Worlds of Wonder: Sci-Fi Goodness (and a bit of goofy fun)
I'm a sucker for worlds of imagination, so sci-fi has always been a favorite, even when it's been a bit cheesy (some of us have a sense of humor about this stuff). These are movie and tv show favorites; some are groundbreaking, some awe inspiring, some puzzling, and many are just plain silly. What's the point of having a future if it isn't at least fun? I'm skipping superheroes, if you don't mind, as I have covered them on another list.
Now, "Mr. Sulu, ahead warp factor 10!" "Aye, aye, Captain!" "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my parent's basement."
Some spoilers ahead...
Now, "Mr. Sulu, ahead warp factor 10!" "Aye, aye, Captain!" "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my parent's basement."
Some spoilers ahead...
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- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsGeorges MélièsVictor AndréBleuette BernonA group of astronomers go on an expedition to the Moon.George Melies classic silent film about a group of scientists who travel to the moon, via a cannon-launched projectile. The film loosely adapts Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon, and was a wonder of special effects, for its time. Edison ripped him off before he could bring the film to the US.
- DirectorStuart PatonStarsAllen HolubarDan HanlonEdna PendletonA French professor and his daughter accompany Captain Nemo on an adventure aboard a submarine.Early silent version of the Verne classic, with the ultimate science pirate, Captain Nemo. The title refers to the distance travelled, not the depth, for the smarty pants at Saturday Night Live (a sketch from the 90s).
- DirectorYakov ProtazanovStarsYuliya SolntsevaIgor IlyinskyNikolai TsereteliEngineer Mstislav Sergeyevich Los travels to Mars where he leads a popular uprising against the ruling group of Elders with the support of Queen Aelita who has fallen in love with him after watching him through a telescope.Early Russian sci-fi extravaganza. I've only seen photos; but, it looks amazing. It gets high praises from movie historians. Very imaginative look, right there with Lang.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsBrigitte HelmAlfred AbelGustav FröhlichIn a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.One of the true visual wonders of the silent era. Fritz Lang brings to life this tale of a monstrous city, where the elite live in grand towers, while the workers toil underground. One of the first uses of sci-fi cinema to make social criticisms, though there is plenty of that in Verne's work. The robot version of Maria would inspire the design of C3PO, which may explain why he acts that way.
- DirectorDavid ButlerStarsEl BrendelMaureen O'SullivanJohn GarrickNew York, 1980: airplanes have replaced cars, numbers have replaced names, pills have replaced food, government-arranged marriages have replaced love, and test tube babies have replaced ... well, you get the idea. Scientists revive a man struck by lightning in 1930; he is rechristened "Single O". He is befriended by J-21, who can't marry the girl of his dreams because he isn't "distinguished" enough -- until he is chosen for a 4-month expedition to Mars by a renegade scientist. The Mars J-21, his friend, and stowaway Single O visit is full of scantily clad women doing Busby Berkeley-style dance numbers and worshiping a fat middle-aged man.This is essentially a musical comedy, but it features some fantastic sets and interesting visuals. The main story is nothing to write home about.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsColin CliveMae ClarkeBoris KarloffDr Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses.This film straddles both the scientific and the horrific. The mad genius Dr. Frankenstein tries to creat artificial life, with tragic consequences. Boris Karloff made the monster human. The film departs quite a bit from Mary Shelly, but is probably the better known version. It would influence many things, both in the sci-fi and horror worlds.
- DirectorErle C. KentonStarsCharles LaughtonBela LugosiRichard ArlenA mad doctor conducts ghastly genetic experiments on a remote island in the South Seas, much to the fear and disgust of the shipwrecked sailor who finds himself trapped there.Charles Laughton is Dr. Moreau in this early adaptation of HG Wells' Island of Dr. Moreau. Wells' metaphoric tale of genetic experiments is ably brought to life.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsClaude RainsGloria StuartWilliam HarriganA scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.Claude Rains stars in this adaptation of HG Wells. Again, this is as much horror as sci-fi, with Rains very effective as the scientist driven mad by his condition.
- DirectorKarl HartlStarsHans AlbersSybille SchmitzPaul HartmannUrged by famous airman Ellissen the Lennartz Company puts into reality the project proposed by his friend Droste: F.P.1, a huge floating platform in the Atlantic that makes long-distance flights viable. Ellissen is in love with company heiress Claire, but when he returns from his adventures to save the endangered F.P.1 he finds out that he has lost her to Droste.Really two films, a German one and then an English one. An engineer designs and builds a masive floating platform (the FP1 of the title) that is to be a waystation in the Atlantic, for air and sea travel. However, from the start, there are people trying to sabotage it. Conrad Veidt plays a playboy aviator who lends a hand. The design is interesting and the plot is good, but much of the acting revolves around the pseudo-romance. May be a bit dull for modern audiences.
- DirectorOtto BrowerB. Reeves EasonStarsGene AutryFrankie DarroBetsy King RossWhen the ancient continent of Mu sank beneath the ocean, some of its inhabitant survived in caverns beneath the sea. Cowboy singer Gene Autry stumbles upon the civilization, now buried beneath his own Radio Ranch. The Muranians have developed technology and weaponry such as television and ray guns. Their rich supply of radium draws unscrupulous speculators from the surface. The peaceful civilization of the Muranians is corrupted by the greed from above, and it becomes Autry's task to prevent all-out war, ideally without disrupting his regular radio show.Gene Autrey stars in this serial, as himself. A group of mysterious marauders is chased by Autry, only to find an underground advanced civilization. Autry gets caught up in the intrigue, but has to keep cutting out to record his radio show, or he will lose his ranch. This silliness tends to pull the plot to a halt, which keeps an otherwise good serial from becoming great.
