Post by Jibbs on Oct 5, 2014 15:11:53 GMT -5
1960 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
The Time Machine – “Morlocks”
Most Original:
And the runner-up is...
The Village of the Damned
It’s a shame that this movie won’t win the award as it’s very original, in my opinion. Not only is the idea of a town being frozen like this for hours of time pretty enticing, but the following pregnancies of evil children is certainly original, as well.
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
The Time Machine
Time travel certainly isn’t original now, but not only was this pretty much the first movie to really dive into it, but it was also arguably the first book (which decidedly makes it a bit less original, but Village of the Damned was based on a book, too, so…). But it didn’t get by on its premise only, but also had a very science fiction heavy idea about humans evolving into two different sub-species that doubles as social commentary, as great science fiction tends to do.
Best TV Series:
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Twilight Zone – Season 1.5/2.0
Other 1960 sci-fi shows:
The Flintstones?
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Village of the Damned
A very well made sci-fi/horror film. Short and simple, but the premise is pretty great and the script progressed very well. At only 77 minutes it could have been pushed to just 90 minutes and it would have added some depth to make it a real classic. The ending is fantastic.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
The Time Machine
I’ll admit it, this movie almost didn’t win. Watching Village of the Damned was about as fun as I remember the last viewing of this movie, which is always better in my head then when I actually watch it. The first half is brilliant, no doubt, but the second half is kind of a silly mess at times. Ultimately, I had to go with the sci-fi classic that’s done much more for the genre instead of the horror/sci-fi film. But it is a shame Village of the Damned won’t win anything because it is a pretty great movie.
All the winners:[/size]
1961 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the runner-up is...
Mysterious Island – “Crab”
I’d love to give the award to the great Ray Harryhausen, but it just wasn’t meant to be this year. The crab is the best creature from this movie, but there are also some huge, creepy bees and a weird giant chicken thing.
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
Mothra – “Mothra”
Easily a top three creature in the Godzilla franchise. With Godzilla as number 1. What’s also cool about Mothra is that it’s in larva stage for part of the movie.
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
The Day the Earth Caught on Fire
The science in this movie doesn’t make one lick of sense, but the Earth going off its orbit and towards the sun is pretty awesome.
Best TV Series:
And the runner-up is...
The Avengers - Season 1
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Twilight Zone – Season 2.5/3.0
Other 1961 sci-fi shows:
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
If you thought the science behind movies such as "The Day After Tomorrow" or "The Core" were bad, they're nothing compared to the premise of this one. In this movie, the Van Allen radiation belt that surrounds the Earth ignites into flame and threatens to overheat the planet. The proposed solution is to fire a nuclear missile at it to snuff it out. ....I don't even know where to start with that one, so, moving on.
The movie is also plagued with this underlining plot where the crew is threatening mutiny and sabotage since not everyone believes the nuclear missile plan will work (go figure). I suppose with the world on the line and the fact that most people seem to think the world is already doomed that this would be a problem in real life, but it was still an uninteresting part of the movie.
Still, this isn’t a “bad movie.” It's still a pretty decent action flick for being over 50 years old. There's a fun scene where a giant squid attacks them, they get attacked by a second submarine, and the best scene is when they stumble upon an underwater mine field. Other mention worthy things include one of Peter Lorre's last roles and a pretty cool submarine design.
The Absent-Minded Professor
I haven’t seen this in decades but I used to watch it all the time as a kid. I’m not sure how well it would hold up, but I’m sure it would still be an enjoyable, if not very lighthearted, science fiction/comedy.
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
From a distance, it appeared this movie would be the winner. It’s probably the most celebrated of the year, it’s epic, and it’s science fiction to its core. But honestly, I didn’t find it be enjoyable enough as a movie. Also, and it’s funny how similar this movie is to “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” but the science is just AWFUL. Two nukes are detonated at the same time on Earth so it sends our planet out of orbit. Even in the 60s they had to know this was bull, they just wanted another Cold War movie with dire consequences. If that’s not bad enough, they use nukes to try to get it back in orbit late in the movie (after it’s been hurtling toward the sun for some time.)
So I’m saying “screw it” with these ridiculous “science” fiction movies and giving the award to something that knows what it is.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
Mysterious Island
Yes, instead of movies with poor science I’m giving it to one that has 40 foot crabs and bees the size of Volkswagens. At least it’s enjoyable and it’s not my fault it’s a weak year. Here’s my review.
