Pre-1980 Sci Fi Movie Thread

[MeteorWayne]

Oh, yeah. Kronos, stompin' those mexicans <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />Another on my top 10 "B" sci fi B&W movies. <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>

 

[yevaud]

Of course, this is obvious - made in 1979, so it's just under the wire. <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>

 

[vogon13]

Don't forget my little buddy !<br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

{bump} <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

This next one from 1965 defeated me, I fell fast asleep in the middle of it and watched the rest today:<br /><br /><b>Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet</b><br /><br />Basic story is that mankind sends three ships to explore Venus. One ship is destroyed en route. When they arrive, the first team goes down and gets into trouble so a second goes down to rescue them. The three men from the second party must journey across the planet in their air car to rescue the two other men and their robot (it seems all of these films have to have a groovy robot). They then journey across the planet making all sorts of discoveries, being attacked by lizardmen, seeing big dinosaurs, being attacked by a flying dinosaur and sinking under the water in their air car, finding remnants of a lost civilization and battling the primordial elements.<br /><br />This film is interesting as it was made in Russia and the original footage was edited and American actors put in. In the US release the Russian actors were given different names so the audience would not know the film came from Russia. The environment, however, is quite good, with lots of strange plants, props, steam, lava etc. Reasonably well-realised.<br /><br />imdb Link<br /><br />Picture is opening title and artwork <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

The next film from the list, from 1968 was:<br /><br /><b>Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women</b><br /><br />I would love to speak to someone involved in the production of this film as to why they did it. This movie consists of 90% of the same footage from the previous movie I mentioned <i>Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet</i>. It starts with narration of one of the astronauts talking about their previous visit to Venus, so at first you think it is going to be a sequel - but then he says "For you to understand, I'll have to start at the beginning!" <br /><br />The minor changes are: instead of the three rockets travelling together, they leave earth one by one and refuel at Space Station Texas (yes, the rescue mission takes of from earth after the first lander disappears and gets there before one suit tank of oxygen has been used up!!!). Then they show all the same footage, with the narration focussing on the strange singing they keep hearing. Then about in the middle, they suddenly cut to nine lovely ladies in tight bell-bottom pants with scallop shell brassieres, all blonde. They walk around slowly, use telepathy, worship a pterodactyl God and are behind all the calamity that befalls the mission members (although the mission members never see them). The story apart from the starting sequence is otherwise identical.<br /><br />Why did they do this??? Did they wish to milk more money from their original Russian film footage (I would like to see the original Russian film with subtitles for comparison)? Did it not do well and they thought they'd get with the times and add some sexy women in the hope more people would see it? It is really odd!<br /><br />The imdb link. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

And, in fact, someone has done the research. Here is a synposis of the film on www.1000misspenthours.com!!!!<br /><br />Review<br /><br />This mentions that these last two films are cannibalised from a Russian film entitled <i>Planet of Storms</i>. They are also at a loss to explain why <i>Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women</i> was ever made! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

My next addition from the famed set ZG encouraged me to buy. An Italian film from 1968 originally titled <i>Eva, la Venere selvaggia</i>, but released in English as:<br /><br /><b>King of Kong Island!</b><br /><br />I think that this movie lost a lot in the translation. It is set on mainland Africa - there is no island, no King, no Kong or King Kong for that matter - but it does have radio controlled gorillas! That is the SciFi element of the film. A mad scientist in the jungle has figured out how to put an implant into the skulls of gorillas to control them - he plans to move onto humans and conquer the world. Who will thwart him?<br /><br />The main story is a bit hard to follow. There is a mercenary, who is cheated out of a share of a robbery in the opening scene and returns to a place in Africa to start his revenge. He meets old acquaintances, one who is a young girl now grown up that wishes to hunt for "The Sacred Monkey" because it's no fun to hunt ordinary animals. They are set upon in the jungle by the radio-controlled gorillas who kidnap the girl. The girl's brother comes back and asks the mercenary for help, implying he may be able to get his revenge if he helps, because his old nemesis is somehow involved. <br /><br />In a convoluted plot, with lots of shots of wild animals and wandering in the jungle, it comes to an exciting conclusion in the bad guys secret cave. Who is Eve, the Wild Woman (that is the direct translation of the Italian title)? A beautiful jungle girl, with long hair strategically covering her breasts, who is friend of the monkeys and helps our hero. In the English version, they refer to her as "The Sacred Monkey"????? <br /><br />Excitement and Jungle Mayhem!<br /><br />Very hard to find a picture of this one. Here is one of Esmeralda Barros from Brazil a.k.a Eve, the Wild Woman a.k.a the Sacred Monkey! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[yevaud]