- DirectorWilliam Cameron MenziesStarsRaymond MasseyEdward ChapmanRalph RichardsonThe story of a century: a decades-long second World War leaves plague and anarchy, then a rational state rebuilds civilization and attempts space travel.William Menzes directs this visually amazing tale of HG Wells' predictions of the coming future. Raymond Massey stars as John Cabal, a somewhat cynical man who is faced with man's stupidity as war breaks out. He joins together with a group of aviators and technocrats to bring about a new civilization, from the ashes of the old. Ralph Richardson is the "Boss," a petty tyrant with dreams of conquest. The acting is rather operatic and more than a bit pompous, but the visuals are stunning, from the Wings Over the World super bombers to the building of an underground utopia, to the moon launch at the climax. The film is a real triumph of modern design and imagination.
- DirectorFrederick StephaniRay TaylorStarsBuster CrabbeJean RogersCharles MiddletonFlash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Alexis Zarkov visit the planet Mongo to thwart the evil schemes of Emperor Ming the Merciless, who has set his planet on a collision course with Earth.The first of Universal's Flash Gordon serials. This one sticks relatively close to the comic strips, as Flash, Dale, and Zarkov travel to Mongo to try and stop it from colliding with Earth. Neither the serial or the original strip ever address how they were supposed to do this and it is quickly forgotten. The acting is rather stiff, and some of the costumes are a bit clunky, not to mention, many of the actors weren't quite as athletic as Buster Crabbe, but it's a lot of fun and keeps you interested, once you get used to the rocket ships flying in circles. Universal gave this one a feature budget and it shows.
- DirectorB. Reeves EasonJoseph KaneStarsRay CorriganLois WildeMonte BlueCrash Corrigan, a recent graduate of Annapolis, and Diana, a go-getting reporter, join Professor Norton for a search for the source of a string of earthquakes, Atlantis. They ride Prof. Norton's rocket submarine searching the sea and little Billy Norton, the professor's son stows away, of course. When they find Atlantis they are caught in a war between peaceful Atlanteans, note their white capes, and war-monging Atlanteans, note their black capes. After many harrowing moments for Crash, Diana, Prof. Norton and Billy, they barely get away with their lives when they escape a tower of Atlantis raised to the surface for the sole purpose of dominating or destroying the Earth (Which one depends on the compliance of the upper world dwellers.)This was Republic Studios' attempt at duplicating Flash Gordon. It doesn't have the same budget or imagination, but it makes up for it in action and beefcake. Ray "Crash" Corrigan is the hero, who is part of a naval expedition to Lake Pahoe, I mean, find a lost world. They find dictators, super tanks, and clunky robots, and a lot of guys in bedsheets, though they don't appear to be part of the KKK. Silly fun for a while, but you are ready for it to end far sooner than it does. Try it in small doses.
- DirectorFord BeebeRobert F. HillFrederick StephaniStarsBuster CrabbeJean RogersCharles MiddletonWhen a deadly Nitron ray strikes Earth, Flash Gordon and his friends travel to Mars to battle Ming the Merciless and his new ally Queen Azura.Flash and the gang are back, as they try to thwart Ming's new plan, while meeting Queen Azura. Lots of great action here, much of which would inspire Star Wars.
- DirectorFord BeebeSaul A. GoodkindStarsBuster CrabbeConstance MooreJackie MoranA 20th Century pilot named Buck Rogers and his young friend Buddy Wade awake from 500 years in suspended animation to find that the world has been taken over by the outlaw army of Killer Kane.Buster Crabbe also starred as the original sci-fi comic hero, Buck Rogers. In a slight deviation from the strip, Buck and Buddy Deering are frozen by gasses, after an airship crash, only to wake up in the future. There, they help stop the scemes of the evil Kane. Pretty good visuals here. George Lucas later used a clip at the beginning of THX 1138.
- DirectorFord BeebeRay TaylorStarsBuster CrabbeCarol HughesCharles MiddletonA ravaging plague has struck the Earth threatening no less than global extinction. This alien disease is believed to be the evil spawn of Ming, the merciless Emperor of Planet Mongo. The world's only hope now rests with Flash Gordon.Flash and his friends help out Queen Fria and King Ronal, rulers of Frigia, as they fight the evil Ming's schemes. Plenty of daring do and the usual circling space ships. The title crawl at the start of each episode would find its way to Star Wars.
- DirectorJohn EnglishWilliam WitneyStarsLee PowellBruce BennettEleanor StewartThe US marine corps must battle a would-be world conqueror who uses electricity as a weapon.An evil villain, the Lightning, launches attacks on the world, from his flying wing, while he launches electric torpedoes. It's up to a pair of US Marines to try and stop him. Much of the footage is recycled from Dick Tracy (including the flying wing) but the villain is brand new. His black costume and helmet would inspire Darth Vader.
- DirectorSpencer Gordon BennetThomas CarrStarsKane RichmondRick VallinLinda LeightonAn adventurer travels to the moon to stop a madman from getting hold of the Interceptor Ray, a weapon that could destroy Earth.This was one of the rivals of Flash Gordon, an adventurer who travels through time in his Time Top. I have no idea how faithful the serial was.
- StarsDon HastingsAl HodgeHal Conklin"Guardian of the Safety of the World", private citizen-scientist Captain Video, assisted by his teenage helper The Ranger and an army of Video Rangers, preserves the peace in the far-off future, fighting the evil Dr. Pauli of the Astroidal Society and a bunch of other baddies (Nargola, Mook, Kul, Clysmok). The show appeared nightly Mon-Fri, featured many outlandish weapons and techno-gimmicks, and was run on a minuscule prop budget.Another of the early sci-fi television series; one of the first, actually. This was a big hit with kids, back in the day.
