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The Angry Red Planet (1959)
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 7:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Krel wrote:
The computer is an actual Burroughs computer. Burroughs lent the computer to the production, because the intent was to show it operating, which they felt would be good publicity. But the computer needed a substantial cooling system, which the studio did not have. The solution was to open the panels to show the guts, and stringing Christmas lights in the interior to give the impression of functioning. Laughing

Silly me, I thought the computer was just a prop they'd labeled "Burroughs" because of good old Edgar Rice. I think I read that in the Psychotronic Encyclopedia.

Thanks, David! Very Happy

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Bogmeister
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 12:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

____________
______________

_______________The Angry Red Planet Trailer


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A spaceship returns from Mars. A couple of months or more before, a 4-person expedition had been sent to the red planet.

Most of the picture is a flashback to what transpired over there. The picture is saddled by inane, melodramatic dialog, typical of many sci-fi efforts of the fifties & sixties, but more severe than usual.

Note, for example, how the ship's commander (Gerald Mohr) tells another crew member to "stay there" for no reason, as if moving to another spot inside the ship will cause a problem.

Later, the commander orders two of the crew to remain in the ship while he and another go outside. The two whom he ordered to stay say "no way" and follow him out. I didn't have high hopes for the expedition's success by this point.

There's much talk of 'ears twitching' and hugging a freeze-ray gun named 'Cleo' (short for Cleopatra, of course). It would at least be pretty funny, unintentionally, if the story didn't drag.



There's a very slow pace to the whole thing. The astronauts spend as much time looking out the ship's window portals (which change color from red to blue), commenting on what they see, as they do outside actually exploring.

The Martian landscape, advertised as filmed in 'Cinemagic,' usually resembles animation cut-outs or drawings, shot through an orange filter to give the strained illusion of interacting with the actors, who do take on an odd surrealistic appearance due to the process.

But I don't think it fools anyone over 10 years old.

The one clever mention I did notice was that the memories of the surviving astronaut would be tinged with unreality, so that would explain the unreal nature of the Martian vista. Oh, okay . . .



I was amused by some of the astronauts' actions as they begin to explore. Right off the bat, they test their freeze gun on a plant, killing it, just for the hell of it. Then the female member hacks with a machete at what she thinks is a tree, but turns out to be the leg of the spider-rat monster. Nice going, lady. Look up next time.

No wonder the 'intelligence' on Mars gets upset and doesn't mind that one of the lower lifeforms, a giant amoeba, attacks the explorers.



The acting isn't too impressive. Gerald Mohr, especially, had a very annoying technique — saying a line and then abruptly erupting into a huge grin which always disturbed me, reminding me of It! the Terror From Beyond Space for some reason (maybe because It! came from Mars?).

The ending is fairly anti-climactic. Don't expect any huge revelations beyond the 'no-more-expeditions' with freeze guns named Cleo. Rolling Eyes This was in 1960, but was very fifties, low-budget sci-fi. OK for a lazy Saturday afternoon.



Angry Red Trivia: That map behind the military officer above in one of the first scenes was a common one collected by kids. I had one.

There's a rumor that the spider-rat monster influenced the appearance of the monster in the recent pic Cloverfield.

Some better ones: Robinson Crusoe on Mars (64); Mission to Mars (2000) and even Red Planet (2000)



BoG's Score: 3 out of 10



BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus


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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I'm genuinely surprised that BoG had such a low opinion of this fun movie. His entire review is filled with critical remarks, most of which sound more like bad emotional reactions than genuine criticisms of a flawed movie.

For example he berates the crewmen for doing things like testing the freeze ray gun on a plant.

A plant? Geez, was Andrew Bogdan an avid supporter of Vegetable Rights? Shocked

I'm not saying that The Angry Red Planet is a classic sci-fi movie as good as BoG's personal favorite, It! The Terror from Beyond Space, but if I was going to write a fair review and include the movie's faults, they wouldn't all sound like puzzling personal objections such as this one.

" . . . Gerald Mohr, especially, had a very annoying technique — saying a line and then abruptly erupting into a huge grin which always disturbed me . . . "

Or this odd complaint.

