1970

New Years Eve is a good time to look back. The decade of the 70s started off modestly for sci-fi movies. 1970 saw the Vietnam war continuing, including the incident at My Lai, and protests escalating -- Kent State. The "hippy" era was in full swing. NASA had its close call with Apollo 13.

It was the start of the American sub-compact car era, with the debut of the Ford Pinto, Chevy Vega and AMC Gremlin -- all intended to counter rising Japanese imports from Toyota, Honda and Datsun. The year's sci-fi started off with a continuation of a very old sci-fi topic: Frankenstein.

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed -- One of the last of Hammer Films' series. Victor blackmails a young couple to help him kidnap a doctor with brain transplant secrets.

The Revenge of Dr. X -- An over-stressed NASA scientist vacations in Japan, where he dabbles in botany and creates a giant carnivorous plant.

Moon Zero Two -- Sinister businessmen force fallen-hero space pilot to help them crash an asteroid of emeralds onto the moon where they can harvest them.

The Love War -- Lloyd Bridges is an alien disguised as an earthling, on earth to fight a showdown battle. Angie Dickenson co-stars. TV movie.

Colossus: The Forbin Project -- An American supercomputer, intended to assure nuclear peace, teams up with its Russian counterpart to take over the world. A classic techno-phobia story.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes -- Taylor's friend Brent looks for him on Ape Planet. The apes war against an underground human (mutant) remnant who have, and worship, a mega-bomb.

Gas-s-s-s -- A silly hippy comedy in which a nerve gas kills everyone over 35. The youth don't act much wiser than the adults did.

The Horror of Frankenstein -- A Hammer film, but without Peter Cushing as Victor. More gore, more risque, reinvents the basic story.

The Mind of Mr. Soames -- A 30 yr old man, in a coma since birth is made conscious. This baby in a man's body escapes, causing mayhem before recapture.

No Blade of Grass -- British post-apocalyptic tale. A virus kill grass plants (which include all grain plants) so global famine ensues. A group of refugees see a haven valley in Scotland.

Big Foot -- A gang of "motorcycle" youths discover a group of Big Foot creatures. The big feet capture buxom Joi Lansing as a sacrifice to a big bad Big Foot.

Horror of the Blood Monsters -- A team rocket to a planet of vampire cavemen, seeking a cure for a vampire virus outbreak on earth.

Trog -- Spelunking youths discover a thawed caveman. Scientists study him, but he escapes, kills, causes mayhem. The army shoot him dead.

Toomorrow -- "Lite" romantic comedy about a pop-rock band who soothes passing aliens with "good vibrations." Olivia Newton John stars.

Captain Nemo and the Underwater City -- Retelling the basic Jules Verne classic but with more romantic complications. Robert Ryan as Nemo. Chuck Conners co-stars.
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