I was disappointed to not recognize anyone in the cast, but then I got to "Special effects by Ray Harryhausen" and I knew I was in for a treat.
Mysterious Island, adapted dozens of times from the 1874 Jules Verne novel though this appears to be the most popular) follows a few Civil War POWs and Co. as they escape in a hot air balloon and land on a magical island. This island has giant crabs, chickens, bees, squids, and Captain Nemo. I've always ben a huge fan of stop-motion animation, so these creatures were a lot of fun to me. They move realistically, but there's a fake element to them that make them all the more fantastical.
I was looking forward to Captain Nemo's cameo, but I'm afraid this may have hurt the movie a little bit. Jules Verne's narration has always been a bit jumpy and it shows in this adaptation as this movie about fabulous creatures all of the sudden turns high class and philosophical as Captain Nemo lays down his anti-war stance. I was also real bothered by the casting of Nemo. This actor was only 43 but was made up to look much older, and it was pretty obvious.
But the movie still pulls it together with a good ending where Captain Nemo helps the castaways raise a sunken pirate ship to escape. I also appreciated the healthy energy all the characters showed in this. They made you smile and laugh in many scenes in between the action.
All the winners:[/size]
1962 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
King Kong vs. Godzilla – “Godzilla”
Hopefully I don’t end up giving it to Godzilla too often. We’ll just let this count as the second incarnation of Godzilla after the original.
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
Panic in Year Zero!
Only a couple movies for this year, so the most original may not be so original. Then again, although Cold War movies were very popular around this time, this movie takes an interesting side of a nuclear war and shows a family trying to live out the initial chaos that would follow. It’s a lot like the new War of the Worlds, actually.
Best TV Series:
And the runner-up are...
The Jetsons – Season 1.0
Meet George Jetson.
The Avengers - Season 2.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Twilight Zone – Season 3.5
Other 1962 sci-fi shows:
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
King Kong vs. Godzilla
They decided to go light-hearted with this one and the result was a pretty silly movie. Much more interesting about this movie is that King Kong got first billing and got to win the final battle, despite being the American beast against the Japanese one. Somehow, at least at the time, King Kong was big in Japan, even bigger than Godzilla. Enough to have Godzilla, the 300 foot metaphor for America's warmongering, lose to America's creation.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
Panic in Year Zero!
I watched this movie so I wouldn’t have to give the final award to King Kong vs. Godzilla, but it actually turned out to be pretty good.
Panic in Year Zero follows a family of four who happens to be leaving L.A. when it is destroyed by nuclear weapons. What gives this movie an amazing first half hour is to watch the slow decaying of civilization and the logic and calculated choices the father must make to escape. The attack happens maybe at 5am, and they're out side of the city so there isn't a collapse just yet. And of course people just waking up have no idea what happened yet, so the father is able to wake up a couple of off-the-road shop owners and get all the supplies he needs.
Even better, there's some good social commentary in this part of the film. The father is constantly telling his family that he has to do these things, such as hold up a hardware store clerk, to survive from the people who are about to do the same thing he does. Granted, he's a good guy who's not killing anyone, though. There's also an interesting moment when he has to keep his son in check once he starts enjoying all the guns and action too much.
I wouldn't say the movie gets bad after this, but it loses its edge and becomes more about their survival in the wild before it's "safe to come back to civilization." It's still entertaining, but the themes that were established early on never evolve into anything.
The soundtrack is atrocious.
All the winners:[/size]
1963 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
The Day of the Triffids - ”Triffids"
Meh.
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Neither choice was all that original. This one certainly felt more original when watching it, though.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
The Jetsons – Season 1.5
The Avengers - Season 2.5/3.0
Twilight Zone – Season 4 & 5.0
For the fourth season only, Twilight Zone was moved into a one-hour slot to replace a cancelled show. This resulted in many episodes that went on too long and a loss in the 1963 Nova Awards.
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
The Outer Limits – Season 1.0
Boy, the TV shows are really kicking now. Some actual competition.
Other 1963 sci-fi shows:
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
The Nutty Professor
The Nutty Professor is by far the more famous choice, but I gotta say that when watching it, despite being a fan of Jerry Lewis’ brand of humor, I found this movie to be pretty hit and miss.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
This movie follows a doctor who invents eye drops that allows his eyes to see more of the spectrum, including X-Rays, giving him the ability to see through things. Despite being lousy science, since you would still need the actual X-rays to bounce of things to reach your new eyes, the movie was rather interesting.
