2020/2021 Illudium Film Society Program

We were just about to announce our Summer program for 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown occurred. Since our Summer Program was planned to be screening in theaters, needless to say, our plans are in disarray.

We will be conducting this screening series but we don't yet have dates. We still have to get commitments from our venues as well as our licensing agency for the Group Display License to show our selected films. Our current best guess is October/November 2020.

We will keep you posted here as our new plans solidify.

Assuming our Summer 2020 plans can be revived as we wish, we will screen the following films:

The Thing from Another World - 1951

Produced by Edward Lasker for Howard Hawks and directed by Christian Nyby

Kenneth Tobey, Stars Margaret Sheridan, Robert Cornthwaite, and Douglas Spencer. James Arness plays The Thing, but he is difficult to recognize because his features are obscured by low light, costume and makeup.

The Thing from Another World is based on the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell (writing under the pseudonym of Don A. Stuart). Ben Hecht had an uncredited hand in writing too.

Also known simply as "The Thing." Possibly directed in part (or largely) by Howard Hawks. Christian Nyby got the credit but the film does have a lot of Hawk's style. One of the better films in the genre. Nyby laughs off the possibility of Hawk's direction and says the similarities were deliberate only his homage to Hawks who he idolized but the rumors persist.

Them - 1954

Produced by David Weisbart and directed by Gordon Douglas.

Starring James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, and James Arness.

The film is based on an original story treatment by George Worthing Yates, which was then developed into a screenplay by Ted Sherdeman and Russell Hughes.

This was literally the first of the "big bug" movies and one of the first to preach the danger of nuclear radiation. One of my personal favorites. All of the special effects were practical effects done with large puppets.

Earth vs. the Fly Saucers - 1956

Produced by Charles H. Schneer and directed by Fred F. Sears.

Stars Hugh Marlowe and Joan Taylor. 

The film's storyline was suggested by the bestselling, 1953 non-fiction book Flying Saucers from Outer Space by Maj. Donald Keyhoe.

The film's stop-motion animation special effects were created and shot by the legendary Ray Harryhausen.

As a sidenote, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers was released as a double feature with The Werewolf.

There were two other films in our original planning that are now questionable due to scheduling possible conflicts for some special guests that were to appear in a discussion panel. We are working diligently to resolve these schedule conflicts if at all possible but all parties are on hold without firm dates for our venues yet. We will keep you posted.