View Full Version : The Joy of Crappy Old Sci Fi Movies & TV Shows
Doc Safari
05-12-17, 13:54
TCM lately has been showing a lot of schlocky old Sci-Fi movies. A lot of these I never even got to see as a kid. Bad as some of them are, I appreciate the chance to see them finally.
Examples:
The Beast of Hollow Mountain
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048992/
Probably one of Willis O'Brien's worst. This wouldn't even be good enough for a bad Saturday kid's movie now.
The Deadly Mantis
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050294/
I guess it's passable by 1950's standards.
And one great one that I had never seen all the way through:
The Fly
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051622/
The 1986 one with Jeff Goldblum was more scientifically plausible, but this one is still great.
I'm going to keep an eye out for other 1950's and 1960's drive-in movie sci-fi and horror fare.
Ones I hope they run:
The Monster from Green Hell
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050723/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066561/?ref_=fn_al_tt_5
I saw that one as a kid, on a double bill with The Valley of Gwangi http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065163/?ref_=nv_sr_1
My parents had intended for all of us to go see Tora, Tora, Tora http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066473/?ref_=nv_sr_1 but the audience was lined up around the block. My dad looked at me and said, "You wanna see a couple of dinosaur movies?"
Of course my eyes got as big as saucers and I said yes.
We saw both movies in a little run-down theater that no longer exists.
Was watching them last night, Rodan, The Black Scorpion, The Deadly Mantis, etc.
They are popcorn fun.
Doc Safari
05-12-17, 14:16
The Black Scorpion. One of my faves. One of Willis O'Brien's best IMHO.
I'd love to also see another childhood favorite again: I Married a Monster from Outer Space.
Was watching them last night, Rodan, The Black Scorpion, The Deadly Mantis, etc.
They are popcorn fun.
After my wife fell asleep on the couch I switched over and watched for a while. Those movies were late-night TV staples on the weekends growing up.
Travelingchild
05-12-17, 17:10
Okay Sci fi geeks..
I'm trying to remember 2 series when i was growing up in the 70s.
1st one Earth was trashed etc. 2 distinct human populations remained the Educated one kept the uneducated ones in check by using cattle prods their Cities/continents were connected by subterranean high speed rail trains. Time traveler astronaut discover the educated one's were really bad people..
2nd one Huge space ship after Earth was abandoned Each section held different races, people and cultures none of who were aware of the others.
The crew had to travel through all these sections to ensure the Ship would continue to function till it arrived at its destination.
Doc Safari
05-12-17, 17:15
2nd one Huge space ship after Earth was abandoned Each section held different races, people and cultures none of who were aware of the others.
The crew had to travel through all these sections to ensure the Ship would continue to function till it arrived at its destination.
Pretty sure this was 'The Starlost' although I don't think you could see it in my area. I heard about it years later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Starlost
.
Oh man, too many to count. I always liked 'Them' and the original 'The Thing'. Then there are the cheese fests like 'The Giant Gila Monster' and 'Attack of the Giant Leeches'.
Travelingchild
05-12-17, 17:27
Pretty sure this was 'The Starlost' although I don't think you could see it in my area. I heard about it years later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Starlost
.
Yup that was it...
Doc Safari
05-12-17, 17:32
Remember the Space:1999 TV series? Bringing up "The Starlost" made me remember it. It was a fourth-rate imitation of Star Trek where the moon is blown out of orbit by the detonation of nuclear waste and it became a "spaceship" for the main characters through the series. I didn't watch more than a handful of episodes, but I don't think they ever explained how the moon could get from planet to planet so quickly (space is BIG, you know).
I remember the manager of the local affiliate that carried it used to have a Saturday afternoon chat show and he used to rave on and on about how Space:1999 was better than Star Trek.
I don't think the show lasted (at least in this area) more than a few episodes or something close to that.
Better than Star Trek? Wasn't done until Babylon Five.
(Okay, you Trekkies can through tomatoes now).
Travelingchild
05-12-17, 17:34
Remember the Space:1999 TV series
I just watched a couple of episodes on youtube
lol
1st one Earth was trashed etc. 2 distinct human populations remained the Educated one kept the uneducated ones in check by using cattle prods their Cities/continents were connected by subterranean high speed rail trains. Time traveler astronaut discover the educated one's were really bad people..
Sounds like a derivative of The Time Machine by H. G. Wells.
Remember the Space:1999 TV series?
That one and UFO. Have both box sets. Don't care how cheesy they were. Chicks with purple hair and silver space suits are awesome.
That one and UFO. Have both box sets. Don't care how cheesy they were. Chicks with purple hair and silver space suits are awesome.
