Journey to the Far Side of the Sun / Doppelgänger (1969)

A stylish and thought-provoking but quite dark sci-fi film with some great sequences and special effects. The film raises some interesting questions about the conflict between science and politics

Well, dear reader, it wasn’t all that long ago when we fare-welled our look at the sc-fi films of the 1950s. Now, a few years later with the following post we’ll be taking our leave of the sci-fi films of the 1960s and what a journey that has been. For this post I have decided to take a fair bit of license by constructing a ‘What if?’ scenario while maintaining the essential plot elements of the film. In fact, if you watch the film again after reading this post, it seems to acquire quite a sinister feel to it. Anyway, hope you enjoy it.


Directed by Robert Parrish
Screenplay by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, Donald James
Story by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson
Produced by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson
Cinematography John Read
Edited by Len Walter
Music by Barry Gray
Production company: Century 21 Cinema Productions
Distributed by The Rank Organisation (UK), Universal Pictures (International)
Running time: 101 minutes

Cast

Roy Thinnes as Colonel Glenn Ross
Ian Hendry as Dr John Kane
Patrick Wymark as Jason Webb
Lynn Loring as Sharon Ross
Loni von Friedl as Lise Hartman
Franco De Rosa as Paulo Landi
George Sewell as Mark Neuman
Ed Bishop as David Poulson
Philip Madoc as Dr Pontini
Vladek Sheybal as Dr Beauville
George Mikell as Dr Bernhardt Brisson
Herbert Lom as Dr Kurt Hassler

Uncredited:

Keith Alexander as Launch Controller
Edward Cast as Security Vaults Sergeant
Peter Burton as Medical Technician
Anthony Chinn as Air-Sea Rescue Crew Member
Nicholas Courtney as Medical Technician
Arnold Diamond as Clavel (Paris delegate)
Cy Grant as Dr Gordon
Constantine Gregory as Launch Control Technician
Annette Kerr as Nurse
Martin King as Dove Service Technician
Basil Moss as Assistant Doctor
Norma Ronald as Pam Kirby
John Stone as London Delegate
Jeremy Wilkin as Launch Control Technician

Trailer

In The year 2069, one hundred years after mankind’s first manned moon landing, the European Space Exploration Council sends two astronauts on a joint European-NASA mission to investigate a mysterious planet located on the opposite side of the sun.

After only 3 weeks, followed by a disastrous crash-landing, one of the two-man crew awakes to to find himself immersed in a mysterious and unsettling set of circumstances.

Eventually he begins putting the pieces of a puzzle together only to discover that things are not as they seem……..

Read on for more.....

Runaway (1984)

A lesser-known 1980s sci-fi gem that deserves far greater recognition

Directed by Michael Crichton
Written by Michael Crichton
Produced by Michael I. Rachmil, Lisa Faversham, Kurt Villadsen
Cinematography: John A. Alonzo
Edited by Glenn Farr, James Coblentz
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Production company: Delphi III Productions
Distributed by Tri-Star Pictures
Release date: December 14, 1984
Running time: 99 minutes
Budget: $8 million
Box office: $6,770,587 (USA)

Cast

Tom Selleck as Sergeant Jack R. Ramsay

Cynthia Rhodes as Officer Karen Thompson
Gene Simmons as Dr. Charles Luther
Kirstie Alley as Jackie Rogers
Stan Shaw as Sergeant Marvin James
G.W. Bailey as Chief of Police
Joey Cramer as Bobby Ramsay
Chris Mulkey as David Johnson
Sullivan Walker as K.C.
Anne-Marie Martin as Hooker At Bar
Michael Paul Chan as Wilson, Vectrocon Security Guard
Babz Chula as Construction Foreperson
Marilyn Schreffler as Voice of Lois
Elizabeth Norment as Miss Shields
Carol Teesdale as Sally
Paul Batten as Harry
Betty Phillips as Linda
Stephen Thorne as Tommy
Stephen E. Miller as Rudy
Cec Verrell as Hooker
Amber Borycki as Baby (uncredited)

Sometime in a future which we have almost caught up with, robots perform domestic house-hold, agricultural, construction and many other services. The police have a specialized department tasked with investigating and resolving cases involving malfunctioning robots that pose a danger to humans. Such robots are known as "Runaways"

Trailer

Read on for more......

Volume 10: Supersized & Miniaturized - New eBook in the "Sci-Fi Film Fiesta" Series

Sci-Fi Film Fiesta

Volume 10:

"Supersized & Miniaturized"

This 10th volume in the Sci-Fi Film Fiesta eBook series features a handful of films from the 1950s, all of which have managed to achieve a kind of iconic status and a level of cultural significance. Collectively, the five featured films serve as a metaphor for much of the human condition and are therefore of relevance to audiences of any era.

Contents

1. The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)
2. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
3. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
4. Attack Of The Puppet People (1958)
5. War Of The Colossal Beast (1958)

The five featured films do depict the amazing spectacle and notion of people being enlarged in size or being miniaturized. They also have quite a lot to say to us about us and do so in some very interesting ways.

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Keep an eye out for Volume 11: “A Tribute To…..”
It will be the final volume?? in the Sci-Fi Film Fiesta eBook series featuring science fiction films from the 1950s.

Outland (1981)

A tense, moody, atmospheric, dark and claustrophobic film with excellent cinematography and brisk pacing accompanied by a rousing and suspenseful musical score.