- DirectorFred C. BrannonStarsTristram CoffinMae ClarkeDon HaggertyJeff King in his experimental rocket suit battles the evil Dr. Vulcan.Wonderful Republic serial about a scientist who fights saboteurs, using a rocket pack. The enemy uses all kinds of scientific devices to kill and wreak havoc. This is the best of the three serials.
- StarsFrankie ThomasAl MarkimJan MerlinFour centuries into the future, Cadets Tom Corbett, Roger Manning and Astro are training to become Solar Guards. Their ship, the "Polaris" took them to numerous adventures, usually natural catastrophes rather than villains.One of the early tv adventure shows, low on budget but not ideas. Its hard to take these things seriously, though.
- DirectorFred C. BrannonStarsWalter ReedLois CollierGregory GayeA hero single-handedly sets himself against Martians trying to assume control of Earth.Another sci-fi serial, though not felt to be in the same caliber as King of the Rocketmen or even the Phantom Empire. The budgets in these things don't lend themselves well to great visuals, apart from the Lyedecker Brothers.
- DirectorKurt NeumannStarsLloyd BridgesOsa MassenJohn EmeryAn astronaut crew on their way to the Moon are unexpectedly propelled by gravitational forces and end up on Mars instead.One of the early sci-fi films with a great eye towards scientific accuracy. It's still a bit laughable, and more than a bit plodding, but it tries for serious. The Mysties roughed it up a bit.
- DirectorIrving PichelStarsJohn ArcherWarner AndersonTom Powers"Destination Moon", tells the tale of when Doctor Charles Cargraves and retired General Thayer approach Jim Barnes, the head of his own aviation construction firms to help build a rocket that will take them to the moon.Another early techno/sci-fi film, with ideas from Robert Heinlein. Unfortunately, they deviate a bit too much, but it's not a bad attempt.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsMichael RenniePatricia NealHugh MarloweAn alien lands in Washington, D.C. and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.One of the first truly serious sci-fi films, with an alien ambassador who comes to Earth to try to steer it from the path of war and destruction. He is aided by his robot Gort. Of course, some trigger happy earthling stirs things up. Great film from Robert Wise. Forget the Keanu version.
- DirectorChristian NybyHoward HawksStarsKenneth TobeyMargaret SheridanJames ArnessScientists and American Air Force officials fend off a bloodthirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost.Classic sci-fi/horror tale of an alien that can take on other forms, who infiltrates a remote Arctic outpost. It would be remade by John Carpenter, in the 80s.
- DirectorFred C. BrannonStarsGeorge D. WallaceAline TowneRoy BarcroftStrategic targets on Earth are being destroyed by an unknown weapon. Government security head Henderson suspects it's an "atomic ray" originating from the moon.This time, the hero is known as Commando Cody, as he fights an attack from the moon. It gets a bit ponderous and many of the props are recycled from other serials.
- DirectorFred C. BrannonStarsJudd HoldrenAline TowneWilson WoodThe invaders come to Earth to create an H-bomb to blast Earth out of orbit so that Mars can take its place.Last of the rocket man serials, with the rocket propelled hero fighting aliens, including a pre-Spock Leonard Nimoy. Things are pretty tired by this point, but the effects are good.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsGene BarryAnn RobinsonLes TremayneA small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion.HG Wells masterpiece is brought to life by George Pal. Things are moved up from the Victorian era to the present, though the tripods are replaced with flying ships, with heat rays. A flying wing (via stock footage) helps save the day, along with Dr. Clayton Forrester (not the mad scientist at Deep 13). Much more fun than the Tom Cruise remake.
- DirectorWilliam Cameron MenziesStarsHelena CarterArthur FranzJimmy HuntA young boy learns that space aliens are taking over the minds of earthlings.The Martians are coming, in this metaphor of Cold War paranoia. The acting is not quite Oscar calliber, but it's goofy fun.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsKirk DouglasJames MasonPaul LukasA ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.The classic version of Verne's tale, featuring James Mason as the definitive Nemo. Disney went to town here, creating the truly iconic Nautillus. Verne's social critique survives, amazingly.
- StarsRichard CraneSally MansfieldScotty BeckettCruising the galaxy in his space ship "The Orbit Jet" Space Ranger, Rocky Jones, Vena Ray, and 10 year-old Bobby defend the Earth and themselves against space-bound evil doers.Another early tv sci-fi series. It's big on imagination but rather light on budget. It has a certain campy charm and the Mysties weren't too hard on it.
- StarsSteve HollandIrene ChamplinJoseph NashSpace hero Flash Gordon and his crew of the Galaxy Bureau of Investigation patrol space, battling space monsters, power-mad alien dictators and other threats to the stability of the universe.Steve Holland stars as the earth hero, with not much budget. The show did make use of footage of post war Berlin, complete with bomb damage. Harris would also serve as James Bama's model for his seminal Doc Savage covers for the Bantam paperback reprint series.
- DirectorVal GuestStarsBrian DonlevyJack WarnerRichard WordsworthProfessor Bernard Quatermass' manned rocket ship returns to Earth, but two of the astronauts are missing and the survivor seems ill and unable to communicate.The British launch a mission into space, but what comes back isn't human, and it may be unstoppable. This is a feature adaptation of the first Professor Quartermass serial, also known as the Creeping Unknown. The character would serve to influence many future scientist heroes, especially Doctor Who.
- DirectorJoseph M. NewmanJack ArnoldStarsJeff MorrowFaith DomergueRex ReasonAliens come to Earth seeking scientists to help them in their war.This has some nice effects and interesting ideas, but its kind of a glorified monster movie, albeit a big-budget one. I kept waiting for Russel Johnson to whip up a death ray with coconuts and bamboo. Best view with Mike and the Bots, if you ask me.
