ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

Jimbo Berkey's website, Free Classic Movies, has the comments below for First Spaceship on Venus, along with the link to watch it or download it.
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What a historic treat this science fiction movie is!

Filmed in 1960 in East Germany, this wonderful tale gives us a peek not only into the minds of 1960 people, but the mind of a 1960 science fiction author from Communist East Germany - from behind the wall, or the 'Iron Curtain' that separated the Soviet Union and the rest of the world. The Soviet Union was first to put a satellite into orbit, the Sputnik, and that began the great space race of the 1960's that put a man on the moon. In the U.S. and the 'free' world there was great interest in outer space, and now this movie shows us that there was also great interest in outer space behind the Iron Curtain of East Germany. Pop lots of corn and fill you cup with soda, you don't want to miss a minute of this out-of-this-world adventure thriller!

The movie begins 25 years in the future, in 1985, when a small meteorite is discovered that came from a large meteorite that exploded into the earth in 1908. The scientists of 1985 discover that the small meteorite is actually a recording from the planet Venus.

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Soon the space ship that was intended to travel to Mars is used to make a trip to Venus instead, and find the people that sent the ship that crashed into the earth in 1908.



As they near the planet, they intercept a message that explains the destruction of the earth by the people of Venus. The scientists debate whether they should communicate this impending disaster to the earth. One fellow says that they should not tell the earth, because it will cause such panic that earth will self-destruct.

Another fellow says that they should inform the earth, because the earth can handle the information. The earth did not destroy itself with the appearance of the Atomic Bomb, so they can handle this also. It all becomes moot when they find that their communication devices don't work.



There is another telling incident into the mindset of 1960's people at the beginning of the computer era. On the way, a man is playing chess against a computer opponent, and he wins the game. He triumphantly declares that although it was difficult, no machine could be more intelligent than a man!



Once they reach the planet, they discover a huge computer machine that is automatically preparing to bombard the earth with enough radiation to kill everyone on the planet. All of the inhabitants are dead - some tremendous disaster long ago killed all of the people of Venus. They encounter a black oozing substance that seems ominous, and shoot into it with their ray gun.



This causes the beginning of a nuclear reaction that starts the large orb machine and the process of attacking the earth with radiation.



Can they shut down the machine before it starts bombarding the earth with deadly radiation? Can they discover a method to stop the deadly radiation energy from reaching the earth? Can they outwit the automated computer that is bent on destruction of the earth? Of course, man is much more intelligent than any computer, right?

Pop a big bowl of white kernel popcorn with warm melted butter on it and enjoy the show.


____Jimbo Berkey




* Note from Bud: This movie has a great poster and the most gorgeous rocket ship in movie history.




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

[orzel-w]

This was probably the first (maybe only) space ship that looked better on the ground than in flight.
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...or not...

WayneO
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[Bud Brewster]

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Gee, Wayne, I was all set to give you an argument about that statement until I found these videoes which show the Cosmostrator in flight.



If at first you don't succeed . . .



Well, Wayne, like you said . . .



While looking for the above videos, I found a YouTube version of First Spaceship on Venus in widescreen that is more complete than any version I've seen!

The picture quality quite good, and the English dubbing is excellent.



This is great, because now instead of this —

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— we see this!


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

[Bud Brewster]

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The link to the YouTube version I posted above stopped working, but I found an even better one and replaced the url.

The picture quality of the new version is better than the older one, as shown in this screen shot I posted earlier —






— as compared to the one below from the new version, which has a sharper image and includes a bit more of the frame on the bottom and the right.





If you happen to watch it, listen for borrowed music from Destination Moon, This Island Earth, and others I didn't recognize.

Despite the vast devastation of the Venusian civilization, the astronauts discovered an impressive amount of technology that still functioned. The scientists state that the Venusians could change energy into matter, along with other advancements beyond our technology.

Thinking Outside the "Plot"!
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~ A Question for the Members: Would mankind risk the dangers of Venus and its high radiation to learn how the huge complex they discovered we able to convert energy into matter and reverse the gravity of the planet?

Also, could there be remnants of the Venusian civilization in the form of intact databases and libraries which mankind could retrieve and learn from?

~ My Theory: This impressive movie does a fine job of portraying mankind's dedication to scientific advancement. The bravery and intelligence shown by the crew of the Cosmostrator, along with the stirring words of the expeditions leader at the end of the film, leads me to believe that additional missions to Venus would indeed take place.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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Well, here's a funny coincidence. The robot in this movie — Omega —





— bears a certain resemblance to Mike Wazowski in Monsters Inc.

Omega even has two small antennae on the back of his head where Mike's horns are located!



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