" . . . the ship's commander (Gerald Mohr) tells another crew member to "stay there" for no reason; as if moving to another spot inside the ship will cause a problem."

Please understand that I'm just puzzled by the fact that the normally fair-minded Bogmeister — whom I've complimented many times for finding positive things to say about movies that had more faults than virtues — wrote an especially long review which included absolutely no compliments at all!

I find that very curious. Confused

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 11:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gord Green wrote:
Naura Hayden, originally Norah Helene Hayden , the gorgeous red head in Angry Red Planet also wrote the best-seller, How to Satisfy a Woman Every Time, which had sold over a half a million copies by 1992.

Here's a great little stocking stuff for this Christmas! Tell your wife to order it from Amazon! Very Happy


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Pow
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fun Facts about "The Angry Red Planet." } Producer Norman Maurer was married to Joan Howard the daughter of Moe Howard of the Three Stooges.

Director Ib Melchior had only 9 days and $200,000 to shoot the film which can account for its lack of quality.

$54,000 of the movie's budget was spent on the Cinemagic process.

The concept for the Cinemagic effect was to turn live-action footage directly into hand-drawn animation. This would enable the hand-drawn backgrounds to appear as real as the live action footage.

Obviously this did not live up to its promise. I still salute NM for attempting to create something new & revolutionary in the field of visual FX.

The Rat-Bat-Spider-Crab marionette was 15''high.

Wouldn't NM and his effects crew be amazed if they could see the size of the ape used in the "King Kong musical''today?

I always was impressed by the red hue used in depicting the Martian surface. It added a other-worldly feel to this movie.
The majority of sci~fi films back then generally used a practical set with matte paintings to display another planet.

The red hue gave us something fresh and original.

I agree with Bud that this is a far from great movie but nonetheless a fun ride given its meager budget and the shooting schedule of a weekly TV show.
Under those conditions it would have been a challenge for Orson Wells to make this anything but a B film.

Norman Maurer would use his Cinemagic FX for "The Three Stooges In Orbit."
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 10:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really did enjoy seeing this as a kid even though I didn't think the effects were all that terrific.



Norman Maurer besides being Moe's son in law was also partner of comic book artist Joe Kubert.



In the 50's he was also a prolific artist, doing many Crimebuster, Little Wise Guys and Crime Does Not Pay stories for Biro's comics.



With Kubert he mainly did work for his own group of books through St. John Publishing including introducing the first line of 3-D comics including TOR.



He was always looking for new ways of expressing art...And even though "cinemagic" was less than stellar...It was undoubtedly a "new way" of seeing things and therefore a very positive achievement. Back in the 60's the shock of the divergence from my preteen reality into the vision of red planet Mars was a very real psychedelic, sans chemical, experience.

Nora Haydens Aubern smoldering sexuality didn't hurt either!

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I don't remember ever owning any of the 3D comics, but I'll bet they were fun.



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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The Spike
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 7:26 am    Post subject: Is Mars Rocket Crew Alive? Reply with quote

So screams the newspaper headline when it is found that the Mars expedition rocket is on its way back to Earth. When only two of the four original crew are found on board, one with a horrible fungus growth attached to him, the scientists and doctors desperately try to get to the bottom of what happened on the mission.

It's a raging "B" schlocker, but a fun one. Filmed in "CineMagic" in New Eastman Color 5250 no less! It essentially pits the crew, three men and one woman, in a situation where they land on Mars, gel in various ways, then start going out onto the Red Planet itself to gather information etc.

The art designers bathe everything in red, using a whole ream of interesting paintings to project an alien planet, and then the fun really starts. The creatures arrive, including one legendary rat/spider hybrid that is an absolute riot. Suspense exists, even though the acting is distinctly average, and et voilà! Story has unfolded and the big message ends the pic.

Nutty sci-fi movie for sure, but the makers kinda get away with the cheapness of it all, and that is something that not all "B" schlockers can say is that! 5/10

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 11:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I'm delighted that you feel the same way I do about this enjoyable movie!

