ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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Looking for a Triple Feature that will rock your world? Look no further!

Here's what we have on the marquee.

~ A turn of the century scienctist finds way to capture an inter-dimensional being that shows up people die and steals their souls. Keeping it imprisoned means nobody can die. That's a god thing, right?

Well . . . no necessarily.

~ Seven Magnificent mercenaries travel a peace-loving planet which is being threatened by space-going banditos. The cast includes Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, and Robert Vaughn! (Minus Yul and Steve, of course . . . )

~ Imagine a zoo in which people occupy the cages, and families of apes troll around, throwing peanuts to the people! Sound crazy?

Not to the folks who love this sequel to Planet of the Apes.



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The Asphyx (1972 England)

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Also released as Spirit of the Dead, this is a truly strange movie.

Scientist-photographer Robert Stevens discovers that the "spirit of death" -- the Asphyx -- comes to claim each person's soul when they die. Stevens manages to photograph the otherwise invisible wraith at a public hanging, and he photographs it again by accident when his son drowns.



Stevens later succeeds in capturing the Asphyx with a dandy hi-tech device when it comes to claim his own soul -- which results in the man becoming effectively immortal.





A thoughtful, eerie tale with a twist ending, told in a manner unique to British film makers. Directed by Peter Newbrook from a screenplay by Brian Comport.
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Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)



Roger Corman was executive producer for this enjoyable and wonderfully campy sci-fi version of The Magnificent Seven. It even features Robert Vaughn as the same lost-his-nerve gunslinger he played in the original.



George Peppard is "Cowboy", a space-going gunrunner with a Western fixation (another tribute to The Magnificent Seven). John Saxon is the ruthless Sador, the leader of a roving band of marauders who serve the same purpose in the story as the banditos in the Western version.



John Sayles' script is loaded with fine humor. Director Jimmy T. Murakami obviously knew his film history, since the planet being attacked is called "Akir" -- a tribute to director Akira Kurasowa of Seven Samurai, the inspiration for the original of this interesting trio of films.

Waltons star Richard Thomas plays the brave young man who leaves his besieged home world to find mercenaries who can fight against planet-conquering John Saxon.



Sybil Danning is a feisty female warrior with a costume that defies description.



Sam Jaffe (The Day the Earth Stood Still) has a great part. The special effects look a bit dated now, but that isn't the film's fault.



Darlene Flugel is the attractive romantic interest for Thomas.



James Horner's rousing score is a golden plus. Sci-fi fans considered the film a rip-off when first released because it came out between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back -- stiff competition. Watch it as a double feature with The Magnificent Seven and you're guaranteed a good time.
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Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)



James Franciscus stars as a crew member of a second space mission sent in search of the one from the first film.

And that, of course, is completely impossible because Heston tells us in his opening soliloquy in Planet of the Apes that his ship had already been in space for centuries before he even goes into suspended animation!

So, why did Earth send a rescue mission to look for astronauts that had barely begun their own years-long journey to a distant planet, traveling at almost light speed while they were in suspended animation?

Since James Franciscus' character actually knows Taylor, they must have been contemporaries on Earth, so Franciscus and company must have left Earth shortly after Heston's mission. Therefore, this could not be a rescue mission.

And if that isn't silly enough, the second spacecraft does exactly the same impossible thing the first one did. It crashes right back on Earth after spending centuries in space. And in the same region on Earth!

Good grief . . .

As for the story itself, it's a mixed bag. Franciscus runs afoul the apes and a group of mutant humans who inhabit an underground complex (with nice matt shots and sets showing the remnants of pre-holocaust buildings partially encased in rock).





The mutants appear normal, but only because they wear rubber masks to cover their hideously deformed faces.





The mutants have developed telepathy, and they plan to use this power in their bid to regain domination of the planet. They also have a left-over atomic superbomb which they threaten to use if the apes don't submit.







Kim Hunter, Linda Harrison, Charlton Heston, and Maurice Evans, repeat their roles from the first film.





Roddy McDowall's voice was used for the character of Cornelius again, but McDowall was busy directing "Devil's Widow", so somebody else wore the makeup. Also starring Victor Buono (as the leader of the mutants), James Gregory (as the guerilla leader), Jeff Corey, Thomas Gomez, and Gregory Sierra.

Evidently the producers wanted to outdo the pessimistic ending of the first film, so this one ends with the Earth being blown up by the crazy mutants. Directed by Ted Post. Fortunately the film was so successful they found a way to continue the story in "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" by sending Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, and Sal Mineo (in his last role) back in time to a near-future Earth.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)