At first he used it in his profession to help out on surgeries, but due to an unlikely and poorly written murder/accident, he has to flee town and joins the circus. After many months he FINALLY realizes he can make money a lot easier at Vegas playing Blackjack. Though for some reason he tries Slots first...
What I liked about the movie was that it was basically a "be careful what you wish for" tale. For a while it was a great power; he could even see through clothes...and did so. But later on he became depressed because even when he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, he could still see everything. And despite having this great helping power, he found it very difficult to truly help the public. The ending was very interesting as well. Without spoiling it, it was very satisfying.
Unfortunately, I had to watch this in Red/Cyan 3D without 3D glasses. I would have liked to have seen how well they pulled off 3D shots of X-ray vision seeing people's skeletons and organs.
All the winners:[/size]
1964 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster – “Ghidorah”
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
The Last Man on Earth
Nothing original about vampires, even then, but to be the last human on a vampire infested Earth is pretty new. Also, the ending, which of all the “I Am Legend” adaptations gets it closest to the book, is pretty cool.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
The Avengers - Season 3.5/4.0
Doctor Who – Season 1.5/2.0
Twilight Zone – Season 5.5
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
The Outer Limits – Season 1.5/2.0
This was the real bulk of the show and gave us classic episodes such as: "The Inheritors," "Demon with a Glass Hand" and "The Solider" (the last two written by the great Harlan Ellison which have been said to “influence” The Terminator).
Other 1964 sci-fi shows:
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – Season 1.0
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Mothra vs. Godzilla
At the bottom we have more Godzilla, but this is actually one of the best, if I correctly recall. Mothra vs. Godzilla is a good matchup. This movie also has the tiny sinigng women.
First Men in the Moon
Coincidentally, this movie was similar to the last one I watched (Mysterious Island) in many ways. A 60s sci-fi movie adapted from a grandfather of science fiction author (both have the author in the official title) that involves people going to a distant land where Ray Harryhausen creatures and sets exist. Only this one was pretty bad.
First of all, the story takes place in 1899, but the movie bookends it with scenes from 1964 as people reach the moon find evidence of the trip the real characters took in the 19th century. Not only is this jarring when 15 minutes into the movie it feels like someone mixed up the reels, but it results in a horrible ending which I'll get to later. Once I got used to the second movie in 1899, it quickly fell into a kiddy Disney film complete with bright colors, dopey music, and a really, annoying character or two.
Only about 10 minutes after landing on the moon does the movie show any quality. The sets are amazing, good use of color, and the 50s sci-fi notion of just attacking space aliens is starting to go away. One of the travelers actually want to make peaceful contact, and does so, and has an interesting conversation about life on Earth and how it differs with the life that the bugs on the moon live. He makes the mistake about telling them about war on Earth and it quickly becomes classic "Final Act: We must escape" territory. But this still naturally evolved from the story.
I checked Wikipedia and learned that H.G. Wells' story pretty much ends there. The other guy escapes and we never hear from the guy who spoke of war again. But oh boy, did the movie have other plans... We cut back to 1964 and all the aliens are dead on the moon. Their race has been wiped out. Why? Because the guy from 1899 had a cold and wiped them out in the long run. Sound familiar? It should: they took it from Wells' other novel, War of the Worlds. What possessed them to make such a horrible decision? It's basically a "Yay, we won!" ending against a race of people who didn't even know what war was the last time we met them. I am truly boggled by this ending.
The Last Man on Earth
Before there was "I Am Legend," before there was "The Omega Man," there was "The Last Man on Earth." All adapted from Richard Matheson's (RIP) story "I Am Legend" about the last man on Earth full of vampires. It doesn't perfectly follow the original story (as I know it), but it's certainly the closest adaptation, and in my opinion, the best of the three. And by that I mean it attempts to film the great twist ending which was subsequently dropped from later adaptations. I won't spoil it, but it was a little rushed and, well, kind of messed up in this sense, but it's still a pretty good ending to an interesting movie.
Also, Vincent Price.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
From the title, I didn't expect this to be as great as it was. It's basically a "Cast Away" type story as an astronaut crash lands alone on Mars (with his faithful companion monkey) and must use ingenuity and his will to find a way to survive. Later on, he finds a slave from another world being forced to mine the planet. His oppressors have the upper hand with some pretty nifty spaceships blasting those who get out of line.