I have those both in my queue @ netflix, remember them vaguely. Then there is The Invaders.
militarymoron
05-12-17, 22:18
Remember the Space:1999 TV series?
Ha! Made me look for my Space:1999 annual from 1976.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/militarymoron/space1999.jpg
I liked the Eagle Transporter and had a few models of it. I enjoyed most Gerry Anderson shows (I grew up on Captain Scarlet) because of the awesome vehicles and models.
Some of the 1999 episodes were kinda creepy for a kid. THIS one freaked me out (I think I was only 8 or 9 when I watched it). Who wouldn't be freaked out over a burnt walking corpse with glowing eyes?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDbJodLSvAw
Ha! Made me look for my Space:1999 annual from 1976.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/militarymoron/space1999.jpg
I liked the Eagle Transporter and had a few models of it. I enjoyed most Gerry Anderson shows (I grew up on Captain Scarlet) because of the awesome vehicles and models.
Some of the 1999 episodes were kinda creepy for a kid. THIS one freaked me out (I think I was only 8 or 9 when I watched it). Who wouldn't be freaked out over a burnt walking corpse with glowing eyes?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDbJodLSvAw
I really enjoyed that show! My Dad and I used to watch it together and it would definitely freak me out every once in a while. I must have been 5 years old. I still have the match-box sized Eagle Transporter that I used with the Moon Base Alpha we would construct with my custom made building blocks. Good times.
I have those both in my queue @ netflix, remember them vaguely. Then there is The Invaders.
Have it.
Okay Sci fi geeks..
I'm trying to remember 2 series when i was growing up in the 70s.
1st one Earth was trashed etc. 2 distinct human populations remained the Educated one kept the uneducated ones in check by using cattle prods their Cities/continents were connected by subterranean high speed rail trains. Time traveler astronaut discover the educated one's were really bad people..
Genesis II (1973), would be my guess.
Moose-Knuckle
05-13-17, 02:45
Oh man, too many to count. I always liked 'Them' and the original 'The Thing'. Then there are the cheese fests like 'The Giant Gila Monster' and 'Attack of the Giant Leeches'.
Hah, The Giant Gila Monster was going to be my contribution to the thread.
Thanks to my dad, I've seen them all; Them, The Thing From Another World, etc.. The John Carpenter remake was The Thing and the prequel by the same title in 2011.
I have the original Outer Limits boxed set. Still think it was one of the best sci fi series ever, remakes not so much. Then there is Kronos, The Mole People, Incredible Shrinking Man, Day of the Triffids, Quartermass and the Pit, Martian Chronicles.. Way too many to list.
Averageman
05-13-17, 09:42
I don't know if they were crappy, but this guys work was a highlight of my childhood.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Harryhausen
Feature films[edit]
Mighty Joe Young (1949) (first technician)
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) (visual effects)
It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) (visual effects)
The Animal World (1956) (effects technician, documentary)
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956) (special photographic, animation effects)
20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) (visual effects)
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) (associate producer, visual effects)
The Three Worlds of Gulliver (1960) (visual effects)
Mysterious Island (1961) (special visual effects)
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) (associate producer, visual effects)
First Men in the Moon (1964) (associate producer, visual effects)
One Million Years B.C. (1966) (special visual effects)
The Valley of Gwangi (1969) (associate producer, visual effects)
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) (producer, visual effects)
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) (producer, visual effects)
Clash of the Titans (1981) (producer, visual effects)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyCRvFPZqc8
Travelingchild
05-13-17, 09:45
Genesis II (1973), would be my guess.
Yup that was it
ramairthree
05-13-17, 11:18
That one and UFO. Have both box sets. Don't care how cheesy they were. Chicks with purple hair and silver space suits are awesome.
The ultimate disappointment of my life,
I did not grow up to stripper-infic 60s and 70s type UFO chicks.
Thanks to my dad, I've seen them all; Them, The Thing From Another World, etc.. The John Carpenter remake was The Thing and the prequel by the same title in 2011.
The Thing From Another World is based on the book Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell. Hard to call it a book, it only takes a couple hours to read. You also can't leave out the other two big ones from 1951... The Day The Eart Stood Still and When Worlds Collide. One of my favorite cheezy scifi is Earth vs The Flying Saucers from 1956.
Theres also The Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price, from the Richard Matheson book I am Legend, later remade as The Omega Man with Chuck Heston, and made again as I Am Legend with Will Smith.
If it was scifi/horror from the 50-60's, I ve probably seen them all thanks to Count Gore de Vol's Creature Feature from the 70's on WWDC here in the DC metro area.
The Thing From Another World is based on the book Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell. Hard to call it a book, it only takes a couple hours to read. You also can't leave out the other two big ones from 1951... The Day The Eart Stood Still and When Worlds Collide. One of my favorite cheezy scifi is Earth vs The Flying Saucers from 1956.
