Pre-1980 Sci Fi Movie Thread

[jmilsom]

Whoops. Forgot to post a picture!<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Oh My God! It's the Jolly Green Giant...with the Mange! <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>Oh My God! It's the Jolly Green Giant...with the Mange!</i> ...... and an infected belly button! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Ok. The next installment was pretty good considering it was made in 1961.<br /><br /><b>Battle of the Worlds</b> a.k.a. <i>Pianeta degli uomini spenti, II</i><br /><br />The movie starts with a group of scientists detecting an anomaly entering the solar system. At first they assume it is a rogue planetoid and much of the film focuses on gravitational anomalies. It travels close to Mars and perturbs the orbit of Deimos and a spacecraft beginning orbital insertion. To the shock and awe of all, when it reaches earth, instead of grazing the earth and continuing on its way, it breaks the laws of physics and goes into orbit! The central actor is a grizzled old scientist who is always right (Claude Rains - who was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting role for Casablanca!). Barely supressing his disdain for the stupidity of those around him, he grudgingly helps world leaders deal with the problem. <br /><br />I think the majority would write this film off saying another old B-grade film from Italy and give it one star - but this film has some merit. Sure most of the science is ridiculous and that is part of the fun of these old sci fi films, but considering when it was made, they grappled with some interesting concepts: the gravitational perturbation of a large body entering the solar system, an alien race travelling in a hollowed out planetoid.... etc. The film is reasonably well put together. The dialogue is witty and entertaining at times. The characters are interesting and reasonably well developed. Maybe I'm just giving it a few points because it is well above the bar for this type of old film. I liked Claude Rains performance - he re-defines the word 'cantankerous.' <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

"(Claude Rains - who was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting role for Casablanca!). "<br /><br />And the Invisible Man? <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]

Yes indeed. A quick search fo Claude Rains' profile on imdb shows classics like:<br /><br />The Invisible Man (1933) &<br />The Wolf Man (1941)<br /><br />in addition to <br /><br />Casablanca (1942) &<br />Lawrence of Arabia (1962) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

The atomic age is upon us. A build-up of nuclear weapons threatens the earth with destruction. A group of noble scientists decide to search for a haven where mankind can survive deep within the bowels of the earth. What ensues is an exciting adventure to an:<br /><br /><b>Unknown World</b><br /><br />This 'journey to the centre of the earth'-type movie was made in 1951. After securing funds from a media-magnate, the five scientists build a vehicle called the <i>Cyclotram</i> similar to the Thunderbirds 'mole' but with a smaller drill bit and very comfortable seating. They take the vehicle to an extinct volcano and set about driving and drilling their way down into the honeycombed earth. It is a dreary jounrey with lots of walking through cave shots. Some of the group soon gets disillusioned and they start fighting amongst themsleves. What is interesting about this film is that it was clearly a serious attempt to make a movie tackling some of the issues of the day. The actors give earnest (though not always good) performances and -wait for it - there are no shots of enlarged lizards or insects pretending to be giant monsters! Instead they deal with difficult terrain, posion gas, lack of water and so on. This is quite an interesting film. It obviously borrows from Verne, but its (almost) complete removal of the fantasy elements in some ways make it more engaging. Much of the underground filming was apparently done in Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Robinson Crusoe on Mars. Now there's a 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>

 

[Aetius]

Another <i>Journey To The Center Of The Earth</i>-style movie, of truly awful dimensions, was 1988's <i>Alien From L.A.</i>.<br /><br />Dude, according to this movie, everyone who lives in the underground city of Atlantis speaks in a poorly-imitated Australian accent. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />P.S. Edited to correct factual errors.

 

[docm]

<font color="yellow">Robinson Crusoe on Mars. Now there's a classic.</font><br /><br />Of the first order. I love that flick. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Hi everyone, <br /><br />I am back after a 5-6 week absence. I notice all the images have disappeared and are back to 'image awaiting approval icons'. Have there been some policy changes while I've been away? <br /><br />Edit: No need to respond - just saw the Announcement in the Admin section below. Cheers. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Welcome back! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[lampblack]

Welcome back, man.<br /><br />What 'cha been watching? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Hi. <br /><br />I haven't seen any old films for a while, but did just have the unfortunate experience of seeing 'Next' on the plane. I think I'll bump an old PKDick thread to give my views on that one! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Aetius]

I just started watching <i>Plan 9 From Outer Space</i> on Turner Classic Movies. I recorded it a couple days ago.<br /><br />I want to see for myself if it truly is 'the worst movie of all time'. I only plan to watch it in 15-30 minute increments...or should they be called <b>excrements</b>? <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[publiusr]

Waterworld was worse. I thought Flash Gordon was bad before Sci-Fi remade it.<br /><br />Too bad the Conrans of Sky Captain didn't do Shadow, Superman, Flash Gordon, etc.<br /><br />Thie version of Skull island looked better than the latest Kong remake.

