Top Ten 60s Sci-fi (?)

It was an interesting coincidence that this film journey was wrapping the 1960s, right around NewYears. Since it is customary to do "retrospectives" at year-end, this seemed like a good time to look back over the sci-fi films of the 1960s and pick some famous and favorites.

Which ten sci-fi movies of the 1960s deserve a Golden Rocket Award? Depends on who you ask, I suppose.

There were roughly 120-plus sci-fi films released in the 60s. Some would become famous standouts. Lots of weird ultra-cheapies.  I made up my list of films that I'd bestow a Golden Rocket to, but I had a hard time deciding which to put in the 10th slot.

1 2001: A Space Odyssey '68. THE big sci-fi film of the 60s. Kubrik set a new, high benchmark for the look and feel of sci-fi movies, even if his plot was a bit obtuse for most viewers.

2 Planet of the Apes '68. A close second. The start of a franchise that would recur several times in the 70s and still had "legs" enough for the 21st century.

3 First Men on the Moon '64. H.G. Wells' story in lavish color and steam-punk sets. Animated Selenites by Ray Harryhausen.

4 Time Machine '60. George Pal's version of H.G. Wells' novel and a bleak future for mankind. Atomic doom, Eloi and Morlocks!

5 Planeta Bur '62. A Soviet sci-fi which was epic enough in its own right, but also served primary source material for two American B movies -- and still looked good!

6 Fantastic Voyage '66. A visual feast of special effects and an unusual twist on the "inner space" plot, and a good application of the not-so-new miniature people effect.

7 Robinson Crusoe on Mars '64. William Defoe's classic tale of a castaway surviving in the wild, but recast for the space age.

8 Marooned '69. Serious science fiction set in the Apollo program. Interesting for how its story line played out for real in Apollo 13, just a few months after release.

9 Day of the Triffids '63. A bit campy, and quirky, but so memorable among the common invasion films.

10  ?

What to pick for number 10?  So many movies seemed deserving. They might not be epic greats, but were worth mentioning. Which 60s sci-fi would you give a Golden Rocket to?


Oh, and Happy New Year!

Must-See Sci-fi: Buried Treasure

In the 50s and 60s, there were over hundred films were not flashy enough (or bad enough) to get the main-stream's attention. Most were too average to leave a lasting impression. Quite a few, however, were intriguing and entertaining films which don't deserve their obscurity. They may not be as readily available commercially -- a bit off the beaten path -- but are examples of good non-mainstream sci-fi. (which relied on story more than special effects)

Below is my list of ten fun "buried treasure" sci-fi films. There are more than ten, of course, so readers should feel free to post their own favorites via the Comments feature.

1. Red Planet Mars ('52) -- A scientist invents a special radio which makes contact with a civilization on Mars (or is it God?). A duplicitous former nazi employed by the Soviet Union is out to discredit or destroy the scientist.

2. It Came From Outer Space ('53) -- Strange beings from outer space crash-land near a desert town. Residents begin to disappear, then reappear, but acting strangely. Is it an invasion, or are the aliens up to something else?

3. Not of this earth ('57) -- An alien on earth needs regular blood transfusions to survive. He can kill with a look of his eyes. He is the vanguard of a project to harvest earthlings to help his race on their home planet survive. A doctor begins to unravel the plot.

4. Kronos ('57) -- An alien civilization which consumes far more power than they can create, send a giant power-absorbing robot to earth to steal earth's electrical energy. The robot is impervious to earth's weapons, simply absorbing their power too.

5. X: The Unknown ('57) -- A radioactive blob arises from a crack in the earth. It seeks out medical or research isotopes as food. It kills anyone in its path. Is it alive? How can it be stopped?

6. Incredible Shrinking Man ('57) -- A man is exposed to a radioactive fog. He begins to shrink. A personal tragedy becomes a fight for survival when he is a small as a spider's lunch.

7. Colossus of New York ('58) -- A distraught scientist creates a mechanical body for the brain of his adult son (killed in a traffic accident). Intending that his son finish his work to solve world hunger, the brain-machine hybrid causes the son to slowly become unhinged.

8. The Mysterians ('59) -- Aliens land on earth looking for just a few square miles of land to live on, and a few earth women to rebuild their species. Was it a sincere request for help, or a smoke screen for a darker intent?

9. The 4D Man ('59) -- A scientist subjects himself to a special radioactive process. He is then able to alter his body's "time", allowing him to move through solid matter. His new power also kills by draining the life out of people. The power begins to affect his mind.

10. Creation of the Humanoids ('62) -- In earth's future, human population is in decline. A growing population of servant robots eventually outnumber the humans. Anti-robot vigilante squads discover a robot plot. Is it to seize power or something else?

For you 50s/60s sci-fi fans out there, what "buried treasure" movies would you nominate?

Must-See Sci-Fi

Reader Lex asked: "If you were to reccomend 10-15 must see films from the 50's-60's what would they be?" Some movies are must-see because they're great or influential. Some movies are must-see because they're just so wacky (or famously bad) that they're still influential. So, Lex, here are two lists of ten.

The Good -- Here are ten milestone movies that have left a lasting impression on our culture. These are the "good" movies which even average viewers can appreciate. They are a fair sampling of what 50s sci-fi could do on a good day.

1. When Worlds Collide ('51) -- An epic disaster film which expressed the culture's anxiety about the Cold War and the threat of impending doom.

2. Day the Earth Stood Still ('51) -- Earth is warned of its nuclear danger, by a benevolent alien. The story line was powerful enough to spawn many remakes.

3. War of the Worlds ('53) -- HG Wells' classic story set in 1950s America. This invasion theme would be expressed in many other films too.

4. Creature from the Black Lagoon ('54) -- A classic which spawned not only sequels, but many retellings and variations.

5. Gojira (54) -- The Japanese original is better than the '55 American edit. Gojira was the dramatic ancestor of dozens of giant-monster movies. The sub-genre would eventually turn campy and juvenile, but Gojira was serious art.

6. Them! ('54) -- The first (and best) of a whole sub-genre of giant bug films for which the 50s are famous.

7. Invasion of the Body Snatchers ('56) -- The classic tale of aliens taking over human's bodies. This theme was featured in many later films.

8. Forbidden Planet ('56) -- Perhaps THE pinnacle of 1950s sci-fi. While seldom copied or remade, it would become the basis for that persistent cultural force: Star Trek.

9. The Blob ('58) -- Not the first, but the most famous of the alien-blob creature films.

10. Time Machine ('60) -- Wells' famous tale from a 50s point of view. It would become the model for many later time-travel films.

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The Bad -- The flip-side of the 50s and 60s sci-fi greats, are its equally famous "bad" films. These film have left a lasting cultural legacy too -- so quirky or bizarre that they're hard to take seriously, even though their creators were serious.

1. Robot Monster ('53) -- Infamous for the titular villain costumed in an ape-suit with a space helmet. A pretty earth woman scrambles Ro-Man's superior logic.

2. Catwomen of the Moon ('53) -- A distant planet populated with a civilization of attractive women. This absurd premise actually formed the basis of several films.

3. Killers From Space ('54) -- All the low-budget style of the early serials (the aliens are men in leotards with ping pong balls for eyes), yet serious.

4. The Giant Claw ('56) -- A monster too bizarre to be frightening. A marionette vulture-thing "space bird". Again, the actors take it all deadly seriously.

5. The Beginning of the End ('57) -- The giant bug sub-genre was running out of scary bugs to enlarge. Grasshoppers

6. Attack of the 50' woman ('58) -- A past-peak pin up star, made giant by the touch of a giant alien, obsesses over retrieving her philandering husband.

7. Plan 9 From Outer Space ('59) -- Ed Wood Jr.'s famously bad movie, a fragmented tale of aliens who plan to raise dead earthlings so zombies can conquer earth for them.

8. Teenagers From Outer Space ('59) -- A soft-hearted alien teen takes pity on earth (and is keen an earth girl) so helps stop his people from turning earth into a ranch for giant lobsters.

9. The Creeping Terror ('64) -- An alien creature resembling a chinese parade dragon gone horribly wrong, has a penchant for eating leggy young women.

10. Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women ('68) -- A rehash of a rehash of a Soviet film about landing on Venus, but with new footage of telepathic babes in shell bras who almost encounter the astronauts.

Top 10 Concepts in 50s sci-fi

Visuals and special effects are one way viewers gauge the effectiveness of a sci-fi movie. Another metric is Concept. Stories of saucer attacks, alien monsters, giant bugs or radiation-spawned beasts, would become common. Yet, some 50s films (even with too low of a budget to dazzle audiences with special effects) made an impact because they had a powerful concept. Below is my list of ten 50s films with cool concepts. (They're in chronological order, not coolest to less-cool)

1. When Worlds Collide '51 -- In almost all disaster stories, massive destruction is averted in the end. Not this time. The earth does not get saved at the last minute by a plucky band of heros. Instead, only a few people and animals escape to begin anew on a new world. This was pretty radical stuff for movie audiences so early in the decade.

2. Red Planet Mars '52 -- How would we handle it if we DID receive messages from "out there" and they weren't blandly neutral? Messages from an idyllic civilization on Mars which believe in God. They cause chaos on earth. Was it all a cruel prank by an ex-nazi scientist, or actually corroboration that God exists? Could the world handle it?

3. Four Sided Triangle '53 -- A lovelorn scientist creates a matter duplicator as an altruistic aid to mankind. He uses succumbs to self-interest and uses it to duplicate a woman he loves, but who is in love with another. Things don't work out. The duplicate tries to love him, but the love for the other was duplicated too.

4. Target Earth '54 -- A handful of people find themselves alone in a deserted city. Alien robots roam the streets killing any stray humans. The city was abandoned by earthlings to the robots until earth forces can find a countermeasure. In the meantime, the robots hunt down the last refugees. A bustling metropolis suddenly a barren city-scape, was a strong image.

5. Quatermass Xperiment '55 -- One of the first blob movies. A non-corporeal life form merges with a human astronaut. When he returns to earth, the other being takes over his body little by little. Like an epidemic personified, the creature man is lost he/it becomes a massive blob that absorbs other life.

6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers '56 -- Not the first, but the most memorable of the alien-takeover movies. Alien spores create replacements for people. They then set about insidiously spreading their new world order. A young doctor and his girlfriend are the only ones who know. The pod people are out to catch and convert them. An invisible invasion of outwardly congenial doubles terrified audiences.

7. Forbidden Planet '56 -- Among the many story threads, the enigmatic Krell dominate. An alien race builds such an autonomous technology that it destroys them. An earth scientist discovers their vast empty cities still functioning. In his explorations, he has unknowingly created an unstoppable monster from his own subconscious.

8. Kronos '57 -- An alien race's energy consumption exceeds their supply. They send a massive impersonal machine to harvest power from other planets. They don't want to own earth, or take our women -- just our kilowatts. If not stopped, it will drain earth back to the dark ages. This notion of civilizations living beyond their power means has remained topical to today.

9. Fiend w/o a Face '58 -- A scientist inadvertently creates a new form of invisible beings which must feed on human brains to survive. They also require an atomic reactor's stray radiation to exist. Beyond the mere attack-by-monsters plot is the notion of beings created and sustained by man and his technology, which (like Morbius' Id monster) prove anything but friendly.