- DirectorFred F. SearsStarsHugh MarloweJoan TaylorDonald CurtisExtraterrestrials traveling in high-tech flying saucers contact a scientist as part of a plan to enslave the inhabitants of Earth.Alien invaders menace the earth, but they aren't very good drivers, crashing into the US Capitol Building. One of the seminal "alien invasion" films of the 50s.
- DirectorDon SiegelStarsKevin McCarthyDana WynterLarry GatesA small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.Adaptation of Robert Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters," though not much of Heinlein made it into the film. The original bunch of "pod people." This is pure 50s paranoia.
- DirectorFred M. WilcoxStarsWalter PidgeonAnne FrancisLeslie NielsenA starship crew in the 23rd century goes to investigate the silence of a distant planet's colony, only to find just two survivors, a powerful robot, and the deadly secret of a lost civilization.One of the transitional sci-fi films, where we start to move away from monsters and invaders into more abstract concepts. MGM put some serious money into the film and it is a feast for the eyes. The cast is great, too, with Walter Pidgeon and Ann Francis as the father and daughter duo on the planet, and Leslie Nielsen as the heroic spaceship captain. This was a huge influence on Star Trek and much of the sci-fi of the 60s. Hard to believe Leslie Nielsen as a straight hero, if you have only seen him in the Zucker Bros. spoofs (or in his various roles as heavies, in 70s tv shows).
- DirectorVal GuestStarsBrian DonlevyJohn LongdenSidney JamesProfessor Quatermass, trying to gather support for his Lunar colonisation project, is intrigued by mysterious traces that have been showing up.Second Quartermass feature, with Brian Donlevy back as the heroic Prof. Quartermass. This is still very Americanized, compared to the tv original.
- DirectorIshirô HondaStarsKenji SaharaYumi ShirakawaMomoko KôchiShortly after a giant robot destroys a village, aliens from outer space arrive offering friendship. Will the people of Earth tie these two events together?Toho-produced sci-fi film, in which aliens seem to come to earth in peace. It's all a cover and they unleash a giant robot weapon to wreak havoc. Toho couldn't quite leave the monster stuff behind.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsJoseph CottenGeorge SandersDebra PagetIn 1868, American inventor Victor Barbicane develops a powerful military explosive that he also uses as fuel for a moon-bound rocket manned by himself and a motley crew.Joseph Cotton stars in this adaptation of Jules Verne's tale of a moon mission, launched via cannon. The story is a bit bland, which mars the wonder of the thing.
- CreatorRod SerlingStarsRod SerlingRobert McCordJay OverholtsOrdinary people find themselves in extraordinarily astounding situations, which they each try to solve in a remarkable manner.Legendary anthology of sci-fi and horror tales, with iconic stories and performances. The worst episode beats most things today. features many episodes from noted authors, such as Richard Matheson and George Clayton Johnson, as well as Sirling himself.
- DirectorGeorge PalStarsRod TaylorAlan YoungYvette MimieuxA man's vision for a utopian society is disillusioned when travelling forward into time reveals a dark and dangerous society.George Pal brings HG Wells tale of a time traveller to life, with Rod Taylor as the inventor and pilot of the machine. It departs here and there but wonderfully captures the main story, with great visual flair.
- DirectorNorman TaurogStarsJerry LewisJoan BlackmanEarl HollimanThe weirdest alien of the galaxy pays a visit to Earth...Jerry Lewis stars as an alien visitor to the Earth, in this comedy. More than a bit of a departure for Lewis, though it tends to follow the usual structure of his movies. This one isn't seen much, compared to his other films. It's a shame, as it is rather good.
- DirectorAntonio MargheritiStarsRik Van NutterGabriella FarinonDavid MontresorIn the 22nd Century, Ray Peterson, reporter for the Interplanetary News, is assigned to write a story aboard a space station.Antonio Margheriti's first Gamma One film, featuring a reporter and a space station captain who but heads. Meanwhile, a spaceship is headed toward earth but it's radiation could kill everyone on the planet. Not up to his later Wild Wild Planet
- DirectorCy EndfieldStarsMichael CraigJoan GreenwoodMichael CallanDuring the Civil War a group of Union soldiers, a Confederate and a civilian escape the stockade using a hot-air balloon and end up on a strange Pacific island.Sequel to 20,000 Leagues finds a group of Union soldiers who escape from a Confederate prison in a balloon. They end up lost in a storm and land on a strange island, with giant animals. They eventially find Nemo and the wreck of the Nautillus. Known for its wild visuals, from Ray Harryhausen, there isn't as much science here.
- DirectorWilliam WitneyStarsVincent PriceCharles BronsonHenry HullIn 1868, an American scientist and his team become hostages of fanatical pacifist Robur who uses his airship Albatross to destroy military targets on Earth.Verne's other great science pirate threatens the world, if they can't throw away their arms and learn to live without war. The script is cobbled together from both Robur the Conqueror and Master of the World, but Robur is turned into Nemo. Charles Bronson is a rather stiff hero, but Vincent Price makes up for it. The airship looks fantastic.
- StarsDavid GrahamGraydon GouldSylvia AndersonThe adventures of the crew of Supercar, an amazing land, sea, and air vehicle, based at a secret laboratory in the Nevada Desert in 1961.One of the early Gerry Anderson shows, centered around a fantastic vehicle, which would establish the premise for his shows for years to come.
- DirectorIrwin AllenStarsWalter PidgeonJoan FontaineBarbara EdenWhen the Earth is threatened by a burning Van Allen Radiation Belt, U.S. Navy Admiral Harriman Nelson plans to shoot a nuclear missile at the Belt, using his experimental atomic submarine, the Seaview.Irwin Allen's movie about a high-tech sub that has to find a solution to radiation poisoning from the Van Allen belt. the movie would spawn the tv series, though this has Walter Pidgeon as the Admiral, as well as Barbara Eden and Michael Ansara.
