Rocket Ship X-M

This film beat the more highly publicized Destination Moon into the theatres in 1950 and thus kicked off the tidal wave of science-fiction movies that followed. It may not have been as realistic as the latter, but it was sure as heck a lot more fun. Despite some really hokey dialog and wildly improbable developments (aim for the moon, but hit Mars!), Rocketship does what every good movie should-- it holds interest throughout.The opening scene is especially impressive with its well-stocked news conference and especially the booming countdown to blast-off. Already there's an air of thrills to come. Sure, the characters are a collection of movie stereotypes-- the jet jockey (Bridges), the likable yokel (Beery Jr.), the sexy scientist (Massen), the stern chief (Emery), and the rather unsteady engineer (O' Brien). Nonetheless, each is played with conviction, and in a real casting coup, there's the lordly Morris Ankrum back at command central.Lippert Pictures was a budget-minded company to put it kindly. Thus it's to producer-writer-director Kurt Neumann's credit that he gets so much out of the material. Note the early scene where the crew climbs up to the control compartment. The opening shot of the rocketship interior could have simply placed the crew already in that central compartment and saved money. But it doesn't. Instead Neumann has the crew climb through the rather impressive guts of the ship, thereby creating a more believable and eye-catching transport. It's touches like this that help compensate for the occasional triteness.Speaking of touches, how well I remember audience reaction to the Martian girl when she opened her eyes to reveal two blanks. The audience let out a collective shriek. Of course, that was 1950, and still a long time before today's super-sophisticated special effects. But I doubt if any of today's effects produced a stronger reaction than those two all-white lenses. (Question-- is that lipstick I see on the girl in this 1976 enhanced version?)There's also a subtle subtext in the movie's latter half. 1949 was the year the Soviets first tested an atomic bomb, thus establishing the possibility of the Cold War going nuclear. Note the pointed comments crew members make about the destructive potential of radioactivity once they discover its effects on the Martian civilization. That would appear to be writer Neumann making some timely observations on a menace then beginning to emerge. On a similar note, Ankrum's closing insistence that space exploration must proceed despite an ill-fated first effort is years ahead of its time, and likely the first such declaration in the movies or any other popular medium. Then too, it was rather gutsy to crash the survivors on their way back to Earth. That unhappy ending warned audiences of the human cost that exploration would inevitably take.Setting aside the strictly commercial aspects (the hokey romance, for one), the movie does a lot better than would normally be expected of a Lippert production, becoming rather prophetic in its own modest way. I think that's one reason for both the movie's cult status and general durability long after most contemporaries have faded away. I can't say that whatever changes the 1976 enhancements made on the original print are that noticeable on my new copy. But, then again, maybe that's a good thing. Rocketship X-M remains a minor milestone to this day.

This disc contains three vintage 1950s science-fiction movies. If you're a fan of of old, black-and-white, somewhat silly movies, you'll love these.Pros: Three hard-to-find films on one disc. Good disc - "inspected & guaranteed" by seller. Great price!Cons: These films seem to have been transferred directly from old, worn prints. There is a lot of damage, particularly at the beginning and end of reels, as well as variations in brightness and sometimes focus. The sound level is *very* low. There are no repairs or restorations, no extra features, and no subtitles - which is a bit of a problem with the very quiet sound.Overall, the experience of watching this disc is very much like going to the drive-in movies, back in the 20th century!

I have been trying for years to get a copy of Rocket Ship X-M. So happy to FINALLY get it along with 2 other RARELY seen flicks.

"X-M" stands for "experimental - Moon", and the Moon is where it is headed.But it ends up on Mars instead.This is an older film, so those insistent on up-to-date special effects will be disappointed.Those who want to see an old-time interplanetary exploration film, however, probably will not be.Even if the Martians look an awful lot like ... us.

I remember seeing RXM on channel 9 when I was in 8th Grade. It grabbed me then,, and would again, now, if it was digitally remastered. But the images are dark and muddied up, I want to see Osa Mason and Lloyd Bridges clearly, I particularly enjoyed the sound track. It helped to create the mood. And mixed with some weird, electronic tones used in the SciFi of the early 1950's, I think it continues to work. And it accurately reflects our limited perception of the Universe., at that time, The Rocketship XM is launched into the great darkness beyond. It didn't seem odd to see a guy wearing a flight jacket, and everything being written down on pads of paper, No computers on board. Just levers and switches, and portholes to look out of. And everything out the porthole looked dark. Not foreboding or sinister, But dark and empty, with an occasional meteorite crossing that just missed the ship, And we're given a glimpse of Earth and the moon, from a distance, as the ship hurtles off course to Mars. The movie is timepiece, and worth watching, from the stand point of visual arts in the cinema. It's where we wanted to be next, and the movie gives us all that and no CG, too, And when they have landed on Mars, and debark to explore, as they begin their trek, their ship standing as a tall, shiny sentinel on the desert floor, the crew discover there are Martians. At almost the same time, they also discover they must run for their lives, I loved it, and would love it even more, if I could give a copy that has been cleaned up, and brought into Criterion standards. Then I'd give it another go, but only then,

The best movie in the collection was Rocketship X-M starring Lloyd Bridges and Hugh O'Brian. The next best was Monster From Green Hell, however, it was a very slow moving movie. Finally, last of all was Devil Girl From Mars. It appeared to have been shot in one location in the UK and was somewhat slow and tedious.

They were 3 good movies.

I remember this movie from when I was very young seeing it in the local theater probably on a Saturday morning. Maybe because of nostalgia or because Lloyd Bridges stars in it, I gave it one star more than my initial impulse. There are some aspects that detract from the film like WWII era weapons on a flight to Mars. There is no weightlessness during the voyage nor protective gear other than oxygen masks while on another planet. Just a few years later we got to see the real thing when astronauts blasted off into space. That reality makes part of the movie seem silly. The end, however, is a departure from the normal Hollywood fare.

now this is a classic, its a really good cross over to dvd, picture quality is excellent and ths sound is just as good, i love these early naive sci fi films and have always had them close to heart, man (and woman) zooming off into interplanetary space with minimal idea of what is out there, taking sandwiches and coffee and wearing iffy clothes, when you think that this is 20 years before the moon landings i think they did well and some parts are very accurate, but as with all films of this era its shows how little we actually knew about the moon and space travel in general, when you think that the trip to mars would take a year or so even with our technology, so doing it in rocket ship XM would have been...........................well what is sci fi if we don`t have any immagination, a great flim and good value for money if 50s sci fi is your thing

This is the very first of the genera and even though it was cheaply made it is still very fascinating to watch. The technology is very simple and perhaps the plot becomes a bit unbelievable, nonethless it is excellect because all the actors seem like real people and the ending is very unusual indeed and very sad. I am looking forward to the new DVD version which is coming in a few years. Hopefully it will be a cleaner looking copy of a true classic.

I saw this at the time and always remembered it. Old tech of course (for me some memories of old electronics) , but a very human story on and after Mars. Have to remember that A bombs had been used and H bombs were very much in fashion at the time. One star less because the sound was not very good on my copy.

I saw the film as a child i.e. many years ago. I wanted to see it again for old times sake. I didn't disappoint although once watched I don't think that I would want to see it again. It is typical early 1950's sci fi.i.e. presenting a warning about over use of science particularly nuclear weapons. I have passed it on for others to watch.

Modest early trek into outer space and for fans of early Sci-Fi definitely worth viewing. There is however a slight production problem on this package which comes across as jerky movement in panning shots, so do not expect a perfect picture.