convict, scientist, journalist, model, barmaid and the elderly couple
innkeepers who add a humorous edge.
As Kim Newman related this is the only film of its kind made in Britain
in 1954. This "B" movie has an erotic undertone with an aggressive
leather-clad Nyah demanding strong men to repopulate her planet. You
wouldn't guess this was such a low-budget film as the plot is
surprisingly ambitious with nods to Robert Wise'
The Day the Earth Stood Still. I also see Edgar Ulmer's
The Man From Planet X in it. I was thrilled that Devil Girl
from Mars came to Studiocanal (Cult Classics) Blu-ray |
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Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
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Menus / Extras
Studiocanal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
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Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
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Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
1) Studiocanal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP2) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Studiocanal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - MIDDLE 3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Studiocanal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - MIDDLE 3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Studiocanal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - MIDDLE 3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE
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Box Cover |
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Bonus Captures: |
Presently only part of Tales Of Adventure – Collection 5 which has The 27th Day (1957,) The Night The World Exploded (1957,) This Island Earth (1955,) Devil Girl From Mars (1954,) The Gamma People (1956) and as a bonus 1962's The Underwater City in standard-definition. NOTE: At the writing of this review the image on the Amazon.com site is inaccurate. |
|
Distribution | Studiocanal (Cult Classics) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray | Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |