Science Fiction double features

[solaris72]

Set for release on 7/29. Best Buy exclusives, unfortunately.

World Without End (1956)/Satellite in the Sky (1956)
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970)/Moon Zero Two (1969)
Battle Beneath the Earth (1967)/The Ultimate Warrior (1975)

Been very eager to see World Without End and Moon Zero Two, and Battle Beneath the Earth and The Ultimate Warrior sound pretty awesome.

[Cinephrenic]

When Dinosaurs Rules the Earth should be fun. Little Hammer film during their prehistoric chics in bikinis era.

[Dylan]

When Dinosaurs Rules the Earth should be fun. Little Hammer film during their prehistoric chics in bikinis era.

Saw this nearly a decade ago... it's pretty much a One Million Years B.C. clone, with Victoria Vetri in the Raquel Welch role, and the stop-motion helmed by Ray Harryhausen's protege Jim Danforth.

[tryavna]

When Dinosaurs Rules the Earth should be fun. Little Hammer film during their prehistoric chics in bikinis era.

Saw this nearly a decade ago... it's pretty much a One Million Years B.C. clone, with Victoria Vetri in the Raquel Welch role, and the stop-motion helmed by Ray Harryhausen's protege Jim Danforth.

The real point of interest for most people will probably be the fact that it was written and directed by Val Guest (one of his last feature films, I believe), from an original story by J.G. Ballard. The film isn't anything special, but Guest's work is always worth checking out.

Battle Beneath the Earth is a totally bizarre, late-60s take on "Yellow Peril." It's a terrible movie (a fact I recognized at the age of 10 or 11, when I first saw it on TV), but anyone remotely interested in American attitudes toward Asians definitely needs to check it out.

[Dylan]

The film isn't anything special, but Guest's work is always worth checking out.

It's been even longer since I've seen The Day the Earth Caught Fire (must have been... gosh, seven or eight, way too young of course).

Meanwhile, the entire When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth can be watched on YouTube, remastered in 1.85:1 no less. Out of nostalgia's sake I watched one of the parts, and the stop-motion really is fantastic (and was nominated for an Oscar).

[ByMarkClark.com]

I find WHEN DINOSAURS RULES THE EARTH tough sledding, but then I have something of a block when it comes to caveman movies in general.

As for MOON ZERO TWO, here's a capsule review I wrote:

MOON ZERO TWO (1969/70; Hammer/Warner Bros.; U.K.) Surprisingly, Moon Zero Two, one of the most notorious bombs ever released by Hammer Films, isn’t all bad. Writer-producer Michael Carreras’ script contains two forward-thinking concepts that would better serve later films: first, incorporating shoot-outs, bar fights and other elements from the Western genre into a science fiction yarn (not unlike Star Wars [1977]); and second, eschewing the archetypal sci-fi scientist-hero in favor of workaday everymen in outer space (a la Dark Star [1974] and Alien [1979]). Moon Zero Two boasts a likable leading man in James Olson (The Andromeda Strain [1971]). Its dialogue is sharply written, and its basic plot – about a gang of outer space outlaws trying to smuggle an ore-rich asteroid to the moon – isn’t bad either. Unfortunately, everything else about this movie is quite bad. The overriding issue is that Hammer simply wasn’t willing or able to put the money into Moon Zero Two that the project demanded. The picture is sunk by its abominably cut-rate production values: sub-Dr. Who special effects (tiny models and sloppy matte paintings); ridiculous costumes (and even worse hair styling); chintzy “futuristic” production design (lots of blank white walls, and even an inflatable chair); and a grating saxophone-and-flute-happy score. Coming on the heels of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), these flaws seem all the more laughable – and less excusable. No wonder the Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew selected Moon Zero Two for ridicule in 1990. Also, while Carreras’ script has its merits, it runs short on action. Moon Zero Two drags on for 100 often lethargic, talky minutes, which is about a half-hour too long. On second thought, it’s probably 100 minutes too long.

[solaris72]

cover art

[HypnoHelioStaticStasis]

I blind bought all three of these things at lunch today- any suggestions on where to start? I'm thinking that the 50's double feature will be more up my alley... but "Battle Beneath the Earth" sounds like an awe-inspiring piece of yellow peril cheese (Sax Rohmer meets Ian Fleming?)

I've actually seen most of "Moon Zero Two" because of MST, but that doesn't really count. On a side note, what the hell happened with Roy Ward Baker? Ten years earlier he did "A Night to Remember," and then BOOM!, anti-gravity bar fights!

On another note, I read that the disc with "Moon" and "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth"is being recalled because it actually features a longer cut of the film with nudity in it. I live in NYC, and if anyone's interested, the Best Buy I went to on 6th Ave. between 23rd and 24th (next to *shudder* Olive Garden) had a ton of em. The one near Grand Central had bupkis.

If you're interested in these things, go now!

[tryavna]

I've actually seen most of "Moon Zero Two" because of MST, but that doesn't really count. On a side note, what the hell happened with Roy Ward Baker? Ten years earlier he did "A Night to Remember," and then BOOM!, anti-gravity bar fights!

Baker's 1960s output isn't as bad as the titles (or plot summaries) might suggest. Quatermass and the Pit, for instance, is one of the most intelligent sci-fi movies ever made and ranks as one of Baker's best films. Flame in the Streets is impressive, if a little overly symbolic -- particularly when compared to the wishy-washy "race movies" that Hollywood was tentatively churning out later that decade (e.g., Baker actually shows us an interracial kiss). And god help me, I have to admit that I find both The Singer Not the Song and The Anniversary entertaining. I suppose that Baker's move away from prestige pictures probably says more about the decline of the British film industry than it does about his own abilities. I guess he could have moved to Hollywood, though....

You've definitely got the right idea about Battle Beneath the Earth. I'd say start off with that one.