MovieChat Forums > The Night Caller Discussion > MEDRA = DREAM ??

MEDRA = DREAM ??

posted 16 years ago by mam13143
2 replies | jump to latest

Whenever i see an odd name I always look for an anagram -- in this case medra could be dream -- but except for the girls going into a dreamlike trance I can't think of any reason for it. Have to admit it is an odd name even for an alien.

Those who read the book might be able to offer an explanation maybe??

Kind of liked the movie - has it's moments - but in the end the critiques posted here by others are certainly valid -- a British "Mars Needs Women" except it is Ganymede. All the usual questions remain unanswered at the end of the movie. A Quatermass wannabe for sure.

I'm just another sucker for 50s British sci-fi!!

[–] paulj-murphy 16 years ago

You obviously don't know that there are 2 different prints of this film. In the UK version, one of the detectives does indeed comment on the fact that "Medra" is an anagram of "dream". But in the US version, this scene has been removed. There are other differences as well, the most notable being that in the American version the title sequence has a song, while in the British version it is a piece of music without words.

I recommend that you read the novel, "The Night Callers" by Frank Crisp. It's basically the same as the film, but much better. In the book, the alien is called Bostok - and there are two of him!

You can get the book off abe.co.uk.

Let me know what you think!

Paul.

[–] mam13143 16 years ago

Nice to know I was using the "little gray cells" as Poirot says. Thanks for the info and I will get the book, sounds good and I will let you know what I think. And the song with lyrics in the beginning is so creepy I fast forward every time.
Mike