<i>They are set upon in the jungle by the radio-controlled gorillas who kidnap the girl.</i><br /><br />Yeah, I hate it when that happens. <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]

I can't believe how much I am enjoying these old films!<br /><br />At last one with a well thought out and interesting story. Not really SciFi though. From 1951:<br /><br /><b>Bride of the Gorilla</b><br /><br />Not as cheesy as it sounds. In a plantation bordering the Amazonian jungle, the plantation foreman (Lon Chaney Jnr) murders the plantation owner and marries his wife (Barbara Payton). The old servant covers for him so he is not captured by police, but she takes the law into her own hands. She curses and poisons him so that 'he will see himself as an animal.' His life and that of the plantation slowly breaks down as the story progresses. An old low budget film, but an intriguing tale of black magic, colonial meets indigenous and personal transformation. Worth watching and one of the better ones I've seen so far in this set.<br /><br />The imdb link is quite interesting. Especially the history of the lead actress, Barbara Payton - whose life story is a tragedy. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Well. It may not be too long before 'radio-controlled gorillas' are a popular Christmas toy. <br /><br />"Aw Dad. Can I have a radio-controlled gorilla for Christmas. Pleeeaase!" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[5stone10]

<font color="yellow">Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women </font><br /><br />This had to be a Roger Corman blue-plate special - Peter Bogdanovich and Mamie Van Doren ??!!<br />

 

[wmdragon]

I remember <i>Kronos</i>. or I should say I remembered some of its scenes (yes, the Mexican stumping in particular), it was crazyeddie who gave me the title so I could rent it a couple of years ago. another successfully recovered childhood memory. others on my list:<br /><br />The Monolith Monsters (also thanks to crazyeddie)<br /><br />The Island of Terror AKA Night of the Silicates, The Creepers, The Night the Creatures Came, The Night the Silicates Came<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[lsbd]

anyone remember "Humanoids of the Deep" ? Salmon mutated into "humanoid form" by toxic run-off come ashore looking for females to breed and increase the "human" content of their species. They terrorize the town killing grown men and guard dogs, but a frightened woman is able to kill one with a can of oven cleaner. very cheesey

 

[wmdragon]

oh yeah! a landmark of my early teen years. one of the first movies I watched - repeatedly - with friends & family when HBO arrived in Puerto Rico. the gruesome deaths and disturbing rapes left a mark. thats Roger Corman for you I guess. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

a sliced silicate <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[lsbd]

mmmmm silicates were filled with lo mein

 

[yevaud]

Oh my God!<br /><br />It's the Klu Klux Klan from Planet 9! <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]

Ha Ha. I have the green cover box and as fate would have it just watched :<br /><br /><b>Attack of the Monsters</b> from 1969 as you asked! (though I had not yet read your post)<br /><br />OMG. DANGER DANGER WARNING WARNING - All you others out there watch this film at the risk of your sanity. It has to be one of the dumbest things ever created. Think a spaceship landing on earth, two boys climbing inside and flying to another planet. Think giant plastic spinning space turtles with leg socket rockets. Think big plastic monster battles on another star (they seemed to confuse star and planet a lot in this film). A big knife nose monster with ninja stars that shoot from his neck. Think these monsters occasionally doing little victory dances and manoeuvres on gigantic parallel bars. Think two alien Japanese women that want to eat little boys brains....... and so on. <br /><br />As ZG said, this movie is <font color="yellow">is frikken LOL</font> Sometimes a strange maniacal LOL that escapes your mouth as your brain tries to assimilate what you are seeing!!!<br /><br />This movie was originally called <i>Gamera tai daiakuju Giron</i> or <i>Gamera versus the Devil Beast Giron</i>.<br /><br />AOtM<br /><br />Gamera the Invincible is next on my list - can I watch it and maintain my sanity or will my next post be utter gibberish.........? (oh and no havent seen the mutant Ku Klux Starclopses from Planet 9 yet) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