- DirectorAntonio MargheritiStarsClaude RainsBill CarterUmberto OrsiniA runaway asteroid dubbed "The Outsider" mysteriously begins orbiting the Earth and threatens it with lethal flying saucers.Claude Rains appears in this Italian sci-fi film from director Antonio Margheriti. An asteroid goes into orbit around the earth, instead of crashing into it, then launches a fleet of ships to attack the earth. Don't expect ILM effects work. Part of the director's Gamma One series.
- CreatorDick DarleyStarsNed Le FevreMargaret KerryHal SmithScott McCloud is the Space Angel, a secret agent for EBI (Earth Bureau of Investigation) on board the spaceship Starduster fighting hard to protect the solar system.Pure pulp sci-fi, with lush detail from Alex Toth and Doug Wildey. The stories were great, even if there wasn't much motion, apart from super-imposed lips. One of my favorites, as a kid
- CreatorGerry AndersonSylvia AndersonStarsDavid GrahamSylvia AndersonPaul MaxwellThe interplanetary adventures of the crew of the World Space Patrol (W.S.P.) spacecraft Fireball XL5, patrolling Sector 25 of the galaxy in the year 2062.Gerry Anderson show about a rocket captain and his adventures. The Anderson shows tended to be a bit heavy on the gadgets, moreso than the characters.
- DirectorSteve SekelyFreddie FrancisStarsHoward KeelNicole MaureyJanette ScottAfter an unusual meteor shower leaves most of the human population blind, a merchant navy officer must find a way to conquer tall, aggressive plants which are feeding on people and animals.Superior alien invader film, based on the British sci-fi classic.
- CreatorLeslie StevensStarsBob JohnsonBen WrightWilliam DouglasAn anthology series of insightful science fiction tales.Lesser series, only in the shadow of the Twilight Zone. It had a bigger penchant for monsters, but featured some excellent stories, especially a pair from Harlan Ellison (The Soldier and Demon With a Glass Hand) which would be swiped for a certain Terminator. Ellison didn't take it lying down.
- CreatorJoseph BarberaWilliam HannaStarsGeorge O'HanlonJanet WaldoMel BlancThe misadventures of a futuristic family.Really just a family sitcom, set in the future; but, what a future! There was sci-fi all around and some of the gadgets came to pass. Lots of fun, with a great cast and some excellent comedy.
- CreatorDonald WilsonSydney NewmanStarsWilliam HartnellPatrick TroughtonJon PertweeThe adventures in time and space of the Doctor, a Time Lord who changes appearance and personality by regenerating when near death, and is joined by companions in battles against aliens and other megalomaniacs.The BBC launched this classic series, right after the assassination of John F Kennedy. Despite this, the series proved a hit and would last for about 25 years, before politics and penny pinching killed it. William Hartnell started as the mysterious and cranky old Doctor, who is less trustworthy than his successors. Patrick Troughton would follow, establishing his own, lighter personality, ensuring the series would live on. Jon Pertwee made the Doctor a man of action, while Tom Baker gave him a wicked sense of humor and a truly alien point of view. Peter Davison made hima decent guy, while Colin Baker gave him an inflated sense of ego. Sylvester McCoy brought back some of the moral grounding and eccentricity, but suffered badly due to politics (though Colin Baker got the worst of it). Thrill to Daleks and Cybermen, UNIT and the Master, and everything inbetween.
- DirectorIshirô HondaShûe MatsubayashiStarsTadao TakashimaYôko FujiyamaYû FujikiWhen an ancient underground civilization and their snake-like guardian plots to reclaim the surface world, those of the surface fights back.Toho film, from Ishiro Honda (Godzilla), about a high tech sub that encounters people from the lost continent of Mu. Typical Toho monsters and model work, from Eiji Tsuburaya.
- CreatorDoug WildeyStarsMike RoadTim MathesonDon MessickThe Quest family and their bodyguard investigate strange phenomena and battle villains around the world.Awesome adventure show, with many sci-fi themes and advanced technology. It was like Popular Science, crossed with Terry and the Pirates and John Campbell magazines.
- DirectorNathan JuranStarsEdward JuddMartha HyerLionel JeffriesWhen a spaceship lands on the moon, it is hailed as a new accomplishment, before it becomes clear that a Victorian party completed the journey in 1899, leading investigators to that mission's last survivor.Rather campy British film, based on the HG Wells story. It has a nice Victorian look and is played straight, but it is hard to take seriously.
- CreatorIrwin AllenStarsRichard BasehartDavid HedisonRobert DowdellThe submarine Seaview is commissioned to investigate the mysteries of the seas. Usually it finds more problems than answers...TV series that followed the movie, starring Richard Basehart and David Heddison. Full of monsters, spies, and other conflicts.
- CreatorGerry AndersonSylvia AndersonStarsRay BarrettDavid GrahamRobert EastonFollows the adventures of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, particularly the crew of its most advanced combat submarine called Stingray.Things are getting more sophisticated in the Supermarionation realm, as the model work evolves and the puppets are more mobile. The gang is still heavily in love with their model shots.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsPaul ManteeVictor LundinAdam WestStranded on Mars with only a monkey as a companion, an astronaut must figure out how to find oxygen, water, and food on the lifeless planet.Interesting little film about a spaceship stranded on Mars. There is ultimately only one survivor, who has a chimp as a companion and encounters an escaped slave, who is hunted by an alien ship. Rather dark film, though never boring.
