Successful supercut by Adam Schleichkorn and Bryan Menegus, in which we are offered a foray into the cinematic history of extraterrestrials. From saucers on a thread to modern CGI monsters.
From their earliest cinematic appearance in Georges Méliès's "A Trip to the Moon" in 1902, our conception of life beyond Earth has changed to reflect our hopes and fears, the technology we've mastered, and our growing knowledge of the universe. Watch our depictions of extraterrestrial life change over nearly 100 films and 112 years.
There is a list of all films used in the CLip after the jump...
(1902) A Trip to the Moon
(1922) Sky Kibet
(1924) Aelita
(1940) Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe
(1951) The Day the Earth Stood Still
(1951) The Thing From Another World
(1953) The War of the Worlds
(1953) Abbott and Costello Go to Mars
(1956) Forbidden Planet
(1956) Invasion of the Body Snatchers
(1956) Earth vs the Flying Saucers
(1957) 20 Million Miles To Earth
(1958) Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
(1959) The Angry Red Planet
(1967) Quartermass and the Pit
(1968) 2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968) Barbarella
(1968) Gamera vs. Viras
(1971) The Andromeda Strain
(1972) Solaris
(1973) Fantastic Planet
(1976) The Man Who Fell to Earth
(1977) Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
(1977) Close Encounters of the Third Kind
(1978) Superman
(1978) Invasion of the Body Snatchers
(1979) Aliens
(1979) Star Trek: The Motion Picture
(1980) Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
(1981) Heavy Metal
(1982) ET the Extra-Terrestria
(1982) The Thing
(1982) Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
(1983) Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
(1984) Starman
(1984) 2010
(1984) The Last Starfighter
(1984) Dune
(1985) Cocoon
(1985) Enemy Mines
(1986) Flight of the Navigators
(1986) Critters
(1987) Amazon Women on the Moon
(1987) Predators
(1987) Space Balls
(1988) Alien Nation
(1988) They Live
(1988) The Blob
(1989) The Abyss
(1990) Total recall
(1993) Coneheads
(1194) Godzilla vs Space Godzilla
(1994) Stargate
(1995) Species
(1996) The Arrival
(1996) Independence Day
(1996) Space Jam
(1996) Mars Attacks
(1997) Starship Troopers
(1997) Men in Black
(1997) The Fifth Element
(1997) Contact
(1998) The X Files
(1998) TheFaculty
(1998) Dark City
(1998) Lost in Space
(1998) The Shadow Men
(1999) Galaxy Quest
(1999) Muppets from Space
(2000) Pitch Black
(2000) Mission to Mars
(2001) K-PAX
(2002) Signs
(2002) Men in Black 2
(2003) Dream Catcher
(2004) The Chronicles of Riddick
(2005) War of the Worlds
(2005) Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
(2005) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
(2006) Slithers
(2007) The Mist
(2007) Transformers
(2007) Spider-Man 3
(2008) Cloverfield
(2009) Avatars
(2009) Star Trek
(2009) District 9
(2009) Monsters vs Aliens
(2011) Super 8
(2011) Cowboys and Aliens
(2011) Paul
(2011) Battle: Los Angeles
(2011) Attack the Block
(2012) Prometheus
(2013) Star Trek Into Darkness
(2013) Pacific Rim
(2014) Edge of Tomorrow
(2014) Guardians of the Galaxy