Invasion of the Wobbling Hubcaps

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In this episode of The Introverted Obelisk, we crank up the Theremin and hunker down in our Cold War bunkers for 1956’s Earth vs. the Flying Saucers—a film where alien invasion meets government denial with all the subtlety of a brick through a window. We’ll walk through the plot, such as it is, as alien ships descend upon Earth like angry pie plates, zapping landmarks and demanding humanity’s cooperation—which goes about as well as you’d expect in the ‘50s.

We discuss the film’s surprisingly solid special effects courtesy of Ray Harryhausen, whose stop-motion saucers are the real stars here, even if the humans are too busy getting in their own way. There’s Cold War anxiety, some solid sci-fi set dressing, and an underlying message that boils down to: "If they don't like our missiles, they can leave."

Along the way, we drop trivia about flying saucer lore, note the parallels to real-life UFO hysteria, and reflect on how much of this movie is wish fulfillment for defense contractors. It’s all delivered with our usual blend of wit, sarcasm, and respect for the genre’s scrappy charm.

So grab your aluminum foil hats—this invasion’s going to be a bumpy, budget-conscious ride.

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