Nominated for AFI's 10 TOP 10
This film was among the nominees for the American Film Institutes's 10 Top 10 - the ten best films in ten different genres. Nice to see it made the list. It's really good but not necessariy as famous as some from the era - maybe because the title doens't tell you what it's about (unlike, say, TARANTULA).
You can find the complete lists of sci-fi and fantasy nominees here: http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2008/02/07/afi-nominees-the-best-sci- fi-and-fantasy-films