Ignite Films, the Dutch company formed by Jan Willem Bosman Jansen is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the iconic film “Invaders From Mars!” with a 4K Ultra HD restoration.
The sensational 4K Ultra HD restoration of William Cameron Menzies’ 1953 sci-fi classic was originally scheduled to be released September 26, 2022, but production and distribution fell victim to the supply-chain crisis and delivery was unfortunately delayed for over three months. The pre-orders were sent out to the eager fans of the film in late December 2022 and early January 2023, and new orders are being taken for the film exclusively on the Ignite Films website.
The restoration of Invaders From Mars has been much hoped for and a long time coming — but the process was not an easy one. Leading the effort was longtime enthusiast and preservationist of classic cinema Scott MacQueen, who previously was head of preservation at UCLA Film & Television Archive for more than a decade, before retiring in 2021. The biggest challenge for MacQueen was that the color negative confirmed for printing in SUPERcineCOLOR lacked many shots and needed to be sourced from 70-year-old prints.
| Special bonus features include a restored 4K version of the original 1953 trailer and a Newly Commissioned 2022 Trailer, an interview with the film’s star, Jimmy Hunt, an in-depth look at the restoration process led by Scott MacQueen, Restoration Supervisor, plus a new documentary about the film featuring interviews with directors Joe Dante (Gremlins), John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), Multiple Visual Effects Academy-Award winner Robert Skotak (Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgement Day), and other luminaries. These extras and the documentary were produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Jeremy Alter (David Lynch’s Inland Empire, Doug Ellin’s Ramble On). |
Invaders From Mars stars Jimmy Hunt, Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Morris Ankrum, Leif Erickson, and Hillary Brooke.