ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

5

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Here's the answers three probing questions!

Who is The Cosmic Man?

What is It, the Terror from Beyond Space?

. . . and finally . . .

How the hell do you LOSE a missile?
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The Lost Missile (1958)

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____________________ Lost Missile Trailer


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An unusual little low budget sci-fier which should have been more aptly named "The Deadly Missile" or "Missile of Doom."

An unknown missile is detected by a communist nation, which fires its own defense missile at it. This just diverts the unknown missile into low Earth orbit and it proceeds to wreak havoc along its path, burning everything which it flies over (its said to project million-degree heat).

This was also an early starring role for Robert Loggia, as the heroic scientist. His career went nowhere in the sixties but surged in the late seventies and he became one of the best known character actors of the eighties and nineties (Scarface, Big, Independence Day, etc.).

His character has early problems with his fiancee (Ellen Parker) who, despite also being a scientist, thinks he's too involved in his work.

The story takes itself pretty seriously, including supposed plausible explanations for how the mysterious missile can generate such heat.

But there might be too much of this mystery — there's never any explanation about where this thing came from and none of the characters seem too curious about this key question either. There's a lot of narration, a sure sign that this is very low budget in that Ed Wood-style of informative storytelling, even though it tries hard for a quasi-documentary approach.

There are some effective scenes of a NYC evacuation and mass panic for such a low-budgeter. Loggia and the other principle actors are fine, even with some melodramatic theatrics, but some of the bit part actors are pretty stiff & amateurish. Even though this metallic marauder is stopped before it burns up the whole planet, there's an uncommonly downbeat ending.

BoG's Score: 3.5 out of 10

Lost Trivia: Also very early role for Hari Rhodes (as man at piano), who went on to a key role in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (72).

~ This was to be directed by producer William A. Berke but he dropped dead on the first day of filming, so his son Lester took over.

Star Trek TOS actor alert: Philip Pine plays Loggia's associate; he appeared as a villain in the episode The Savage Curtain.


BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus ____________________________________________________________________

It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)

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It! It! It's on the ship! on the ship! It Breathes! It Hunts! IT Kills!! (naturally).

I wonder how Capt. Kirk or Capt. Picard would handle something like this alien monster creepin aboard their ships? (There was a similar plot line recently on the canceled Enterprise series, when a Gorn lizard alien was sneaking around the ship, but it wasn't as effective). Actually, the closest Star Trek TOS got to this was probably the episode "The Man Trap" — the first episode to be broadcast.



IT! just may be my favorite Sci-Fi film of the fifties. That's a strong statement considering that the decade also contained Forbidden Planet, War of the Worlds, Them! and a few others of excellent quality.

Many fans really like the film IT! but point out very quickly the low budget and cheap sets. But, I tell you, what they did with what they had was nothing short of spectacular.

I consider this one to be perfectly plotted, paced and cast. All the actors are quite good. Then there's that palpable sense of urgency and the claustrophobic sense of 'no place to go, no place to hide' which surpasses the eerie feeling of the later Alien.

In that later film, the ship was huge and there always seemed to be a place to hide; in this early version, the survivors run out of room quite quickly.

I think writer Jerome Bixby had a good case. I mean, Harlan Ellison successfully sued the makers of the Terminator film for similarities to a story of his which I never really understood.




I remember when I first saw IT! on TV about 40 years ago. I was very young, of course, and impressionable.

I tell you, that scene of the creepy monster breaking out of the compartment with the atomic reactor and grabbing that guy on the ladder was the single scariest scene of my childhood movie-viewing days. There was something about that monster chasing down, grabbing and destroying a weak human being (armed with a useless gun) that informed my nightmares for nights to come.

Even though I knew it took place on a spaceship in outer space somewhere, I was scared of the dark in my own house for a long time due to that scene.

BoG's Score: 8 out of 10


BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus
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The Cosmic Man (1959)

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I recently viewed an Image DVD release of this film, one of the Wade Williams editions, so the picture quality was very good. This is a rather typical fifties low-budget sci-fi tale about alien visitation.

The plot hinges on the arrival of a mysterious object from deep space, landing in an area named Stone Canyon (maybe it's Bronson Canyon ). The military (usually represented by Paul Langton as a colonel) investigates and finds what looks like a giant golf ball, hovering about a meter above the ground.

Also on the spot is a preeminent scientist (Bruce Bennett, one of the early film Tarzans, when he went under the name Herman Brix). Soon after, a mysterious figure is prowling around the local town at night, scaring the ladies and making dogs nervous. It must be an alien! (Played by none other than John Carradine).

Much of this plot copies the famous fifties sf film from the start of that decade, The Day the Earth Stood Still. It revolves around the more advanced alien visitor, his impenetrable ship, the suspicious military, the understanding scientist and even a local woman and her crippled son who figure into the story.

The alien seeks lodging and the woman runs the local inn. Though not without interest — it's a fairly intelligent plot about both mankind's doltishness and its potential through scientific inquiry — but it's still pretty slow, talky and derivative.

Some of the spare FX are also interesting — especially the depiction of the slightly transparent Cosmic Man when he's not just a man wearing a hat and sunglasses. Carradine's role is rather small, however, and the real star is Bennett.

BoG's Score: 5 out of 10


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