Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

A 1956 B-Movie directed by Fred Sears and written by Twilight Zone and Wolf Man legend Curt Siodmak, which is mostly remembered for special effects by the legendary Stop Motion animator Ray Harryhausen, used to destroy Washington DC in a spectacular fashion unmatched until Independence Day.

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Tropes used in Earth vs. the Flying Saucers include:

• Exclusively Evil: Averted. The aliens have come to conquer Earth, but would prefer to negotiate terms rather than try and take over the planet by force, which would mean governing a devastated world and its resentful population.
• America Saves the Day: The Flying Saucers concentrate their attack on the United States capital of Washington D.C., completely ignoring the other nations of the world.
• B-Movie
• Do Not Adjust Your Set

"People of Earth, attention. This is a voice speaking to you from thousands of miles beyond your planet. Look to your sun for a warning."

• Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Ya got flying saucers attacking Earth and lots of them!
• Flying Saucer
• The Greys: The aliens inside their Power Armour.
• Monumental Battle
• Poor Communication Kills: The aliens' extremely roundabout way of informing Dr. Marvin of their upcoming visit to the rocket base results in a massacre.
  • The message was straightforward, they just made an error regarding the speed at which it was transmitted.
• Powered Armor: The aliens use a version, mostly just to keep themselves alive, but they do have built in blasters.
• Science Hero: The Drs. Marvin both qualify, though Russell gets most of the work done.
• Stop Motion: Unusually, it's used for the flying saucers, not for the aliens themselves.