10. 4D Man '59 -- A scientist manages to change his body so that he can shift himself in time. By doing so, he can pass through solid matter. His newfound power goes to his head. The power has a curse too. He cannot touch anyone without draining the life out of them. This is an atomic age spin on Wells' Invisible Man and the old King Midas tale.

Runner up -- Not of this Earth '57 -- An alien from war ravaged planet comes to earth needing fresh blood to stay alive. His mission is to send humans back so his people can live. Their planet loses the war. A female alien escapes to join him. Though seeing themselves as superior invaders, they're actually vulnerable refugees whose plans (and lives) are thwarted.

Okay. That's my list. What about YOU? Which cool concept 50s sci-fi would you have included?

Top 10 Visuals in 50s Sci-fi

A reader had asked what I thought the 50s best sci-fi visuals would be. There were so many, it was not easy to pare the list down. Doing so, however, was an interesting exercise. Like the Titanic, with too few lifeboats to save everyone, if you had to pick JUST TEN, which would they be? Top Ten lists are, by nature, subjective, so this is MY list. Use the comments feature to share your top ten best 50s sci-fi visual moments. Mine are in chronological order, not greater-to-lesser.

1. Destination Moon 1950 -- The sweeping moonscape vista paintings by Chesley Bonstell were magical. Many other offworld landscapes would come, in imitation, and dilute the impact. But, in 1950, they were powerful visuals. The space-walk scenes were captivating too, for their earnestness.

2. Invaders from Mars 1953 -- The slightly distorted sets gave this movie a subtly unsettled feeling. The forced perspective of the path & fence set was quietly surreal. The curiously tall, spartan and high-contrast interior of the police office contradicted the usual safe and secure mood. The whole disappearing into the dry sand pit scene, with the harshly discordant vocals was a scene impossible to forget.

3. War of the Worlds 1953 -- The gathering and throbbing hum of the heat ray "cobra head" and blasting of the three men, was one of those benchmark visual moments. The rise of the first swan ships from their glowing craters caused goose bump. The swan ships' slow and relentless blasting of the city was captivating. To be sure, many later movies would have their aliens blasting cities, but this was a powerful first for American audiences -- to be on the wrong end of big guns.

4. Creature from the Black Lagoon 1954 -- The gill man himself is an iconic visual. His image was powerful enough to spawn two sequels and numerous copies. But, it is the underwater scenes are the eye candy. The cinematography and clarity create an alternate world in which the gill man is at home.

5. Gozilla 1954 -- There were so many spin offs and poor copies of the scene, that its value has been debased into kitsch. But in 1954, when Godzilla rose from the sea and began laying waste to Tokyo, it was a powerful image.

6. Conquest of Space 1955 -- The magic and wonder of Chesley Bonestell's art was brought to life in the many shots of the giant wheel space station and winged Mars rocket. These and the vistas of Mars provided visual treats which helped carry a less grand plot.

7. Forbidden Planet 1956 -- Easily the most visually rich sci-fi of the decade, there were many captivating visuals. The vistas of Altair 4, Robby the Robot and vast underground Krell facilities. It is the battle of the Id monster, however, which is the most memorable moment.

8. Earth vs The Flying Saucers 1956 -- The plot and premise were fairly par for the course. It was Ray Harryhausen's stop motion flying saucers that stole the show. Particularly impressive, was the final scene in which the crippled saucers were crashing into Washington DC landmarks.

9. Incredible Shrinking Man 1957 -- Where the first half of the movie visually commonplace, the second half is another world. The "basement" sets were captivating. Giant matchboxes for Scott to live in, thread as rope, a cliff of dried cake for food and a giant spider enemy: it was a convincing other world within our own.

10. H-Man 1959 -- Blob creatures were not new when H-Man came out. What Honda and Toho gave us was a more insidious monster. It oozed along walls, took a gelatinous human-like form, but then could liquify itself and run down a storm drain. The visuals of all that were well done and intriguing.

Well, there you have my top ten visuals. What would your top ten visuals list include? Use the comments to share them.