I know not to expect 50 year old movies to get the science entirely right, but I'm always hoping they do and always interested in what choices they make. All in all, this movie is impressive. Although Kit, the sole survivor, walks around a bit without his helmet, he knows the atmosphere is too shallow to breathe for long. Close enough. He finds water and food underground, which is fine, It serves the movie, but I think they went a bit far with oxygen being released from rocks when lit on fire. If that were true, the oxygen would immediately fuel the fire. (It’s interesting that there is a seal on the poster that says “This movie is scientifically authentic.” It’s nice to know they took pride in this and did the best they could.)
But you put that stuff aside, and you have a beautifully shot film with suspense, action, and intrigue. Most of the shots on Mars are filmed in California's Death Valley with orange and red skies pasted in by mattes, but it's expertly done. There is also great use of color and special effects on the spaceships and sets.
The movie is about 110 minutes long, which is practically an epic for the 1960s concerning science fiction. It progresses very well for having only one cast member for half of the movie (poor Adam West dies early in the film), with interesting ideas and light humor to keep you interested. But it's really the final part of the movie that raises it to a new level. Up until this point, plots involving aliens were very simple. But in this movie, 30 years before Stargate, there are two separate alien races from a distant planet in a slave/master relationship. Cmdr. Kit and a slave he meets, whom he calls Friday, form a bond as he tries to teach him English. To finish it off, the movie is about them trying to escape Friday's alien overlords.
I was a bit disappointed by the ending though. I would have liked a lot more closure on the aliens and have learned more about them, but science fiction films are still in their childhood at this point. Instead, a human spaceship arrives and saves them. I guess Friday's coming to Earth?
All the winners:[/size]
1965 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
Daikaijû Gamera – “Gamera”
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
Alphaville
Definitely Alphaville. As best I can tell, this is a movie about a James Bond/Sam Space type who’s in a metropolis being controlled by a huge computer. It’s original in story, plot, characters, everything. It takes place in a future not too different in technology (besides the evil computer), but instead in people’s values, sex lives, and government.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
Lost in Space – Season 1.0
The Avengers - Season 3.5/4.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Get Smart – Season 1.0
Other 1965 sci-fi shows:
Doctor Who – Season 2.5/3.0
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – Season 2.5/3.0
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Alphaville
Having never seen a Jean-Luc Godard film (I don't think) and not being a fan of French New Wave, I was a bit worried going into this one, but I suppose I had an alright time. The style was strange and the narrative was a bit peculiar at times, but I enjoyed many aspects of it nonetheless.
The plot was very "1984," except Big Brother is a computer named Alpha 60, but I couldn't help being reminded of Kubrick the whole way. The computer was like HAL at times, the humor was dry like Dr. Strangelove, and it was a sexualized future like A.I. I guess that's what made this movie fun to watch, at times: the vast range of genres and styles that were incorporated into it. There were also splashes of Sam Spade and James Bond thrown there.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
The War Game
The War Game is sort of a 48-minute mockumentary about a nuclear and its effects on Britain. If you thought "The Day After" was dark...well, it is, but this might be even darker. There's 4-year olds being blinded by nuclear blasts, food riots, millions dead, failed pregnancies, and even children answering the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" with "I don't want to be anything." (Admittedly, they may have been taking it a bit far with that one.) But The War Game is truly amazing and should really stick with you.
This won the Academy Award for Best Documentary and was never broadcast a second time in Britain until 1985. I understand this on both accounts. It's very dark but done with a great style. It's not quite mockumentary like I said. It shows the images and there are interviews from people who act like they're in a war, but there's a voiceover that speaks about all of this in hypotheticals. As a warning. But there are also these odd insertions of British humor in the form of dry satire. "Experts" giving advice that will help us with "World Wars IV through VIII" or pundits expressing their approval of a nuclear war. What's interesting is I looked into this movie and all the quotes are based on actual quotations around the time. So their insertion in-between such horrific images isn't just for stark contrast and irony, but as sort of a "**** you" to insane politicians.
All the winners:[/size]
1966 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster – “Sea Monster”
Most Original:
And the runner-up is...
Fahrenheit 451
Book or movie, Fahrenheit 451 has always been pretty original. Its main plot is similar to 1984, but with all of its interesting characters and side plots, it holds its own.