- DirectorAntonio MargheritiStarsTony RusselLisa GastoniMassimo SeratoA deranged scientist is using his employer's top-secret bio-laboratory to engage in clandestine experiments. When he starts kidnapping leading citizens for use in his twisted tests, it's up to rogue cop Mike Halstead to come to the rescue.Italian sci-fi film (aka Wild, Wild Planet) about a scientist who kidnaps leading citizens for experiments. The designs are great and the film reflects the 60s pop-art style.
- CreatorGerry AndersonSylvia AndersonStarsSylvia AndersonPeter DyneleyDavid GrahamIn the year 2065, the Tracy family run International Rescue - a top-secret organization whose ongoing mission is to rescue people trapped in extraordinarily dangerous situations using their advanced Thunderbirds machines.Gerry Anderson's masterpiece, in most fans eyes. For once, their are some decent characters and each episode is a race against time. The model work is excellent, but be prepared for long launch sequences and the like. Nobody ever just climbs through a door to get into a Supermarionation vehicle. Popular enough for a couple of movies.
- CreatorIrwin AllenStarsGuy WilliamsJune LockhartMark GoddardA space colony family struggles to survive when a spy/accidental stowaway throws their ship hopelessly off course.The Robinson family get lost on the way to Alpha Centauri, and spend their time encountering aliens, monsters, and yet another excuse from Dr. Smith. The tv series is really a showcase for Bill Mumy, Jonathan Harris, and the robot. Everyone else was mostly window dressing. Still better than the 90s movie.
- DirectorGordon FlemyngStarsPeter CushingRoy CastleJennie LindenAn eccentric inventor and his companions travel in his TARDIS to the Planet Skaro and battle the evil menace of the Daleks.Peter Cushing stars in this feature version of Doctor Who, based on the third story and first Dalek adventure. This Doctor is an earthman who has built a time machine that can travel through time and space. Call me a heretic, but I like this more than the Hartnell original, especially the character os Susan. The young actress is more interesting than Carol Ann Ford and so is the character. Thankfully, she stuck around for the sequel.
- DirectorJean-Luc GodardStarsEddie ConstantineAnna KarinaAkim TamiroffA U.S. secret agent is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and free the city from its tyrannical ruler.French New Wave film, mixing detective Lemey Caution with a supercomputer. I tried watching it once but got a headache. Very existential.
- CreatorMichael GarrisonStarsRobert ConradRoss MartinDick CangeyTwo Secret Service agents, equipped with a wide array of gizmos, work for the government in the Old West.This qualifies as an example of steampunk. James West and Artemus Gordon are a pair of Secret Service agents, who travel the west in a private railcar. They deal with various threats, many involving science fiction threats or advanced technology. It was a fun series, with clever plots and a great cast. The episodes with Michael Dunne, as the villainous but sympathetic genius Dr. Miguelito Loveless are true classics.
- CreatorGene RoddenberryStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyIn the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.The seminal tv series, big on ideas, but not always on budget. It limped through 3 seasons on the network, thanks to fan-driven write-in campaigns, but would truly find its audience in syndication. There are big ideas and goofy ones, with liberal doses of action, humor, horror, drama, and just about everything else you could name. It would eventually launch an empire, though how no one had ever thought of seatbelts in the 23rd Century is beyond me. "Live long and prosper!"
- DirectorGordon FlemyngStarsPeter CushingBernard CribbinsRay BrooksDr. Who and his companions arrive on Earth in the year 2150 AD, only to discover that the planet has been invaded and its population enslaved by the dreaded Daleks.Peter Cushing is back in this second feature adaptation of Doctor Who. Once again, the script is aadapted from Terry Nation's original, with a bigger budget to add more scope. Ian is gone, replaced by Bernard Cribbins, as a police constable. Good stuff, with some fine comedic moments.
- DirectorFrançois TruffautStarsOskar WernerJulie ChristieCyril CusackIn an oppressive future, a fireman whose duty is to destroy all books begins to question his task.Francois Truffault directs this version of the Ray Bradbury classic. Oskar Werner stars as Montag, the conflicted fireman, whose job it is to burn books. Julie Christie plays both his wife and a young teacher who senses his conflict and nudges him until he reads a book. Interesting visuals, though the story is a bit obtuse, at times. The opening titles are done as a voice narration and no written words are seen until books are found. There are some gaps in logic, like how a society of people who have outlawed books can read (assuming this has gone on long enough that people don't know why books are banned). Still, it is a feast for the brain, though it doesn't fully capture the book.
- DirectorAntonio MargheritiStarsTony RusselLisa GastoniFranco NeroIn the 21st century, aliens invade the solar system.Sequel to the Wild Wild Planet. Nice ideas, but the effects aren't up to things. Aliens are stealing space stations, this time.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsStephen BoydRaquel WelchEdmond O'BrienWhen a blood clot renders a scientist comatose, a submarine and its crew are shrunk and injected into his bloodstream in order to save him.A team of doctors and scientists, along with their sub, are shrunken down and injected into a man to perform a delicate surgical procedure. We travel along with them through the inner space of the human body, where they must fend off attacks by anitbodies and a saboteur within their midst. Very imaginative.
- CreatorIrwin AllenStarsJames DarrenRobert ColbertWhit BissellTwo scientists with a secret time travel project find themselves trapped in the time stream and appearing in notable periods of history.Irwin Allen production, with adventures throughout time. Not quite Doctor Who, at the writing level, but entertaining. Certainly an influence on Stargate; but, then again, who didn't Devlin and Emerich swipe from?
- DirectorRoy Ward BakerStarsJames DonaldAndrew KeirBarbara ShelleyA mysterious artifact is unearthed in London, and famous scientist Bernard Quatermass is called in to divine its origins and explain its strange effects on people.aka Quartermass and the Pit. A crew digging a tunnel finds an alien wreck and trouble follows. Someone put in a call to Prof. Quartermass!
