Robinson Crusoe on Mars - Criterion Collection

Directed by Byron Haskin
USA 1964

Special-effects wunderkind and genre master Byron Haskin (The War of the Worlds, The Outer Limits) won a place in the hearts of fantasy-film lovers everywhere with this gorgeously designed journey into the unknown. When his spaceship crash-lands on the barren wastelands of Mars, U.S. astronaut Commander "Kit" Draper (Paul Mantee) must fight for survival, with a pet monkey seemingly his only companion. But is he alone? Shot in vast Techniscope and blazing Technicolor, Robinson Crusoe on Mars is an imaginative and beloved techni-marvel of classic science fiction.

***

Don't let the dreadful title put you off - this is an interesting curiosity, a relatively straight science fiction adaptation of the Defoe novel, with special effects that don't stand up to today's standards, but some remarkably accurate observations about Mars. An astronaut (Mantee) is stranded on the Red Planet with just his monkey Mona and has to survive (finding oxygen in the rocks, water at the poles, etc). Along comes an alien (Lundin, good performance, lousy monster suit) who is given the name Friday and together they work out a living relationship. It's become something of a cult classic, but deserves a wider audience.

Excerpt from Channel Four located HERE

***

Intelligently imaginative sci-fi version of the Defoe classic, in which an astronaut and his monkey are stranded on Mars, and later joined by the humanoid slave of an alien race. Haskin and producer George Pal provide the same excellent camerawork and special effects that marked their earlier The War of the Worlds and Naked Jungle (the hostility of the Martian landscape is spectacularly evoked in California's Death Valley); but here, harnessed to a surprisingly faithful rendition of Defoe's conception, the result is an economical, subtle study both of Crusoe's will to survive, and of the hesitant growing friendship between the astronaut and his futuristic Friday. Most remarkably, Haskin avoids sentimentality even when dealing with the monkey, such is the assured sensitivity of the film.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film guide located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: June 1964

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DVD Review: Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Criterion Collection - Spine # 404 - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:49:44
Video	2.35:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.99 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 1.0)
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Collection Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Audio commentary featuring screenwriter Ib Melchior, actors Paul Mantee and Victor Lundin, production designer Al Nozaki, Oscar-winning special effects designer and Robinson Crusoe on Mars historian Robert Skotak, and excerpts from a 1979 audio interview with director Byron Haskin • Destination: Mars, a new video featurette by Michael Lennick detailing the science behind Robinson Crusoe on Mars • Excerpts from Melchior's original screenplay • New music video for Victor Lundin's song "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" • Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos, production designs, and promotional material • Theatrical trailer • Liner notes booklet featuring a new essay by filmmaker and space historian Michael Lennick, Melchior's "Brief Yargorian Dictionary" of original alien dialect, and a list of facts about Mars from his original screenplay DVD Release Date: September 18th, 2007 Transparent Keep Case Chapters: 24

Comments:

The Criterion image quality is expectantly very good. Strong indeed with subtle but true-appearing colors, excellent contrast and healthy detail considering the age of the film. There are some very infrequent and minor speckles but that can be the only complaint on this impressive scope film transferred on a dual-layered disc - anamorphic and progressive. It has steady mono audio (no pops or drop outs) and the feature sports optional English subtitles.

The DVD offers an optional commentary (same one as originally on the Criterion LaserDisc) with screenwriter Ib Melchior, actors Paul Mantee and Victor Lundin, production designer Al Nozaki, Oscar-winning special effects designer and Robinson Crusoe on Mars historian Robert Skotak, and excerpts from a 1979 audio interview with director Byron Haskin. Participants are frank and enjoyable - many pertinent details of production are explored and expressed - certainly worth a listen. There is a 19 minute 4:3 featurette called “Destination: Mars” discussing the technical faux-pas of the film. Actor Victor Lundin composed a song for sci-fi conventions (included on his 2000 album called Little Owl) - it has been turned into a kind of MusicVideo with clips from the film (runs almost 4 minutes). There is a stills gallery with sketches, storyboards, etc. A 4-minute theatrical trailer is anamorphically presented which offers an optional commentary track. There are some script excerpts from Ib Melchior’s original for computer accessibility in Adobe Acrobat Reader format. Finally a 14-page liner notes booklet offers a new essay by filmmaker and space historian Michael Lennick, Melchior's "Brief Yargorian Dictionary" of original alien dialect, and a list of facts about Mars from his original screenplay.

My copy arrived quite late and I was extra-anxious to re-watch this film as per my penchant for the genre. It's been decades since I've seen it. It definitely has a viable edge over many similar entrees from the same time period - thoughtful and imaginative with a heavy emphasis on the, often inventive, camerawork. A true gem of the past and after my thorough enjoyment during my viewing, I feel compelled to endorse with a strong recommendation.

Gary W. Tooze

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