The Earthling

I am putting this review up not to tell you the story of this movie. Many other reviewer’s have said everything that you need to know. This is a movie that you simply don’t want to miss.The Blu-ray remastered version of this movie is something that you have to see for yourself. If you love this movie and you’ve long to see it in high-quality, then please grab yourself a copy of the Blu-ray remastered edition by Kino Lorber.I am a big fan of Kino Lorber, they do a very good job of taking really good VHS movies that have suffered from low-quality and restoring them. It is very impressive that they have been able to take this movie and rescue it for us all.This version of this wonderful movie is highly recommended by at least myself! If you’re a fan of this movie, and you love everything about this movie, grab yourself a copy of the remastered Blu-ray version.Yes, I know, I am repeating myself. But that is because I am absolutely blown away by what they have done to rescue this movie. And you will be too.

This review is the Bluray Version. My advice is to Skip the VHS version and the DVD version and Get the BluRay. It has been remastered and is WIDESCREEN (1:85:1)!!! To be fair, it does look grainy in some places but it is a high quality (Hi-Def) transfer from Film to BluRay so you're getting. high definition look at the film. I previously had only the VHS version and I did my own transfer to digital which didn't look great but it was ok. When the DVD came out the reviews seemed to Indicate the DVD version wasn't much better. Then I saw BluRay and I found footage on Youtube from Kino Lorber and although the footage looked great, something was wrong. The footage on Youtube is from the less popular international version which is ALSO included on the BluRay. My advice again is skip the international version. The music score if so bland it makes the movie very depressing. The Halfway home theme is gone and so is the scene at the end with a young Ricky Schroeder stacking the stones on Foley's grave. There is also some extra dialog between the parents just before they plummet to their deaths which seem to suggest the marriage is not all roses. If you've never seen the movie or want to reminisce, skip it and stay with the U.S. Version. If you do see the Kino Lorber footage on YouTube just know, it's the international version, but the quality is on par with the U.S. version, and both are on this disc.

It's the improbable stories that really get to me. This film is well shot, well edited, well acted, well directed, but I just can't help but wonder why the main characters didn't try to head for civilization. And why Australia? How come this didn't happen in ... I don't know ... Wyoming or Nebraska or some place.It's a film that's really bothered me over the years because of the improbable premise; a terminally ill man helps a boy survive by showing him how to live in the wilds. Eh, okay, it has a kind of attraction to it, but to me it sounds more reasonable on paper than seeing it on film, because in the end a ten year old kid has to make his way back to civilization to tell them about all he experienced.I guess my other minor beef here is that "Earthling", to me at least, conjures images of spaceships landing on far away worlds and meeting short green skinned aliens with pointy years. I mean I get it's used here poetically, but with all of the bait and switch in behavioral science that's in films, I just can't help but feel that this is ... a misuse of a science fiction cliche.Just a guess here, and this is based on all the other films I've seen in the past, and that is this is probably based off of a real incident that didn't end so well. The mind reels as to what actually happened. Was the RV hijacked? Did they all actually die? As the older man an ex-con? Hollywood has a tendency to take bad stories and turn them into good ones, at which point I lost interest in films altogether. So it is that I wonder about the real circumstances of this film, and, stranger yet, wonder if it has any ties to Disney's "The Rescuers Down Under".Again, I'm sorry, but man worth his salt, terminally ill or no, would have taken that kid back to the main road, and found a ranger or something to help him out. End of story.Otherwise, yeah, it's a good looking film with lots of interesting shots and so forth.Make of that what you will.

If they waited this long to even make this into a DVD, you would think they would take the time to digitally remaster it. They didn't. They did give a warning up front that it was based on older copies. That meant a bit of rolling at the bottom of the picture at times in the latter half and some inconsistent quality.This was made in 1979 and released in 1980. In those days, I thought just about all movies were widescreen - especially with all the views of the outback! However, this move is fullscreen!There was also NO menu - it just went directly to the movie - just as the older VHS copy did. This was basically a dub from VHS.The story is still good. There's just no beating little Ricky Schroder when it comes to emotional crying scenes! He just tears your heart out.

This is a story of a dying man who reluctantly becomes an embittered but compassionate mentor to a traumatized and grieving child who has no hope of survival in the uninhabited mountains of Australia. Both William Holden and Ricky Schroder give excellent performances. The cinematography is quite good with the Australian landscape full of color and a storyline that I found quite refreshing as no superhuman saves the universe. True this is not a typical ‘Disney’ family movie as several people die during the movie but there are no bloody or gory scenes, you just see the heartbreak of lose. Trust me, this movie will touch your heartstrings.If you decide to watch this movie don’t waste your time with the VHS tape or the DVD, get the Blu Ray. If you have the VHS tape or the DVD then you will definitely want to upgrade to the Blu-Ray as it is a quantum leap in visual quality, thank you Kino Lorber. The audio is also cleaned up.

There are three stars in this film: William Holden, Ricky Schroder, and the Australian Bush. The film has a harsh beauty, that accompanies and complements the harshness of the events that have brought the old man and the boy together in the Bush. This film tells their story as people, with frailties exposed, and it tells the story also of mother Earth, with her frailties exposed. Patrick (William Holden) teaches the viewer how to help the species survive, and help the earth survive, at the same time as teaching ten year old Sean (Ricky Schroder) to survive on his own in the Bush. Sean teaches the need for, and the ability to, love, as he learns responsibility and self-reliance.

5 star movie, but the quality of this Umbrella DVD is the worst I've ever seen a DVD. It's a poor VHS transfer of a poor VHS copy. Blurry throughout. There are better copies available on youtube so why didn't umbrella use these? Such a waste considering the beauty this could be with stunning shots of the Australian Outback and great story. Someone else please release this and do it justice!!!!!

And a very good watch

GRAT FILM

A great movie - very emotional.However, the picture and the sound of this DVD is very, very bad. Like the second or third copy from a VHS tape. I would rate this DVD as cheating. I have watched this DVD for about 15 Minutes and then I turned it off. Absolutely impossible!!!