- DirectorDon SharpStarsBurl IvesJimmy ClitheroeTerry-ThomasIn Victorian England, an American showman uses a wealthy Frenchman's finances to build a German explosives expert's giant cannon designed to fire a people-filled projectile to the Moon, but spies and saboteurs endanger the project.This had several titles, including Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon and Blast Off. Troy Donahue and Burl Ives star as a young inventor and PT Barnum, respectively, who join with a group of men to design and build a craft to reach the moon. Terry Thomas and Lionell Jeffries try to sabotage the project. It's all rather lighthearted, but it is mostly fun.
- CreatorGerry AndersonSylvia AndersonStarsEd BishopDonald GrayFrancis MatthewsIn 2068, the indestructible Captain Scarlet leads the agents of Spectrum in a war of nerves against the Mysterons from Mars.This was the most mature of the Anderson shows, if you ask me. Explorers wake up aliens and cause them harm, leading to retaliation. The Mysterons can don other forms and use Captain Black as their agent. Heroic Captain Scarlet is practically invincible, and SPECTRUM operatesfrom a flying base. Great stuff.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsCharlton HestonRoddy McDowallKim HunterAn astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.True classic, based on the novel by Pierre Boulle, though greatly altered by Rod Serling. The ending has been swiped by everyone. "A planet where apes evolved from men?" "It's a madhouse, a madhouse!", etc, etc...
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsRobert HortonLuciana PaluzziRichard JaeckelAfter destroying a giant asteroid heading towards Earth, a group of scientists unknowingly bring back a strange green substance that soon mutates into a monster.A group of astronauts destroy a dangerous asteroid, but bring back some kind of goo that turns into a tentacled monster. Japanese director and effects.
- StarsMarvin MillerTed KnightJane WebbThe government employs a team of experts who are shrunken to microscopic size to infiltrate and combat otherwise impenetrable threats.Taking its cue from the movie, this Filmation cartoon series featured a team of adventurers who would be shrunk down for their missions. Lots of repeated footage (a staple of Filmation) but it was imaginative.
- DirectorRoger VadimStarsJane FondaJohn Phillip LawAnita PallenbergIn the 41st century, an astronaut partakes in sexy misadventures while seeking to stop an evil scientist who threatens to bring evil back into the galaxy.Fairly campy adaptation of the comics by Jean-Claude Forest, about an intergalactic agent and her misadventures. Jane Fonda stars in this space romp, with plenty of sex and silliness to keep your interest, but it starts dragging before we get to the end. The designs are wild, but the effects seem rather primative today.
- CreatorGerry AndersonSylvia AndersonStarsKeith AlexanderSylvia AndersonRupert DaviesThe adventures of nine-year-old Joe McClaine, who can have the expert skills, knowledge, and experiences of top experts downloaded into his brain by his scientist father, enabling him to become a secret agent code-named "Joe 90".Sci-fi mixed with spy-fi; as young Joe 90 can be programmed with various information. It proved a bit of a disappointment, ratings wise, but has its share of fans.
- CreatorIrwin AllenStarsGary ConwayDon MathesonStefan ArngrimA spaceship from Earth crash-lands on an Earth-like planet on which everything, including the human-like inhabitants, is twelve times the size of its counterpart on Earth.Irwin Allen show, where a group of travellers find themselves on a planet filled with giants. Really just a ripoff of Richard Matheson's The Incredible Shrinking Man, though with a likeable cast.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKeir DulleaGary LockwoodWilliam SylvesterAfter uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.Stanly Kubrick's visual masterpiece, based on a short work by Arthur C Clarke (The Sentinel). The film is a triumph of ideas and visuals, but is a bit light on the human element. It is fairly astute on technical details, but got video phones and the future of Pan Am wrong.
- DirectorJames HillStarsRobert RyanChuck ConnorsNanette NewmanWhen Captain Nemo saves the passengers of a sinking ship and takes them to his Utopian underwater city he discovers that not all of his guests agree to remain there forever.Lesser film with Captain Nemo (Robert Ryan) who has an underwater city from which to operate. Definitely not in the same "league" as the Disney film, but it has a bit of visual wonder itself.
- DirectorJohn SturgesStarsGregory PeckRichard CrennaDavid JanssenThree American astronauts are stranded in space when their retros won't fire. Can they be rescued before their oxygen runs out?Film about an accident in space, which parallels Apollo 13. Jim and Marilynn Lovell didn't think much of it; but, it does have Gene Hackman and Gregory Peck.
- DirectorRoy Ward BakerStarsJames OlsonCatherine SchellWarren MitchellA space salvage expert and his partner become involved with a group of criminals intent on hijacking a small asteroid made of sapphire and crashing it into the moon.Lightweight British sci-fi film about miners on the moon. This was the "Swinging London" era and the film reflects it. There's not much going on for the brain, which is probably why MST3K took it on.
- DirectorRobert ParrishStarsRoy ThinnesIan HendryPatrick WymarkThe European Space Exploration Council sends two astronauts to explore a planet similar to the Earth but located on the opposite side of the sun.Roy Thinnes stars in this live action film, from Gerry Anderson. Thinnes is an astronaut who ends up on an alternate earth, orbiting the sun 180 degrees opposite of his world. He soon learns that things work differently on this world, such as reversed writing. He tries to return home, but soon finds that its not as easy as he thinks. The film has some great ideas, but they don't all gel. It succeeds in the end, but it's a shaky ride.
