First Arrival of 2020 Isn't a Bouncing Baby- Because "It Came from Outer Space"- Tonight!

Tonight on Me-TV, even though it’s after the holidays, we still have company coming! Be prepared for some visitors who try to be like us- literally! One local resident sees what's really going on- but, as it always seems in our movies, can't convince his neighbors that some of the other neighbors aren't acting like themselves- because- they AREN'T really them! Beware the deceptive duplicates spawned when “It Came from Outer Space”!

In a story from master of science fiction, Ray Bradbury, the normally peaceful desert town of Sand Rock, Arizona, is witness to a bright object streaking across the sky-and striking the ground in the near distance!  Author John Putnam, an amateur astronomer, and his girlfriend Ellen see this celestial wonder – and John, eager to explore this phenomenon, arranges for a copter ride to the point of impact. After arrival, he heads down into the crater created by the object, expecting to see the remains of a smoldering meteor. To his surprise, it’s not a meteor at all- but a strange spherical metallic object- with a hatch in it! He's positive that he sees something about to emerge from inside the object- but an unexpected avalanche occurs, and he barely escapes a premature burial under the collapsed dirt and rocks that cover up whatever it is he saw!

 John begins to try to explain what he saw to his copter pilot pal and skeptical girlfriend- who both find it hard to believe his story. Regardless, Ellen is willing to stand by her man, and aid him in trying to get the facts about what's now buried – but she can't really help him convince the local authorities that there's something unusual out in that desert area. Soon, however, she herself doesn’t need any further convincing- when the two of them get a fleeting glimpse of some sort of creature- not to mention some unexplainable glittering slime trails on the ground. Things get more unsettling when some of their local friends are missing- and abruptly re-appear- but don't seem to be acting like their normal selves! When the authorities finally do realize something is terribly amiss- and want to do something about it- it ends up being John’s responsibility to convince them that taking the wrong course of action could mean the end for all of them! Will they discover what's really in the crater- and- will their fear of what it might be lead to their own destruction?

Our friend Nick Digilio of WGN Radio ( you saw him interview me about my career in our “Wolf Man” show) has told us that, when he interviewed John Carpenter, he related that, as a youngster in 1957, this movie frightened him so badly that he ran from the theater in fright- and that it so affected him that it began his interest in creating his own scary movies! We've pointed out before that this was originally a 3-D film, Universal’s first- and you’ll notice a few specific scenes designed to take advantage of the 3-D effects. We’ll go over our cast, featuring Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush, as well as a recognizable face from “Gilligan’s Island”- and, naturally, there are plenty of Sven antics to break the tension.

"It Came from Outer Space" comes at you tonight on MeTV at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central- or check for the time and channel in your local listings, or at www.metv.com.   Join the multitudes who live-Tweet about us during the show on Twitter, using the hashtag # svengoolie .In Chicago, at 11 am on the U, viewers get an encore of the stop- motion Ray Harryhausen “Beast from 20,000 Fathoms”.

The first Svengoolie public appearance for 2020 is already set for Saturday, January 18^th- in- where else?- BERWYN! We’ll be at the new “Pet Supplies Plus” store at the Harlem and Cermak Plaza ( formerly the home of the famed “Spindle” sculpture- now long gone) 7133 Cermak Road from 1-3 pm! And- there will be more to come, including a lot of Sven fun at this year’s C2E2 convention at Chicago’s McCormick Place in late February! Keep checking our appearances section here on our website for details.

Tonight- it’s classic science fiction where you can’t be sure who’s who- or where they actually came from!