Directed by Peter Hyams
Written by Peter Hyams
Produced by Richard A. Roth, Stanley O'Toole
Cinematography: Stephen Goldblatt
Edited by Stuart Baird
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Production company: The Ladd Company
Distributed by Warner Bros. (through Columbia-EMI-Warner Distributors)
Running time: 109 minutes
Budget: $18 million (approx)
Box office: $17–20 million

Cast

Sean Connery as Marshal William T. O'Niel
Peter Boyle as Mark Sheppard
Frances Sternhagen as Dr. Marian Lazarus
James Sikking as Sergeant Montone
Kika Markham as Carol O'Niel
Nicholas Barnes as Paul O´Niel
Clarke Peters as Sergeant Ballard
Steven Berkoff as Sagan
John Ratzenberger as Tarlow
Bill Bailey as Hill
James Berwick as Rudd
Norman Chancer as Officer Slater
Stuart Milligan as Officer Walters
Hal Galili as Officer Nelson
Anni Domingo as Officer Morton
Manning Redwood as Officer Lowell
Angus MacInnes as Hughes
Eugene Lipinski as Cane
Pat Starr as Flo Spector
Sharon Duce as Prostitute Attacked By Sagan
Marc Boyle as Nicholas Spota
Richard Hammatt as Russel Yario
P. H. Moriarty as Hitman #1
Angelique Rockas as Maintenance Woman
Doug Robinson as Hitman #2

Titanium ore mining outpost Con-Am 27, operated by Con-Amalgamate on the Jovian moon of Io.

Federal Marshal William O'Niel is assigned to a tour of duty at the mining colony.

Miners begin dying while suffering psychotic episodes.

Illegal selling of amphetamines takes place to increase productivity and bonuses.

Marshal O’Niel refuses to look the other way.

The new marshal now has a target on his back.

Trailer

Read on for more......

Ikarie XB 1 (1963) / “Voyage To The End Of The Universe”

Ikarie XB 1 is an overlooked compelling science fiction film that was ahead of it's time and which focuses on complex human drama instead of cheap sci-fi razzamatazz

Directed by Jindřich Polák
Screenplay by Pavel Juráček, Jindřich Polák
Based on “The Magellanic Cloud” by Stanislaw Lem
Cinematography: Jan Kališ
Edited by Josef Dobřichovský
Music by Zdeněk Liška
Production company: Filmové Studio Barrandov
Distributed by: Ústřední půjčovna filmů, American International Pictures (USA
Release dates: July 26, 1963 (Czechoslovakia); September 1964 (US)
Running time: 86 minutes
Country: Czechoslovakia
Language: Czech

Cast

Zdenek Stepánek: Captain Vladimir Abajev
Frantisek Smolík: Anthony Hopkins - mathematician
Dana Medrická: Nina Kirova - sociologist
Irena Kacírková: Brigitta
Radovan Lukavský: Commander MacDonald
Otto Lackovic: Michal (coordinator)
Miroslav Machácek: Marcel Bernard
Jirí Vrstála: Erik Svenson (pilot)
Rudolf Deyl: Ervin Herold (pilot)
Jaroslav Mares: Milek Wertbowsky
Martin Tapák: Petr Kubes (biologist)
Marcela Martínková: Steffa (Wertbowsky's wife)
Jozef Adamovic: Zdenek Lorenc (coordinator)
Jaroslav Rozsíval (The Ship's Doctor)
Ruzena Urbanova: Eva (historian)
Svatava Hubenáková: Rena (MacDonald's wife)
Jan Cmíral: (crew member)
Vjaceslav Irmanov : (Coordinator)
Marcela Batková: Clenka posádky
Karel Duba: (crew member)
Miroslav Abrahám: (crew member)
Nadezda Blazícková: Danseuse
Zdenek Jelínek: Pianist
Bohumil Klika: Danseur
Jan S. Kolár : Dead man
Vera Kresadlová: crew member
Alena Martinovská : Danseuse
Ladislav Mrkvicka: Romeo in movie
Vladimír Navrátil: coordinator
Olga Navrátilová: crew member
Marie Popelková: dead women
Hana Prazanová: Julie in movie
Olga Schoberová: crew member
Gustav Vobornik: crew member

Trailer

Year: 2163

Starship Ikarus XB 1: a giant spaceship carrying 40 people to Alpha Centauri.

Mission: the mysterious "White Planet" orbiting the star Alpha Centauri & search for signs of life.

Duration: 28 months at near light speed (15 years time elapse on earth due to relativity effects)

Adjusting to life in space.

Encountering a derelict 20th century nuclear armed spaceship.

A radioactive dark star.

Malfunctioning computers.

Tensions among crew and passengers.

A crew member’s mental breakdown threatening the entire mission.

These are the hazards & dangers to be faced by the passengers and crew of…….

Icarus XB 1

as they

Voyage To The End Of The Universe!!

(Read on for more.....)

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

A thoughtful and engrossing Corman classic that has a ton of heart 

Directed and produced by Roger Corman
Written by Robert Dillon
Music by Les Baxter
Cinematography: Floyd Crosby
Edited by Anthony Carras
Distributed by American International Pictures
Running time: 79 minutes

Cast

Ray Milland as Dr. James Xavier
Diana Van der Vlis as Dr. Diane Fairfax
Harold J. Stone as Dr. Sam Brant
John Hoyt as Dr. Willard Benson
Don Rickles as Crane
Barboura Morris as Nurse with young patient
Morris Ankrum as Mr. Bowhead
Dick Miller as Heckler

It’s my pleasure to present in this post the 1963 Roger Corman sci-fi / horror classic film, “X – The Man With The X-Ray Eyes.” This film is close to my heart being the very first science fiction / horror film I remember seeing. Once again I’ve taken a few liberties in my presentation of the film’s plot, but you should be used to that by now…. 

Trailer

Read on for more......