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FEATURED THREADS for 12-7-22

 
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2022 2:30 pm    Post subject: FEATURED THREADS for 12-7-22 Reply with quote



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Today’s Featured Threads starts out with World Without End (1956), a long-time favorite of mine, and the wanders off into zombie territory — which seems to go from Mora Tau all the up to the stratosphere! Shocked

Thinking of interesting replies to make about zombies is a real challenge, but World Without End (1956) provides several very interesting story elements . . . so to speak.




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World Without End (1956)

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This may not be the greatest of the classic sci-fi movies, but it can truthfully boast that it contains elements which predated several of the acknowledged classics.

For example:

Twelve years before "Planet of the Apes", this nifty sci-fi entry presented the idea of a spacecraft which travels so fast it distorts time and brings its crew back to Earth hundreds of years after they left (2508 AD). As in the "Apes" series, they discover that human civilization has been destroyed by a world war.

Four years before "The Time Machine", this film proposed a post-holocaust world in which humanity is divided into two groups: the mutants and the utopian "normal" folks, with one group living above ground and the other living below. Unlike "The Time Machine", in this film the mutants live above the ground, and the normal people live below in a futuristic complex of tunnels.

World Without End even features Rod Taylor, star of the George Pal classic, as well as Hugh Marlowe from "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "Earth versus the Flying Saucers".

And it's all in Technicolor and Cinemascope (the first sci-fi to claim this honor), with music by Leith Stevens ("When Worlds Collide", "War of the Worlds"). World Without End offers impressive makeup for the mutants. The exciting climax of the film features a hand-to-hand battle between Hugh Marlow and the chief of the mutant tribe.

The costumes worn by the beautiful ladies in the underground civilization were designed by Playboy's premiere pin-up artist, Alberto Vargas. The two principal ladies in the cast are Miss Nancy Gates and Miss Shawn Smith (aka Shirley Patterson). Miss Smith can also be seen in "The Land Unknown" (1957) and "It! The Terror from Beyond Space" (1958). Many fans of these films don't realize that Miss Smith is one of the main characters, because her appearance varies so dramatically in each of the three movies. She also holds the distinction of having been Miss California in the Miss America contest of 1940.

The fantastic rocketship seen at the beginning of the film was originally designed for "Destination Moon". The design was rejected because the producers felt that the wings would confuse the audience after "Destination Moon" had gone to so much trouble to explain the lack of air in space.



The rocket was, however, used in "Flight to Mars" (1951, "IT! The Terror from Beyond Space" (1958), and "Queen of Outer Space" (1958). This rocketship's appearance in four separate films gives it the distinction of being the most well-traveled space vehicle in sci-fi cinema history — second only to the Millennium Falcon in "Star Wars".

Model enthusiast Brent Gair create a very fine replica of this ship. The unfinished model is almost as beautiful as the finished one.







World Without End was directed by Edward Bernds ("Queen of Outer Space", "Return of the Fly", and several others). Bernds never made a truly great sci-fi film, but he certainly tried often enough, and this is one of his best effort.

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Zombies of Mora Tau (1957)

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This film's chief asset is a cast of sci fi veterans who struggle valiantly with a low-budget, low-imagination horror-adventure story.

A sunken ship containing a fortune in diamonds is the focal point for a group of treasure hunters who battle the zombies that guard it.

Low production values rob the film of its credibility (example: the underwater scenes aren't really underwater, just distorted and bubble-filled). The familiar and fondly remembered cast includes Allison Hayes ("Attack of 50-Foot Women"), Ray "Crash" Corrigan ("It! The Terror from Beyond Space"), Gregg Palmer ("The Creature Walks Among Us"), and -- best of all -- Morris Ankrum, who retained his dignity through well over a dozen sci-fi films in the 1950s.

Directed by Edward L. Cahn.

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Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952)



[Also released as: "Satan's Satellites"]

This highly enjoyable sequel to Republic's "Radar Men from the Moon" pits Commando Cody against a coalition of Martians and turncoat humans. Together these villains are plotting to use a nuclear device to blow Earth out of it's orbit so that Mars can be moved closer to the sun, allowing the Red Planet to improve it's environmental conditions (nice concept).

The special effects are nicely done, such as the flying scenes involving the rocket man, the rocket ships, etc. Unfortunately we never get a glimpse of Mars or the rockets in space.

But Judd Holdren does a fine job as the handsome hero who dons his leather jacket and rocket-pack to zoom off in search of wrong-doers. Holdren went on to play Commando Cody in the television series that aired in the early 1950s.

Director Fred Brannon handles the fight scenes especially well.

Trivia note: the alien henchman who assists the Martian leader is played by a young Leonard Nimoy (with very little dialogue).

The computer-colorized version pumps new life into this fine serial, partly because the colorization is remarkably effective and partly because a great deal of artistic imagination is displayed by the people who did it. The aliens' wear deep purple outfits and have green faces! There's even a flashing red light added to the Martian robot's chest.

_________________
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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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