Forgotten Classic - Invaders From Mars 1953

One of my favorite 50s movie of paranoia & silent invasion. All the cliche's are here & they are used effectively. The film holds up surprisingly well considering its age! 

 Plot
Late one night, a small boy, David MacLean (Jimmy Hunt), is awakened by a thunderstorm. From his bedroom window he sees a large flying saucer disappear into a sandpit behind his home. After rushing to tell his parents, his scientist father (Leif Erickson) goes to investigate David's claim. When his father returns much later in the morning, David notices an unusual red cut, along the hairline, on the back of his father's neck. His father is now behaving in a cold and hostile manner. David soon begins to realize something is very wrong: one-by-one, certain townsfolk are acting in exactly the same way. Through his telescope, David sees child neighbor Kathy Wilson walking in the sandpit, where she disappears underground. David flees to the police station for help, and he is eventually placed under the protection of health-department physician Dr. Pat Blake (Helena Carter), who begins to believe his story.
With the help of local astronomer Dr. Stuart Kelston (Arthur Franz) and Dr. Blake, David soon learns the flying saucer is likely the vanguard of an invasion from the planet Mars. Dr. Kelston contacts the army, convincing them to immediately investigate. In short order the Pentagon marshals its forces and sends troops and tanks under the command of Colonel Fielding (Morris Ankrum). An alien sabotage plot is soon uncovered, leading back to the sandpit, and the army surrounds the saucer landing site.
Standing well away from the army search, Dr. Blake and young David are suddenly sucked underground. They are captured by two tall, slit-eyed green humanoids and taken through underground tunnels to the flying saucer. Army troops locate and blow open an entrance to the tunnels, and Colonel Fielding and a small detachment make their way to the saucer entrance. Inside they confront the Martian mastermind; it has a giant green head with a humanoid face atop a small, green partial torso with several green arm-tentacles, and is encased in a transparent sphere. The Martian mastermind is served by the tall, green, silent mutants, (pronounced "mu-tants" in the film). Under their master's mental commands, the mute humanoids have implanted mind-control devices in the lower skulls of their kidnapped victims, forcing them to attempt to sabotage an atomic rocket project being built at a military plant near the town; if they are caught the mind control devices implode, causing a fatal cerebral hemorrhage. The troops and Colonel Fielding open fire on the mutants, finally escaping from the saucer with Dr. Blake and young David. After a short running battle in the tunnels they climb their access ladder to the surface. Orders are given for everyone to quickly leave the sandpit area: Fielding's troops have planted timed explosive charges aboard the saucer.
In an extended montage, David runs downhill (towards the camera), away from the sandpit. As he does so, flashbacks of the film's important events are superimposed over a close-up of his face, including several scenes played backwards for surreal effect. These are inter-cut with shots of the army artillery opening fire on the sandpit or close-ups on the ticking timer slowly approaching zero. Over this climactic montage plays the wavering, ethereal choral score that has punctuated prior scenes, now indicating the saucer's drive is powering up to depart.
Following a large explosion, David is suddenly back in his bed. Thunder and lighting are heard again, as in the beginning of the film. His runs into his parents bedroom confused and frightened; they reassure him he was just having a bad dream, telling him to go back to sleep. More wind and loud thunder is heard; David climbs out of bed, goes to the window, and witnesses the very same flying saucer of his dream, slowly descending into the sandpit.
The film then poses a question that only the viewer can answer: Is young David trapped in a recurring nightmare or was the first a premonition of this now real event?

Small

No. Enc.: 1
Alignment: Neutral (Inimical)
Move: 120'(40’)
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: 2 (plus super science abilities)
Damage: 1d4 (plus special)
Morale: 7

The Supreme Intelligence has the abilities of a 5th level scientist & lives within the confines of its bio sphere. Move s telekineticially  except in Earth like atmospheres & gravity 

Worker Mutant 


No. Enc.: 1d20 (10d20)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 8 (4 vs. energy weapons )
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: 1
Damage: by weapon(Heat Ray 1d8 damage per blast)
Morale: 7
Left over from the Metaluna works, these cloned workers are hardy, widely adaptable to number of world conditions & hardly ever think for themselves. They have sensitive optics perfect for working on strange twilight worlds & conditions. They often carry mining heat rays that are no really suited for military applications. They are the perfect worker & after thousands of generations individual thought has been bred right out of the species. The mutant workers are directed easily by the intelligence & can be completely possessed  by it.
Notes: This species is in fact a cloned variant of a group of highly efficient miners. The race has been reduced to intergalactic claim jumpers. They use planetary wide mine control insects implanted at the base of the neck.Any attempt to dislodge or medically tamper with them will cause the creature to explode for 1d4 points of damage.  Then strip mine the entire planet in a matter of days. The group uses super science powers make the whole operation seem like a dream while they move on to another world.