Klaatu

The Day the Earth Stood Still is about an alien spaceship that comes down to Earth.

And the alien, whose name is Klaatu...

Klaatu Barata Nikto.

Gort, Klaatu Barata Nikto.

Right.

Klaatu is there on a diplomatic mission to convince everybody to knock it the fuck off.

This is at the height of the Cold War.

This is at the height of nuclear power.

Uh, the main thing is you've still got the, the ship appearing in Washington on the lawn.

Um, Klaatu steps out with this green-tinged robot, not called Gort in this.

It's called Gnut, or maybe the G's silent.

It's G-N-U-T.

Gnut.

Let's go with Gnut.

Uh, so he comes out, some lunatic shoots Klaatu, and then Klaatu is dead for the entire part of the story.

There's-

The Day the Earth Stood Still, directed by Robert Wise, is a classic science fiction film from 1951 that continues to resonate with audiences today.

Set against the backdrop of Cold War tensions, the movie tells the story of Klaatu, played by Michael Rennie, an alien who arrives on Earth with a message of peace and a warning about the dangers of nuclear proliferation.

Accompanied by his powerful robot companion Gort, Klaatu's mission is to urge humanity to abandon its destructive ways or face dire consequences.

The film opens with a beautifully designed flying saucer landing in Washington, D.C., immediately capturing the attention of the military and the public.

Klaatu emerges from the spacecraft, only to be shot by a nervous soldier.

This incident sets the tone for the film, highlighting the fear and suspicion that permeate society.

Klaatu's subsequent escape from the hospital and his interactions with the Benson family, particularly young Bobby, played by Billy Gray, provide a humanising element to the story.

Through these relationships, Klaatu gains insight into human nature and the complexities of Earth's social and political landscapes.

When a UFO lands in Washington, D.C., bearing a message for Earth's leaders, all of humanity stands still.

Klaatu, played by Michael Rennie, has come on behalf of Alien Life, who have been watching Cold War-era nuclear proliferation on Earth.

But it's when Klaatu's soft-spoken robot Gort, played by Locke Martin, presents a more immediate threat to onlookers.

A single mother, played by Patricia Neill, and her son, played by Billy Gray, teach the world about peace and tolerance in a formidable fell, ousting the tanks and soldiers that greet the alien's arrival.

Now, it goes without saying that this is one of the most formidable movies in sci-fi history when it comes to movies.

The pop cultural influence of this movie alone is tremendous as it breaches out to all sorts of other incarnations.

For example, Michael Rainey was there the day the earth stood still opening lyrics from Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The commands for Gort are used in several different movies, some of which including the safeguards on Jabba's sail barge in Return of the Jedi, where three different alien races are referred to by Klaatu, Vrata, and Anikto.

The film uses the threat of nuclear war as part of a larger story about humanity's ability to destroy itself.

The film follows Klaatu, an extraterrestrial who arrives on Earth with a warning for humanity.

He explains that other civilizations have become concerned about the development of nuclear weapons and the possibility that humans could use them to destroy themselves and threaten other worlds.

Klaatu's message is that humanity must stop using violence and demonstrate that it can exist without threatening the wider universe.

And of course, there's also a remake that we watched with, uh, Keanu Reeves.

Yes.

Miss Crockett.

So I don't think Aunt Bea, I think the lady that was running the boarding house said, You're a long way from home, aren't you, Mr. Carpenter? How did you know? Oh, I can tell a New England accent a mile away.

Right.

I remember that, too.

Original series creator Gene Roddenberry was heavily involved, and the film was directed by Robert Wise, who was a very respected filmmaker with a lot of critically acclaimed movies in his past.

Even in the sci-fi genre, he made the original The Day the Earth Stood Still in 1951, you know, Gort, Klaatu, Barada, Nikto.

And he was also known for hit musical films in the 60s, like The Sound of Music and West Side Story.

So they initially had trouble putting this movie together.

So I then looked at all the Hollywood movies and how they tried to disclose.

When I talked to Robert Short, he said, Robert Wise, The Day the Earth Stood Still, that speech that Klaatu has is an incredible speech.

But he said that the actor, I forgot what his last name is, Remy, I think it's David Remy, he channeled that speech.

It was not part of the script about we're not ready to go out into space until we become evolved.