Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

earthvsfs_05If you’ve never seen Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers, merely reading the title already puts you halfway there. You almost don’t have to see the movie anymore. You already know what’s gonna happen. Boasting a plot that’s only a bit more complex than an old Tom and Jerry cartoon, this film is mostly notable today for featuring early work by special effects master Ray Harryhausen and for its climactic (and influential) scene in Washington DC where downed saucers gratuitously crash into the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building.