other again. The film failed to perform at the box office, placing further stress on an already-burdened Graeff, and in the fall of 1959, he suffered a breakdown, proclaiming himself as the second coming of Christ. After a number of public appearances, followed by a subsequent arrest for disrupting a church service, Graeff disappeared from Hollywood until 1964. He committed suicide in 1970. The film went on to become a cult classic among sci-fi fans and was later shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000, Elvira's Movie Macabre, and Off Beat Cinema. It was also included in the video game Destroy All Humans! It becomes unlocked and ready to play in full once the player beats the game. Critical reception The film opened on June 3, 1959 to negative but not crippling reviews. The Los Angeles Times review stated "what a curious little film this is [...] there are flashes of astonishing sensitivity half buried in the mass of tritisms." And of the director, Tom Graeff, "when he stops spreading himself so incredibly thin, I think his work will bear watching". Writing in DVD Savant, although film critic Glenn Erickson described the film as "staged at the level of a high-school play," with the giant Gargon "a crudely matted silhouette that may be the least convincing [special] effect of the 1950s," the film nevertheless is "actually quite touching - the show finds its own humble level of dramatic integrity." Public domain In 1987, the film entered the public domain in the United States and worldwide because Warner Bros. did not renew the film's copyright registration in the 28th year after its creation. As a result, the film has received numerous "bargain bin" DVD releases. MST3Ks version was released by Rhino Home Video as part of their "Collection, Volume 6" box set. See also List of American films of 1959 List of films in the public domain in the United States References Bibliography Warren, Bill. Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties (covers films released through 1962), 21st Century Edition. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009 (First Edition 1982). . External links Elvira's take on ShoutFactoryTV Joe Dante on Teenagers from Outer Space at Trailers from Hell The out-loud life and silent death of Teenagers From Outer Space creator Tom Graeff 1950s teen films 1959 films 1959 horror films 1950s science fiction horror films 1950s monster movies