Theres also The Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price, from the Richard Matheson book I am Legend, later remade as The Omega Man with Chuck Heston, and made again as I Am Legend with Will Smith.
If it was scifi/horror from the 50-60's, I ve probably seen them all thanks to Count Gore de Vol's Creature Feature from the 70's on WWDC here in the DC metro area.
Harryhausen at his best. One of my favorites was "Invasion of the Saucer Men" (1957) and of course "Invaders from Mars" (1953), both courtesy of Creature Feature in the 1970s.
Harryhausen at his best. One of my favorites was "Invasion of the Saucer Men" (1957) and of course "Invaders from Mars" (1953), both courtesy of Creature Feature in the 1970s.
Saucer Men is a favorite here too. It's up on the tube if you haven't seen this gem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU5BiaUHMCs
Moose-Knuckle
05-14-17, 08:20
The Thing From Another World is based on the book Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell. Hard to call it a book, it only takes a couple hours to read. You also can't leave out the other two big ones from 1951... The Day The Eart Stood Still and When Worlds Collide. One of my favorite cheezy scifi is Earth vs The Flying Saucers from 1956.
The Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, War of the Worlds (1953), were some of my dad's favorites. He saw all of these and many others on the big screen when he was a teen back in the 50's. To this day he owns most of them on DVD and VHS.
Theres also The Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price, from the Richard Matheson book I am Legend, later remade as The Omega Man with Chuck Heston, and made again as I Am Legend with Will Smith.
I own all three film adaptions on disc, they are all good in their own right. But if I had to decide I think Heston's Omega Man is my favorite.
MGM put out a bunch of titles on their "Midnite Movies Double Features" DVDs several years back. The Last Man on Earth was on the same disc as Panic In Year Zero, my dad's all time favorite.
https://www.amazon.com/Panic-Midnite-Movies-Double-Feature/dp/B000787YOA
I own that one and watch both movies at least once a year.
I own all three film adaptions on disc, they are all good in their own right. But if I had to decide I think Heston's Omega Man is my favorite.
Mine as well.
MGM put out a bunch of titles on their "Midnite Movies Double Features" DVDs several years back. The Last Man on Earth was on the same disc as Panic In Year Zero, my dad's all time favorite.
LOL... I have that same disc and watched both movies last weekend.
The Last Man on Earth was on the same disc as Panic In Year Zero
Same here, seems a lot of us have the same library. Last man on earth is probably the best Price film imho. Panic is classic. 'Five' is a little slow but worth a view. I'll add another Target Earth.
Doc Safari
05-14-17, 16:15
That one and UFO. Have both box sets. Don't care how cheesy they were. Chicks with purple hair and silver space suits are awesome.
Ahhhhh....UFO. My friends and I in grade school could not wait to see that every week. We were into that like kids are into Pokemon these days.
Doc Safari
05-14-17, 16:17
Ha! Made me look for my Space:1999 annual from 1976.
I liked the Eagle Transporter and had a few models of it. I enjoyed most Gerry Anderson shows (I grew up on Captain Scarlet) because of the awesome vehicles and models.
Some of the 1999 episodes were kinda creepy for a kid. THIS one freaked me out (I think I was only 8 or 9 when I watched it). Who wouldn't be freaked out over a burnt walking corpse with glowing eyes?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDbJodLSvAw
We were at Hobby Lobby yesterday and you can still buy the MPC model kit of the Eagle Transporter. I bet I built at least five of those and they all got destroyed in space battles. Heck of a surprise to see you can still buy the model from a TV show that only lasted two seasons back in the seventies.
I also built the Airfix model of the Hawk fighter which was only in one episode IIRC. That should have been made a regular part of the show IMHO.
Doc Safari
05-14-17, 16:21
I have the original Outer Limits boxed set. Still think it was one of the best sci fi series ever, remakes not so much. Then there is Kronos, The Mole People, Incredible Shrinking Man, Day of the Triffids, Quartermass and the Pit, Martian Chronicles.. Way too many to list.
I can't remember if it was the resurrected Outer Limits, or Twilight Zone remake, but there was one episode called "A Stitch in Time" that was a fantastic episode for sci fi fans and gun owners.
I can't remember if it was the resurrected Outer Limits, or Twilight Zone remake, but there was one episode called "A Stitch in Time" that was a fantastic episode for sci fi fans and gun owners.
Not familiar with the Outer Limits 95 remakes. The tube has that episode up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBkV2pAwy-U
Good memories... Surprised that no one has mentioned 'The Prisoner', from which the classic line "I am not a number, I am a free man" comes.
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