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
[/img]
Science fiction has always been looking for new and faraway places for a story to take place. Fantastic Voyage showed there was one place left unturned, and that was in the opposite direction, into the microscopic world. (Though I suppose The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) first showed us that.)
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Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
Lost in Space – Season 1.5/2.0
The Avengers - Season 4.5
I was hoping, especially with Emma Peel finally on the show, that this would win one of these times, but I guess it won’t be happening after 1966.
Get Smart – Season 1.5/2.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Star Trek – Season 1.0
It…has arrived!
Other 1966 sci-fi shows:
Doctor Who – Season 3.5/4.0
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – Season 2.5/3.0
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Our Man Flint
Borderline science fiction, but I still thought it’d be fun to bring up this seemingly forgotten film. James Coburn plays a Bond spoof and while I wouldn’t call this film (and its sequel) great, it’s still pretty funny. It also inspired Austin Powers quite a bit.
Fahrenheit 451
I liked the book more than this odd film. Still, there are certainly highlights, like people owning widescreen televisions.
[/img]
Here’s a movie that sounds a lot better on paper. Sure, it’s a brilliant premise and the special effects are very good for its time, but the movie itself is often dull and poor. It’s a fun movie, but not one that keeps bringing you back for more.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
Seconds
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I have mixed feelings about Seconds. I can't remember the last movie I saw where "great movie" and "enjoyable movie" were so far apart. Seconds is about being able to start your life over in a younger body, but the moral seems to be that some people are doomed to make the same mistakes again. There are some very remarkable ideas in here and Rock Hudson's character is interesting, as well. The problem is, the movie is very slow and often times boring. Ironically, I think I might enjoy it more on a second watch now that I've got all the themes in my head, but I don't see myself ever doing that. But it's still very thought-provoking and I would recommend it to people.
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All the winners:[/size]
1967 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
King Kong Escapes – “MechaKong”
Funny.
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
Five Million Years to Earth
I haven’t seen this movie and I can’t get a copy of it anywhere, but it sounds original. It should at least get some award since it’s probably the best of the year.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
Lost in Space – Season 2.5/3.0
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Get Smart – Season 2.5/3.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Star Trek – Season 1.5/2.0
Other 1967 sci-fi shows:
Doctor Who – Season 4.5/5.0
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – Season 3.5/4.0
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Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Five Million Years from Earth
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I thought long and hard about this one: do I give the main award to a movie I haven’t seen or…the one I had to give it to. Let’s just agree to forget about 1967. Hopefully 1968 will be better.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
You Only Live Twice
Average Bond film, but a pretty great finale in the volcano.
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All the winners:[/size]
1968 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
2001: A Space Odyssey – “HAL 9000”
The ultimate low-key villain.
Most Original:
And the runners-up are...
Charly
Charly is only the third most original sci-fi movie of the year, but it’s still more original than most of the rest in the 1960s. I wish all three of these could have won.
Charly is a below average adaptation of the much more famous and superior book, “Flowers for Algernon.” If anything is asking for a remake, it’s this movie, because it has the wonderful premise of an idiot undergoing a procedure that slowly makes him a genius and follows the cultural and intellectual adjustments he has to make along the way. Though much more poignant is the fall back to stupid to finish the story.
Planet of the Apes
What a chance they were taking to have almost an entire cast be people in monkey suits. This wasn’t just original in characters and setting, but it tackled some heavy issues such as racism and evolution in very unique ways.
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
2001: A Space Odyssey
This movie would be incredibly original if it was released in any year, since there has never been anything like it before or since. You won’t find too many science fiction movies that are so scarce in dialogue, heavy in avant-garde images, and so open to interpretation.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
Get Smart – Season 3.5/4.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Star Trek – Season 2.5/3.0
The quality faded in the third season, but it’s still the best choice.
Other 1968 sci-fi shows:
Lost in Space – Season 3.5
Doctor Who – Season 5.5/6.0
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – Season 4.5
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Charly
Like I said, a disappointing adaptation. Nothing ever seems to fit right and they made some odd choices in their deviations from the novel.
Destroy All Monsters
I haven’t watched Godzilla movies in a long time, but I remember this as one of my favorites. It has a large variety of kaiju and it’s a lot of fun.