- DirectorIshirô HondaStarsAkira TakaradaJoseph CottenCesar RomeroA journalist is saved by a giant submarine captained by a 200-year-old man who takes him to an underwater paradise city where no one ages. That's when monsters and mutants sent by the captain's rival, a 200-year-old scientist, attack.Toho film about another sub and a mad scientist who has bred monsters. Features Cesar Romero as the villain.
- DirectorJoseph SargentStarsEric BraedenSusan ClarkGordon PinsentThinking this will prevent war, the US government gives an impenetrable supercomputer total control over launching nuclear missiles. But what the computer does with the power is unimaginable to its creators.Eric Braden stars as a briliant scientist who develops a super computer that is tasked to run the US defense systems. It becomes self aware and discovers a Soviet counterpart. It begins dictating to the humans the changes it wants to bring man in line with its thinking, whether they like it or not. Braden and his team must work to try to stop the computer. James Cameron stole the Skynet idea from here.
- DirectorTed PostStarsJames FranciscusKim HunterMaurice EvansThe sole survivor of an interplanetary rescue mission searches for the only survivor of the previous expedition. He discovers a planet ruled by apes and an underground city run by telepathic humans.A new astronaut lands on the planet, looking for Charlton Heston. He discovers the truth about the world when he ventures underground, in the Forbidden Zone, where he finds mutants and A-Bombs. The apes aren't far behind. This one is a bit too uneven for me, though it has some great moments.
- CreatorGerry AndersonSylvia AndersonStarsEd BishopDolores MantezMichael BillingtonThe missions of the Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization (SHADO), which defends Earth from extra-terrestrial threats.Gerry Anderson's first venture into live action sci-fi, with a paranoid tale of alien invaders and the secret organization who battles them. If they spent half as much time on the characters as they did the models and effects, it could have been remembered in the same breath as Star Trek.
- DirectorDon TaylorStarsRoddy McDowallKim HunterBradford DillmanThe world is shocked by the appearance of three talking chimpanzees, who arrived mysteriously in a U.S. spacecraft. They become the toast of society, but one man believes them to be a threat to the human race.The formula is reversed, as Cornelius and Zira travel in Taylor's ship, arriving on Earth, in the 60s. There, they are the oddity that threatens society. Eric Braden stars as the scientist who learns the horrible fate of humanity and decides to do something about it, for good or ill.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsRobert DuvallDonald PleasenceDon Pedro ColleyIn the 25th century, a time when people have designations instead of names, a man, THX 1138, and a woman, LUH 3417, rebel against their rigidly controlled society.George Lucas' first sci-fi film, which is an expansion of one of his student films. Robert Duval stars as a man in a controlled society, where everyone is kept under sedation to maintain a proper emotional state. The people fulfill a drone existence, where their leisure time is spent purchasing pointless consumer items. THX stops taking his medicine and starts questioning things. Very much influenced by the French New Wave, featuring 3 escapes, of both physical and metaphorical nature. Lucas actually is trying to convey something more than shoot-em-up entertainment, but he can't quite get the point across. This is his one film that benefitted from his later tinkering, as he was able to give the underground city a greater scope, on the dvd release.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsJames OlsonArthur HillDavid WayneTop scientists work feverishly in a secret, state-of-the-art laboratory to discover what killed the citizens of a small town and how the deadly contagion can be stopped.Scientists at a top secret underground lab try to figure out how to stop a deadly alien virus, while the clock s ticking. The premise is based around concerns related to the first moon landings, that alien virus could be brought back, for which we would have no immunity (in the reverse of War of the Worlds). The producers were smart enough to use good character actors, rather than stars, so the story is at the forefront. It does drag in a couple of spots, but the whole is fascinating.
- DirectorIrwin AllenStarsStuart WhitmanRosemary ForsythRobert ColbertA group of 21st-century colonists inhabit the underwater city called Pacifica. They find they must defend the city against hostile alien forces.Stewart Whitman stars in this pilot for an aborted Irwin Allen series. An advanced underwater city is being sabotaged and the hero is brought out of retirement to investigate. It has moments but is rather uneven.
- DirectorTom GriesStarsGary LockwoodScott HylandsHari RhodesWhen Earth II, an orbiting research space station, is menaced by a Red Chinese nuclear weapon, its 2,000 inhabitants take action to disarm and dispose of the missile without resorting to violence.Gary Lockwood starred in this tv movie, about an independent space station, orbiting the Earth. No weapons are allowed on board the station, but they soon find themselves facing a trio of nuclear missles, which they must defuse. It's an interesting idea, with an idealistic slant, somewhat reflective of the peace movement of the time.
- DirectorBoris SagalStarsCharlton HestonAnthony ZerbeRosalind CashDr Robert Neville has developed an experimental vaccine which makes him the only immune survivor of a biological catastrophe. A gang of homicidal mutants blame science for their condition and attempt to kill him.Charlton heston is the last man alive, after a plague wipes out most of humanity, leaving only Heston and vampiric mutants. It's and odd one, to say the least; based on the novel I Am Legend, by the late Richard Matheson. The book also inspired The Last Man on Earth, with Vincent Price, and the film of the same title, with Will Smith.
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsNatalya BondarchukDonatas BanionisJüri JärvetA psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.Epic Russian sci-fi film, based on the novel by Stanislau Lem. A crew orbiting a planet start experiencing strange phenomena. Very groundbreaking and later remade by Stephen Soderbergh.
- DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsRoddy McDowallDon MurrayRicardo MontalbanIn a futuristic world that has embraced ape slavery, Caesar, the son of the late simians Cornelius and Zira, surfaces after almost twenty years of hiding out from the authorities, and prepares for a slave revolt against humanity.The series is floundering under thinner budgets, but tries to make use of a good idea and the Century City locale. It doesn't look very futuristic today, but it features a fine allegory, that is somewhat lost in lesser performance.