Starring William Lundigan, Herbert Marshall, Richard Carlson, Martha Hyer, Dawn Addams
Directed by Richard Carlson
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A government agency invites 12 renowned scientists and leads them through rigorous tests to find candidates to pilot a rocket designed to catch a meteor.
Although it has a solid science fiction premise, personable actors, and many realistic scenes, the film suffers from some weak special effects and an overabundance of stock footage. Nevertheless it's still fun, and is notable for providing veteran actor Carlson with his directorial debut. Produced by Ivan Tors, it plays like a feature length episode of his television series, Science Fiction Theatre, with a good deal of attention paid to scientific details, including a well-edited centrifuge sequence. The picture's screenplay is by Curt Siodmak, better known for his 1940s horror films for Universal Pictures.
Showing posts with label Martha Hyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martha Hyer. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Picture Mommy Dead (1966)
Starring Don Ameche, Martha Hyer, Susan Gordon, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Maxwell Reed
Directed by Bert I. Gordon
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Three years after her mother's horrific death sent her into an institution, a young woman returns home and is tormented by visions suggesting she may have killed her.
Director Bert I. Gordon's daughter Susan gets a memorable showcase in this psychological thriller that features one of Gordon's biggest name casts, with Ameche, Hyer, and Gabor, and she holds her own among them. Bert I. Gordon was probably best known for also creating the special effects in his films like Earth Vs. The Spider and Attack Of The Puppet People, but there aren't really any here, causing this film to hinge on Susan's performance and the quality of the screenplay. None of the plot twists really came to me as a surprise, and the story's a bit familiar, and executed better before in similar films, but it's still an entertaining movie in its own right.
Directed by Bert I. Gordon
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Three years after her mother's horrific death sent her into an institution, a young woman returns home and is tormented by visions suggesting she may have killed her.
Director Bert I. Gordon's daughter Susan gets a memorable showcase in this psychological thriller that features one of Gordon's biggest name casts, with Ameche, Hyer, and Gabor, and she holds her own among them. Bert I. Gordon was probably best known for also creating the special effects in his films like Earth Vs. The Spider and Attack Of The Puppet People, but there aren't really any here, causing this film to hinge on Susan's performance and the quality of the screenplay. None of the plot twists really came to me as a surprise, and the story's a bit familiar, and executed better before in similar films, but it's still an entertaining movie in its own right.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
First Men In The Moon (1964)
Starring Edward Judd, Martha Hyer, Lionel Jeffries, Miles Malleson, Norman Bird
Directed by Nathan Juran
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
In Victorian England, an eccentric scientist discovers a means of overcoming gravity, and uses it to launch himself and his neighbor on a journey to the moon.
Screenwriters Nigel Kneale (noted for his British television serials including the Quatermass adventures) and Jan Read have cleverly adapted H.G. Wells original novel within the framework of a modern-day journey to the moon, where the astronauts make the shocking discovery that two men journeyed there more than 50 years prior. The skilled stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen is behind the special effects, and although this movie does not utilize as much stop-motion as his other films, Harryhausen's talent is well on display. The ending of the framing story, borrowing the closing from another H.G. Wells novel, is a little disappointing, as the filmmakers could have used the opportunity to launch into a fascinating second film, rather than wrapping things up, but all in all, this is a well-crafted adventure.
Directed by Nathan Juran
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
In Victorian England, an eccentric scientist discovers a means of overcoming gravity, and uses it to launch himself and his neighbor on a journey to the moon.
Screenwriters Nigel Kneale (noted for his British television serials including the Quatermass adventures) and Jan Read have cleverly adapted H.G. Wells original novel within the framework of a modern-day journey to the moon, where the astronauts make the shocking discovery that two men journeyed there more than 50 years prior. The skilled stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen is behind the special effects, and although this movie does not utilize as much stop-motion as his other films, Harryhausen's talent is well on display. The ending of the framing story, borrowing the closing from another H.G. Wells novel, is a little disappointing, as the filmmakers could have used the opportunity to launch into a fascinating second film, rather than wrapping things up, but all in all, this is a well-crafted adventure.
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