 

[MeteorWayne]

But entertaining in it's own "non-scientific" way <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />I mean when Eastwood is the star, it ain'y rocket science, be it a few dollars more, or a few impactors more <img src="/images/icons/smile.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]

Aren't you mixing up Armageddon and Space Cowboys?<br /><br />I think 50 years from now, Armageddon will be a 'so bad its good' wooden spooner alongside Plan 9. I enjoy watching it because it is just so damn silly that it makes me laugh! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[5stone10]

<font color="yellow">Plan 9 From Outer Space on Turner Classic Movies. I recorded it a couple days ago. <br /><br />I want to see for myself if it truly is 'the worst movie of all time'</font><br />-------------------------<br /><br />Another infrequently mentioned, but emminently qualified [or unqualified] entry in this category is <i>Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster</i> AKA <i>Mars Invades Puerto Rico</i>.<br /><br />The director must have studied Ed Wood intently [this was a mid-60s drive-in theatre release] as the plotlines, editing, sets, etc. are straight out of 'Woodville'.

 

[jmilsom]

<p>I revisited my SciFi movies boxed set last night. I got through 9 of the 12 DVDs before reaching a point where I was unable to watch anymore old movies. Anyway, last night I watched the first film in DVDno.10 Blood Tide: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083661/</p><p>This movie had potential. It is set on a mysterious Greek Island, where in pre-Christian times the locals sacrificed virgins to an evil creature, and this past in slowly unearthed during ther movie. Niceidea, but utterly atrocious execution - has to have some of the dumbest monster scenes in movies history. Incredibly, this movie stars James Earl Jones and was the last thing he did before becoming the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars!!!</p><p>This thread has sort of died since it lost all the pictures in the forum changeover. I guess we could repopulate it now - there used to be some great old pictures here!<br /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

<p>And for zee next shocker, from 1977, just watched:</p><p>The Brain Machine&nbsp; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075781/<br /><br />A confusing tale about the Government highjacking an experiment in order to develop the ultimate surveillance technique, spying on people's minds. Or at least that's what I think it was about!!!</p><p>The movie revolves around an experiment in which four people are placed in an enclosed space and their minds are monitored. The researchers are trying to gauge people's reponses to deteriorating environmental conditions and want them to answer truthfully all questions. Each of the participants has a dark secret from their past and as each is revealed&nbsp;it all degenerates into mayhem and death. The highlight of the film has to be the still shot of a swimming pool each time they switch to the general overseeing the highjacking of the experiment. They show this still shot about 20 times!</p><p>Stars James Best (Sheriff Rosco Dukes of Hazard) and Gerald McRaney (Johnston Green, Jericho)</p><p><br /><img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/7/14/17b83a5b-3c20-4e10-8e3a-a820bfa819db.Medium.jpg" alt="" /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

<p>From 1958, just watched:</p><p>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052394/&nbsp;, The Wild Women of Wongo</p><font size="2"><p>I was sort of looking forward to this movie. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean. I thought it might 'go'. Nudge, nudge, wink wink, say no more. With the film rating on this DVD as 'M', I thought it may be a break from the tedious PG films that came before. Alas, the 'M' rating was surely for the scene in which a crocodile chomps down on a cloth mannequin, not for the scenes of wild Wongo women who were suitable clothed according to 1950s fashion. </p><p>Wongo: ancient village where the women are beautiful and the men are brutes! Guna: ancient village where the men are beautiful and the women are ugly. I.....I... can't talk about this film. It was so....so.... stupid. Let me try to revert to their language.</p><p>Wongo princess force marry ugly Wongo man. Guna man come to village say 'help fight attacking ape men'. Wongo men say 'no', try to kill. Wongo women fight and let handsome man escape. Knock over stuffed toy crocodile god. Make god angry. Must go to wilderness. When come back men gone. So women capture Guna men. But Wongo men find Guna women. So everybody happy. </p><p>Adding flavour to this apartheid films based on looks, is a wise-cracking macaw, a silly dance in a temple (it is worth watching just for that), a character that looks like a real life Mr. Burns, and some of the most atrocious acting ever recorded on film. Watch it, I implore you. I mean. Go watch film. It good.</p><p><br /><img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/7/13/c70d705f-dda3-40d4-ad1a-398b1e3c4ec9.Medium.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /></p></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

<font size="2"><p>From 1967, just watched a film called They Came From Beyond Space</p><p>The film had potential but fizzled. Meteors land in formation near a British farm. It gets the attention of the National Security service who enlist the services of the wrolds foremost SETI expert. A team go down there and are quickly taken over by incorporeal intelligences, possessed so to speak. The possession quickly spreads but does not affect the SETI guy because he has a silver plate in his head from an earlier accident. See. Potential! But from there it goes downhill and just gets sillier and sillier. I won't spoil the plot, but if you enjoy lots of silly fights and theme music reminscent of Peter Sellers 'The Party,' groovy earwear and ridiculous endings - this movie is for you.</p><p>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062360/</p><p><br /><img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/10/13/1ab33141-b6d4-437e-ad2a-c51297ed2af3.Medium.jpg" alt="" /></p></font><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Arion]

<p>I've only seen a few pre 80s movies... </p><p>I was born in 1984, by the way.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[scifisuggestions]

<p>Two that I've reviewed on my blog:</p><p><strong>Things to Come - 1939<br /></strong>A William Cameron Menzies and HG Wells movie that covers a 100 year timeline.&nbsp; Very accurate with predictions of the future, and a very cool visual style which was stolen for numerous movies like "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow".&nbsp; One of the first true sci-fi movies.<br /><br /><strong>It! The Terror from Beyond Space - 1958<br /></strong>This is the bad rubber-suited alien movie that was said to inspire Alien.&nbsp; Terrible plot, terrible acting, and really bad special effects.</p><p>Troy</p><p>http://www.scifisuggestions.com</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>