Film Masters Cold War Double Feature Of Invasion U.S.A. And Rocket Attack, U.S.A. Available On Both Blu-ray And DVD On Aug. 12

 

Film Masters has a Cold War double feature lined up for delivery on Aug. 12 that will be available as both Blu-ray and DVD purchasing options.

These are new 4K scans for both films.

At the top of the bill is director Alfred Green’s 1952 chiller, Invasion U.S.A., which was announced to the public by producer Albert Zugsmith — under his American Pictures Corp. banner — as featuring “the disintegration of midtown Manhattan, including the crumbling of Rockefeller Center, and an ariel assault on Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge, as part of an atomic warfare attack.”   That’s quite the attention-grabber!

The action plays out in an assuming gathering at a Manhattan bar, where local newscaster Vince Potter (Gerald Mohr — The Lone Wolf in London, Detective Story, The Angry Red Planet, etc) joins a number of others, including former model Carla Sanford (Peggie Castle — I, The Jury, The White Orchid, Beginning of the End), for drinks and a discussion of politics, among other things.  Also there, at the far end of the bar, is the mysterious Mr. Ohman (played by Dan O'Herlihy — The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari).

Mr. Ohman makes his observations and departs, the television — which has been on for the background noise — comes alive with news that the Territory of Alaska has come under attack by Russian forces.   This draws the attention of the bar patrons who become alarmed at the events.  Vince bolts out of there heading for his news station.

All of the bar patrons — no matter where they go or what they do — will soon be dead, the last to go is Carla, who kills herself after she is witness to the execution of Vince when he refuses to broadcast for the victorious Russian invaders.   All dead, but there’s a twist!!

Bonus goodies included with Invasion U.S.A. begin with commentary by associate professor and author Dr. Jason Ney, the featurette titled “A Matter of Minutes: Remembering Gerald Mohr” and the short film titled And a Voice Shall be Heard.         

The second half of this terrific double-feature is writer/director Barry Mahon’s 1960 secret agent thriller, Rocket Attack, U.S.A., starring John McKay (Cuban Rebel Girls, The Dead) as John Manston, a CIA agent on assignment in Moscow.

Tannah (played by Monica Davis — The Dead One, 1,000 Shapes of a Female), an actively anti-communist Russian beauty, informs Manston that a pre-emptive strike on the United States is in the works.  In a race against time, the two seek to sabotage the sneak attack … but fail!   

Yes, Rocket Attack, U.S.A. was an out-and-out propaganda “warning film” that had limited theatrical exposure … it was more or less produced and distributed after the famous Sputnik launch as a cautionary tale about how vulnerable the United States was to a nuclear attack.

Film Master has unearthed this curiosity and delivers it with commentary by film historian C. Courtney Joyner and Mark Jordan Legan.   Included as a bonus is the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode featuring Rocket Attack, U.S.A., plus the featurette “Better Dead than Red: Hollywood vs. Communism in the 1950’s” and a collection of seven atomic-era short films.

An impressive presentation to be sure.   Be sure to check it out on Aug. 12 from Film Masters — the double feature presentation of Invasion U.S.A. and Rocket Attack, U.S.A. on both Blu-ray and DVD!!