ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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One movie set on the Moon, one movie set under the Earth, and one movie set in the far future.

Great triple feature! Better get a large popcorn and a Super-Slurper soft drink. And be sure to go the rest room first.
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Moon Zero Two (1969 England)

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________________________ Moon Zero Two


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The thing that sticks out for me is the title song: it plays over the beginning credits and this sure does not seem like a Hammer film in the first few minutes! MOOoon ZEeeRrooooee TWOooooo!!! A girl sings the remaining song in that carefree fashion that epitomized the swinging sixties. And, actually, not much of this entire film is a reminder of anything having to do with Hammer films.

Here is the song . . . IF you want to hear it!

MOOoon Zeeroe TWOooooo!

_____________ Moon Zero Two Intro Animation


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The film is, unfortunately, in my opinion, mostly forgettable and a bit on the slow side. It's advertised as the 'first moon western' but doesn't really come across that way, being mostly a 'missing person on the moon mystery' or a 'murder moon mystery.' There are some interesting long shots of the moon colony. James Olson, best known for The Andromeda Strain (1971), doesn't make a great central character, lacking charisma.

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That said, it is an interesting curiosity after all this time, not fitting neatly into any genre or standard plotline. The only other thing I might point out is that, as some may surmise from the above plot descriptions, the film that closely followed the model of Moon Zero Two's set-up much later was The Adventures of Pluto Nash, starring Eddie Murphy. Remember that one? I don't bash that box-office disaster but if you're not a fan of that, shall we say, well-known disappointment, do not have your expectations set too high for Moon Zero Two.



_______________ MST3k 111 - Moon Zero Two


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BoG's Score: 5 out of 10


BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus
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Planet of the Apes (1968)

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_________________ Planet of the Apes trailer


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What more can I say about the original Planet of the Apes film that hasn't been said, written about and pondered over already?

How about this: the final resulting film was much more than the sum of its many separate parts. By all rights, it never should have succeeded, to any degree. One of the first hurdles to overcome was the ape makeup — how to present scenes of main character Taylor (Heston) talking with apes and not make fools of everyone involved?

There was a screening test filmed with Heston and Edward G.Robinson in ape makeup (poorly done at that point — the footage still exists and can be seen on special DVD editions).

The test audience didn't laugh.





But that was just the first hurdle.

The author of the original novel was a satirist, not a science fiction writer. The director, Schaffner, had no experience in sci-fi. Neither did the actors — this began Heston's sci-fi cycle, not end it.

Rod Serling, one of the screenwriters, was known for the Twilight Zone TV series, of course. But again, his focus had been on TV, on drama, on small human stories.

Somehow, it all came together. I really admire the first sequence in the film, from the introduction of Taylor in his small spaceship to the trek across some alien desert. When I first saw this (it must have been the first TV airing, in the seventies), I really bought into it. By about the 15-minute mark, the film had me — we really were on some distant planet, many years in the future, on the wildest sci-fi adventure I'd yet seen. The walk the 3 astronauts were on was long, but somehow, I wasn't bored.






The film only got better as it went along.

I think, in the most basic terms, the film just managed to present two elements in the best possible manner, and these two elements didn't bang up against each other as might be expected. The elements worked together, very smoothly.

The first element is the satiric one, some of the satire taken from the novel. It's most evident in the central trial sequence, when the ruling apes literally close their eyes, ears, and mouths to the idea of any intelligence existing outside their own limited domain (Ape City).

The film mocks us, our modern society, our religion(!) and even our history. The apes stand in for us: our politicians/religious leaders (orangutans), our scientists/professionals (chimpanzees) and our military/police (gorillas). Are we really such short-sighted brutes? We may laugh as the film progresses but afterward, if we think about it . . . waitaminnit . . . Wait a minute!




The 2nd element is the adventure, the action.

This turns out to be one of the more exciting science fiction epics. There are no real slow spots. Schaffner was always one of my favorite directors. His The War Lord and Patton are among my favorite films.

So, an audience has its pick here: appreciate the satire and enjoy the action. It's all there. And it's not just action, there's a sense of adventure here, of a journey which, in many ways, is an ultimate one, guaranteed by the ending. The Time Machine (1960) had a similar feel to this, but with less edge. Planet of the Apes was very edgy for its time. At the end, there was no where else to go, really. You can't go anywhere from an ultimate ending. However . . .



However, there was a continuation in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970). Could it help ever being anything but mediocre by comparison? No.

BoG's Score: 9 out of 10




BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus
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Battle Beneath the Earth (1967)

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I think I saw this as a kid. I think I liked it. That would make sense because this film seems to be aimed strictly at kids.

I watched it again a couple of years ago. The film really has a unique flavor to it. I picture the writers sitting down and writing a script for a comic book, in the sixties. Remember some of those? Like, Total War and MARS Patrol, some of those.

The plots had to do with the invasion of the USA by an army using futuristic weapons. There were also the comic books published by Titan, called the THUNDER Agents. These were well illustrated, superior comic books for the time.

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So, the authors write the script for BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH, but instead of having it illustrated as a comic book, it's made into a film.

That's my take on this.

A lot of the stuff here and some scenes would be OK in a sixties comic book, but come across as a bit wacky in a film. Case in point, the first scene in Las Vegas (not really Vegas, but let it go). One of the main characters, a scientist (Peter Arne), is pressing his ear to the pavement and ranting about ants beneath us. He's carted off to the loony bin because he's behaving like a complete lunatic.

Later, when the military becomes aware of the plot against the USA, this scientist is perfectly rational. This odd and conflicting behavior may work in a typically over-the-top comic book for kids, but makes little sense within the framework of a film.

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__________________ Battle Beneath The Earth

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Also, the total extent of U.S. military strength in this film seems to be one squad of soldiers, usually led by hero Kerwin Matthews. (Are all other soldiers and tanks deployed in other countries at the moment?)

The Chinese leadership seems to have been taken over by Caucasians in this version of Earth. (What, are there no Oriental actors around?).




There is entertainment to be found, however. The Chinese have developed heat-ray weapons and a special rock-melting/boring machine while the U.S. is busy with outer space technology.

When the U.S. soldiers fire their rifles, the Chinese simply point what looks like a flashlight and Sssssssss — yyyahhhh!!!

So, there is some similarity to the James Bond pictures of the time. It's just a little more goofy.

Finally, I didn't understand how one atomic blast would take care of all of the enemy, considering that there were 3 tunnels, each about 500 miles apart. Comic book logic? Why not? (Oh, and didja know you can avoid an atomic blast by merely running for about 10 minutes?)

________________ Chinese Hypnotist Torturer


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BoG's Score: 6 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)