History Film / EarthVsTheFlyingSaucers

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: The flat section of the flying saucers' hull spins for no descernable reason while they fly.
** [[WordOfGod According to Harryhausen]], [[WhenThingsSpinScienceHappens that's how]] their AntiGravity works.

* TheGreys: The aliens inside their Power Armour.

* PoorCommunicationKills: 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.

A 1956 BMovie directed by Fred Sears and written by ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' and ''[[Film/TheWolfMan1941 Wolf Man]]'' legend Curt Siodmak, which is mostly remembered for special effects by the legendary StopMotion animator Creator/RayHarryhausen, used to destroy UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC in a spectacular fashion unmatched until ''Film/IndependenceDay''.

%%* BMovie
* BigBadDuumvirate: The two unnamed leaders of the AlienInvasion.

* BMovie

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Averted. The aliens have come to conquer Earth, but would prefer to [[VichyEarth negotiate terms]] rather than subdue our planet by force, which would mean governing a devastated world and its resentful population.

* WeComeInPeaceShootToKill: More or less. At least the saucers ''try'' to get the Earth to surrender peacefully before opening up the blasters.

* StopMotion: Unusually, it's used for the flying saucers, not for the aliens themselves. It's even used for scenes where buildings are destroyed, because the usual technique of blowing up miniatures in slow-motion would have been to expensive.

* PoweredArmor: The aliens use a version, mostly just to keep themselves alive, but they do have built in blasters.

* StopMotion: Unusually, it's used for the flying saucers, not for the aliens themselves.

* WashingtonDCInvasion: The final battle takes place around major landmarks in the city. Notable for the amount of location filming around the Capitol Building and other landmarks, giving the tightly budgeted film a better look than your average B movie.

* MonumentalBattle: One of the first. Watching icons like the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building being trashed at the climax is on of the highlights of the film.

* WashingtonDCInvasion: The final battle takes place around major landmarks in the city. Notable for the amount of location filming around the Capitol Building and other locations, giving the tightly budgeted film a better look than your average B movie.

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning

* FlyingSaucer

* MindProbe
* MonumentalBattle

* WeComeInPeaceShootToKill

* ThrownOutTheAirlock: Although they're not in space when it happens, the aliens murder several prisoners by throwing them from a flying saucer in retaliation.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Averted. The aliens have come to conquer Earth, but would prefer to negotiate terms rather than subdue our planet by force, which would mean governing a devastated world and its resentful population.

* CreatorBacklash: Harryhausen considered it his least favorite of his own films.

A 1956 BMovie directed by Fred Sears and written by ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' and ''[[Film/TheWolfMan1941 Wolf Man]]'' legend Curt Siodmak, which is mostly remembered for special effects by the legendary StopMotion animator RayHarryhausen, used to destroy UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC in a spectacular fashion unmatched until ''Film/IndependenceDay''.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: 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.

A 1956 BMovie directed by Fred Sears and written by ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' and [[Film/TheWolfMan Wolf Man]] legend Curt Siodmak, which is mostly remembered for special effects by the legendary StopMotion animator RayHarryhausen, used to destroy UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC in a spectacular fashion unmatched until ''Film/IndependenceDay''.

A 1956 BMovie directed by Fred Sears and written by ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' and [[Film/TheWolfMan Wolf Man]] legend Curt Siodmak, which is mostly remembered for special effects by the legendary StopMotion animator RayHarryhausen, used to destroy WashingtonDC in a spectacular fashion unmatched until ''Film/IndependenceDay''.

A 1956 BMovie directed by Fred Sears and written by ''TwilightZone'' and [[TheWolfMan Wolf Man]] legend Curt Siodmak, which is mostly remembered for special effects by the legendary StopMotion animator RayHarryhausen, used to destroy WashingtonDC in a spectacular fashion unmatched until ''Film/IndependenceDay''.

A 1956 BMovie directed by Fred Sears and written by ''TwilightZone'' and [[TheWolfMan Wolf Man]] legend Curt Siodmak, which is mostly remembered for special effects by the legendary StopMotion animator RayHarryhausen, used to destroy WashingtonDC in a spectacular fashion unmatched until ''IndependenceDay''.

* ScienceHero: The Drs. Marvin both qualify, though Russell gets most of the work done.

* SpecialEffectFailure: Averted with the Flying Saucers, but definitely the case when the characters run endlessly against a backprojected burning forest.