Pre-1980 Sci Fi Movie Thread

[jmilsom]

Nice links. I was looking at you Queen of Outer Space page and there is alink to another film.<br /><br /><b>The Astounding She-Monster</b><br /><br />http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050143/<br /><br />which alas is not on my 50 disc set, which I am going to start watching and regaling you all with. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

For some strange reason I chose to watch:<br /><br /><b>The Robot Monster</b> from 1953 first.<br /><br />I think this is the worst movie I have ever seen. I think it is even worse than <i>Plan Nine from Outer Space</i> which has a lot more laughs. Aghast at my first choice on the 50 movie pack, I looked it up on imdb:<br /><br />http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046248/<br /><br />Lo. It is a cult "worst movie ever" classic with <i>30 pages</i> of user reviews, many of which are hilarious.<br /><br />The Robot Monster is a big fat gorilla suit with a metal space helmet on top. He daintily walks around some mountain scrubland. The plot: basically Ro-Man as he's called in the film has destroyed all the earth bar 8 humans, and he is having trouble finding them, because they've hidden behind a special electronic shield and have inoculated themselves against his death ray. Despite the dire situation of the human race, the humans keep popping in and out of the compound for a frolic in the hills keeping just one step ahead of the Robot Monster on his tedious strolls away from his cave ........ anyway ,, you get the picture. Add in a marriage, followed by a romantic honeymoon in the scrubland, some of the most ridiculous dialogue ever conceived... oh and some dinosaurs thrown in at the end for good measure and you have a classic.<br /><br />Here is some trivia on the film from the imdb site:<br /><br />"When this film came out, it was so universally scorned and derided by reviewers that director Phil Tucker found it impossible to get any further work in the film business at all. Depressed and dejected, and believing that his acrimonious relationship with the film's producers resulted in their blackballing him in the industry, he attempted suicide by shooting himself. He missed."<br /><br />Now to find some pictures........ <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Ok. The film cover .....<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

The robot monster (or gorilla with a diving helmet!)...<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Egad... You can even buy resin models!<br /><br />http://www.januscompany.com/robotmonster.htm <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Just watched the next one in the set, <b>Queen of the Amazons</b> from 1947. I am not sure why this is in the set as it is not really SciFi. The basic plot is that a girls fiancee goes missing and she goes on a jungle trek that takes her to India then Africa. The Amazons are a group of white women that got shipwrecked in Africa and actually set up quite a civilized little society. Her fiancee is in love with the Amazon Queen and she falls in love with her guide. They capture an ivory smuggler and all live happily ever after.<br /><br />What is interesting about this film is all the stock footage from the early part of this century from India and Africa of people and wildlife. Quite interesting. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[lampblack]

<font color="yellow">Ok. The film cover ..... </font><br /><br />I do believe one of the walking carpet monster's paws is sort of <i>clutching</i> the lady's bosom. And she seems to like it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

I am still marvelling at <i>The Robot Monster</i>. After the initial shock of the film passed, I realised - yes, this is a film to genuinely rival Plan 9 for worst movie ever made. So I sat down and watched part of again. it really is quite funny. <br /><br /><font color="yellow">...is sort of clutching the lady's bosom</font><br /><br />Supposedly emotionless Ro-man seems to get quite infatuated with her in the movie and partially detaches her bodice later in the film.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Just watched:<br /><br /><b>The Incredible Petrified World</b><br /><br />from 1957. Another B-grade sensation from the past. This movie starts out like an old documentary about "Life in the Sea" and what lies at its very depths. Well an expedition set up by Dr. Millard Wyman (Why, man?) has built a deep sea diving bell and is about to find out. Two men and two women are in the bell when it is lowered and the cable snaps plummeting them to the depths of the ocean. When they wake up it is light outside, and the sea pressure in not so high. They decide to swim to the surface, but end up in a cave...... a.k.a <i>The Incredible Petrified World</i>!!!<br /><br />Then... nothing much happens. They explore some caves. Gasp and see............a big lizard!!! They meet an old hermit who has been living there for 14 years after his ship sank - he tells them there is no way out. But where does the oxygen come from? A volcano he tells them?!?! They go back to get more supplies from the ship. The crazed hermit attacks the one of the women, but is saved by the erupting volcano which showers him in falling rocks. They then escape and are rescued by another diving bell.<br /><br />Here's the imdb link: <br /><br />http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053944/ <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