I would love to watch the original Godzilla, the japanese version without the Raymond Burr plugin. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Haven't seen that one yet. I watched the next Gammera movie but seem to have seen them out of order. From 1966:<br /><br /><b>Gammera the Invincible</b><br /><br />While <i>Attack of the Monsters</i> was funny in being so bad, by the time I watched this, the prequel, the novelty had worn off. This was the first Gammera movie. He is awoken from frozen hibernation when an atomic bomb goes off in the Arctic and wreaks havoc on Japan. The world unites to defeat the fire-eating monster. This movie moves from monster attack to human attack to Japanese people talking about the monster to world leaders and generals talkng about the monster with and a little boy who Gammera saves in the start going around saying 'Escape Gammera my friend!' This cycle seems to repeat itself endlessly. Errg. I watched this over three successive nights as it quickly put me to sleep each time.<br /><br />Gammera! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[lampblack]

That fella looks like a deranged Ent. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>

 

[yevaud]

<img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />And Tom Bombadil will be watching, singing a sprightly tune. <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]

So the 50 movie set has two films featuring Rocky Jones<br /><br /><b>Rocky Jones, Space Ranger: Crash of Moons</b> & <br /><br /><b>Rocky Jones: Menace From Outer Space</b> <br /><br />A little research on the web and I have learned that:<br /><br />The first movie is from a series of 15 episodes (actually no. 6) that was released for TV in 1954 and was cutting edge for its time. The second was a special double length feature based on the series, released as a one-off in 1956. So if you see the 2 on the 50 movie set - there are still 14 more movie-length episodes awaiting you.<br /><br />The first movie <i>Crash of Moons</i> has two moons with an 'atmosphere chain' hurtling through space. There are civilisations on each moon (every planet in the Rocky Jones movies seems to have a breathable atmosphere!). They realise that due to the strange orbital pattern they may eventually crash together - indeed - it's going to happen in 48 hours! See how Rocky Jones and Co. deal with the cooperative planet and the uncooperative one as they try to rescue the inhabitants!<br /><br />The second movie <i>Menace from Outer Space</i> revolves around a strange missile striking Earth that is made of crystal not metal. They figure it comes from Jupiter's moon Fornax!. They go there and despite the gravity being twice earth normal they walk out on the surface without noticing it. Luckily Fornax has a breathable atmosphere and the climate is '....like a May day in Connecticut.' The local inhabitants are humans and there is one bad guy from Earth there who crashed on the planet eight years ago. The Fornaxians are surprised to see the earth people are friendly as the the man there is a fugitive with diabolical plans for Fornax's strange crystal energies! Will Rocky Jones save the day?!<br />These were quite fun to watch. Must have been the Star Trek or Doctor Who of <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

"...... and by Jiminy, he'll climb down your chimney!" Oh...Hi again... just watched..... <br /><br /><b>Santa Claus Conquers the Martians</b><br /><br />....together with my kids and can't get the theme song out of my head. This 1964 classic was actually quite enjoyable. All the children on Mars are sad. The Martians consult their 800 year old guru, who weepingly tells them that their children no longer laugh and play. So the Martians resolve to kidnap Santa Claus and bring him back to Mars. Complete with time freeze rays that go 'pop'. A hyper-ho-ho-ing Santa. A grumpy Martian who does the grinch thing, this is a bizarrely entertaining film. I thought my kids would not be interested, but they liked it. <br /><br />My favourite lines form the film. "The kids don't want to go to sleep. I've had to use the sleep ray on them two days in a row." (If only!) & "We <i>are</i> Martian-mellows, getting soft on the inside." (that was the bad guy speaking!)<br /><br />This film has a ten year old Pia Zadora as the young Martian girl 'Girmar' (...I guess the Earth equivalent of that would be Girear). <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>