It's certainly not the most thought-provoking or scientifically accurate sci-fi movie ever made, but it's packed with the kind of fun stuff we ex-1950s kids wanted when we were young and filled with wonder. Very Happy

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Krel
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Reading back through the posts, it occurs to me that the movie is a comic book. The look and story line would fit well in one of the 50s, early 60s science fiction comic books.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 3:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Hey, you're right! I can easily imagine it as an EC comic!

Cool idea, Krel! Cool



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2020 12:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Thinking Outside the "Plot"!
________________________________

~ A Question for the Members: The closing scene in this amusing and imaginative movie is the message from Mars (delivered in the deep voice of Ted "Lurch" Cassidy) telling mankind that we are too primitive and immature as a species to interact with the advanced race on Mars.

The question here is, would mankind be content to simply heed the warning and stay away from Mars after the Martians have threatened to destroy "all life on Earth" if we return?

~ My Theory: As dangerous as it would be to ignore that terrifying warning, there are groups of humans who would feel a strong need deal with the situation in some manner, rather than quake in our boots and stay safely at home.

The global scientific community would be just itchin' to talk to these advanced beings. They would argue that we should try to contact them and show them what wonderful people we are! (Good luck with that, eh?)

Those same scientist would love get their hands on some of the advanced technology the Martians have . . . or at least ask them for info about how we might use that technology ourselves.

The military — bless their hearts — would be hopping up and down like a brat having a tantrum, demanding that we arm ourselves to the teeth, just in case those unfriendly folks from the Red Planet decide to make good on their threat!

The religious communities all over the world would be arguing about how these super-beings fit into God's plan for mankind. They're belief would be that when it comes to the fate of mankind, only God has the right to blah blah blah . . . you get the idea. Rolling Eyes

The point here would be that Mars has become an itch we can't scratch. "Martian! Can't live with 'em . . . can't stand just leaving 'em alone!"

So, what does mankind do about our unfriendly neighbors who threaten to kill us even if we just come over to borrow a cup of sugar? Shocked

(Don't be shy! Leave a reply. Very Happy)

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2021 12:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Well, here we are almost a year later, and nobody has offered new ideas about how mankind could deal with the Martian Problem!

Consider this: We discover that the Red Planet is inhabited by sentient, intelligent aliens who possess advanced technology and who can communicate with us in our own language! Very Happy

The only problem is that they think we're primitive dimwits, and if we step foot in their front yard again, they'll scrub our planet until it's as squeaky clean as cue ball! Sad

This situation would completely polarize the opinions of mankind as a whole. Some folks would say, "Stay away from Mars! We don't don't need them, and they don't want us!" Mad

Others would say, "We're not ALL as bad as they think, and they have advanced knowledge that could benefit mankind!" Very Happy

Still others would say, "We should ask them why they think they know us so well! Have they been spying on us?" Shocked

And yet many people would say, "We should ask them to allow us to pick a delegation from Earth who can visit Mars. They've condemned our entire species . . . but are all Martians perfect?" Confused

One thing that these various factions might agree on is this; we should attempt to establish friendly relations with Mars, at least through communications. When faced with a hostile force who threatens to wipe out all life on Earth, the least we should do is convince them we aren't a danger to them!

Here's the final scene in the movie. The concept is intriguing; an advanced race of Martians who demand that we leave them completely alone!

That would drive the world's scientific community stark raving mad!
Shocked

__ The Angry Red Planet - Parting Martian Warning


__________

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~ The Space Children (1958)
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Krel
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2021 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I say let them stew in their own juices. I don't understand the attitude of, well they want nothing to do with me,so I have to force myself on them to show their wrong. Just mind your own business, and let them reconsider their position. Don't be so pushy.

As for their opinion of us, well as I wrote earlier. You really can't blame them for having a low opinion of us, when the expedition's first action on the planet is to kill something.

David.
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Pow
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Martians to Earth: You are a nasty, greedy, corrupt species that murder and maim one another every single day of the year. Why would we ever want contact with such monsters?

So here's the deal: if you can suspend all wars on your planet for just one month---we sincerely doubt you could go any longer---we'll come over for a visit. Maybe even share some of our phenomenal technology with you.

We are confident you will fail---spectacularly.

Now the ball is in our court. How can a planet that has waged war upon itself since humankind dwelled in caves possibly achieve this challenge as put down by our Martian neighbors?

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