I think I've been had on this 50 SciFi movie set. It seems a lot of the movies are actually old adventure films. Just watched <b>She-Gods of Shark Reef</b> from 1958. The story is inconsequential. A couple of guys wrecked on an island. Lots of pretty girls (not scantily clad). A dumb plot. The only good thing about this film is the scenery. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Another old classic. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Look at the lips on that monster! Is it going to kiss her to death?<br /><br />Have not seen this old classic yet. I'll have to make a comparative study with Octaman! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Yeah. He looks like he stole her lipstick to wear himself.<br /><br />Damn. A mutant amphibious transvestite. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[summoner]

Kind of borderline of the "old" classics, but no one has mentioned the "Martian Chronicles". Another that is a little more horror than scifi, was "Village of the Damned". IIRC the kids were aliens. Just remember that it scared the hell out of me as a kid. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:271px;background-color:#FFF;border:1pxsolid#999"><tr><td colspan="2"><div style="height:35px"><img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/htmlSticker1/language/www/US/MT/Three_Forks.gif" alt="" height="35" width="271" style="border:0px" /></div>

 

[jmilsom]

OK. The next two were a bit more science fictiony!<br /><br />Firstly, watched a movie from 1960 called:<br /><br /><b>The Amazing Transparent Man</b><br /><br />In this movie a mad army guy has kidnapped a scientist and is forcing him to work on an invisibility ray (one step beyond the X-Ray!). They bust a master thief out of prison to help them steal some radioactive material for further invisibility tests. As soon as they turn the thief invisible he turns on them. What follows is a crazy plot in which everyone betrays everyone else at some point in time, with a strong anti-war theme coming from the belaboured scientist who tries to appeal to the better side of each of the motley crew of characters. A largely panned film, I thought it was quite fun!<br /><br />A LINK to info on the film.<br /><br />And a poster: <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

And then a film from 1964 called:<br /><br /><b>The Atomic Brain</b> (a.k.a Monstrosity)<br /><br />In this cool brain transplant movie, an old woman has procured the services of a genius scientist in order to transplant her 80 year old brain into a 20 year old woman's body. By means of nuclear fission, the scientist is able to reactivate dead brains!!! He has a few trials transplanting animal brains into humans, and then three young beautiful girls are lured to the estate of the woman for her to choose a body from. Creepy and bizzarre with a nice final twist. Why are these old movies panned - what a classic!<br /><br />A LINK to info on the film.<br /><br />And the DVD cover: <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Another great piece of camp: <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

That was a classic! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[5stone10]

<font color="yellow">three young beautiful girls are lured...</font><br /><br />Any nude scenes ?

 

[5stone10]

I'd have never in a million years thought of putting Ray Milland's and Rosie Grier's head on one body !! <br /><br /><br />"Milland plays Dr. Maxwell Kirshner, a racist, dying, and rich man who demands that his head be transported to a healthy body. As his health suffers badly, there is only one thing to do: put the head on the body of a black man and an inmate from death row, Jack Moss, played by Grier."<br /><br />

 

[MeteorWayne]

It's really quite bizarre. Worth checking out just for the stunned look on your own face while watching!<br /><img src="/images/icons/shocked.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

No unfortunately! The picture on the DVD cover is as revealing as it gets. Two metal bands surreptitiously covering the two key areas - however, quite risque for the period it was made in. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

And tonight's exciting viewing from 1960 was:<br /><br /><b>The Wasp Woman</b><br /><br />Another genius misunderstood scientist, this time experimenting with Wasp Royal Jelly - discovers its remarkable rejuvenating properties. Kicked out of one company he takes his invention to ailing cosmetics giant Janice Starlin Enterprises. Janice Starlin, the CEO is experiencing a slump in interest in her products, which is put down to her aging. So when mad scientist, Eric Zinthrop, comes to her with an elixir of youth she gives him a blank cheque.... and.... becomes his first human test subject. It makes her young again, but, of course, with side effects .BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!<br /><br />Imdb Link<br /><br />Trivia: This movie was remade in 1995 for TV. The remake was rated 'R' due to strong graphic violence and sex scenes. The original in rated 'M' - some violence - no sex scenes.<br /><br />Trivia: The lead actor in the original movie was Susan Cabot (birth name Harriet Shapiro). She was married twice and between marriages had a much publicized fling with Jordan's King Hussein. She died violently at the age of 59. Her son from her second marriage, Timothy Scott Roman, suffered from dwarfism and was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in her death. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Anybody remember "THEM"?<br />Atomically supersized ants attacking LA.<br />And no Joe Friday to protect the city!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Great Posters. <br /><br />I see that there is a movie called <i>The Flying Monster: Rodan</i><br /><br />I wonder if Rhodan would ike to comment on that one!<br /><br />Yes, it has poster for Wasp Woman and an ingeniously titled movie <i>Revenge of the Creature</i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>