Planet of the Apes
This is easily my second favorite science fiction film from the 60s and probably one of my top 10 of all time. It just came out in the wrong year concerning sci-fi recognition. Here’s an older review of mine:
This is a very smart movie. Underneath the plot of a man fighting for his freedom is the subtext of the illogic and immorality of slavery AND the assertion that in the real world, evolution is attacked and ignored by religious types. The weaving of these two different themes into one society is wonderfully done. Only later on does this come together in a third theme of evolution not necessarily being a good thing. We learn that Dr. Zaius may not have been hiding evolution to keep his people ignorant of science, but instead because of the dangers of technology. The former themes of racism are now seen as devolution creating a paradox of what’s really best for mankind and that perhaps mass- and self-destruction are inevitable. This is a very smart movie.
This is also a very dumb movie. First off, the absurd amount of plot holes concerning this planet being Earth. One or two wouldn’t be so bad, but let’s list them. Taylor had to make an egregious error thinking they were on some planet “in the Orion sector” and instead magically being back on Earth. Our Earth would have stars with the same constellations (even after 2000 years) and the moon, but coincidentally the whole movie takes place during the daytime (and even then, the moon could have shown itself). There wouldn’t be canyons around New York City after 2000 years. And, oh yeah, the apes are speaking English. That should have been a hint. I haven’t read the book, so I often wonder if the famous ending was always the intended ending. After all, there is an added writing credit to this movie from Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. Hmm.
Moving on, the movie also has an absurd opening monologue where Taylor is teasing the audience with how the movie will end with every single sentence he says. It’s overly convenient that Taylor gets shot in the neck (and lives) so he can’t speak for a few days. The movie speaks about racism and evolution, but it says crap about sexism as Taylor has a mute sex toy he brings around wherever he goes. On that subject, the woman on board (which he once refers to as “the most wonderful cargo we had on board”) was said to be “the next Eve.” That’s an interesting choice of words for a movie promoting evolution. They also only brought one white woman to populate the stars. That’s an interesting choice for a movie promoting equality among races.
I think the Netflix DVD slip summarizes this movie perfectly with only two words. It calls this movie a “camp classic.” It’s difficult to decide how it ranks among the best of science fiction.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
2001: A Space Odyssey
Old review of mine:
2001: A Space Odyssey is a science fiction symphony. It has an overture, an intermission, classical music, and separate acts that don’t particularly relate to the others. It’s interesting that this should be the last (notable) science fiction film before the first Apollo moon landing of 1969. One last pondering of the unknown before we slowly discover for sure that the moon is a dead rock and that there may not be much out there at all. After all, after landing on the moon, how much are we really going to get to do? So it’s a good thing, for the time, that this film dreamed big.
It dreamed that a greater power had a part in our evolution, teaching us how to use tools. We naturally used these tools for killing, but also to build technology that would one day get us to the moon. Waiting for us on the moon is a sort of finish line; the last step of an intergalactic test. After passing, we are invited to a portal in space and time situated by Jupiter, and Dave Bowman goes into the beyond and eventually reaches a new level of evolution once again…or does he?
For those who’ve read the book, Kubrick’s film in comparison is much more up to interpretation and replaces many specific science fiction ideas with art and malaise. The beauty in which this movie holds space travel is a marvel to watch, but if this movie has a downside, and I’d say it does, it’s this replacement of science fiction for Kubrick-weirdness. Especially when so few films try to tackle the big questions, like where we are going as a race. For instance, the ending involving the travel through the portal goes on much too long. It should have ended before, or just after, the landscapes which can only be interpreted as abstract art. The movie is still brilliant, but I would have gone a different way in handling some of the material. Of course all of this is personal preference. I like it when science fiction is force-fed to me. Clearly, the style of this film is perfect for many other people. I’ve seen this movie many times, but I always have to wait a while after the last time to watch it again.
The film has three strong points: the plot, the cinematography/music, and also a computer known as HAL 9000. There are so many movie villains out there; it’s hard to find one as unique as HAL. He’s cold, calm and calculating, but innocent in his decisions, making him all the more dangerous as he has no regard for human life, only what he perceives as being best for the mission. And he does this all with an ironically soft and soothing voice, making the “I can’t let you do that, Dave” and “Daisy” scenes some of the most iconic of all time.
All the winners:[/size]
1969 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
Gamera vs. Guiron – “Guiron”
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
Marooned
Eh, not really.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
Get Smart – Season 4.5/5.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Star Trek – Season 3.5
Other 1969 sci-fi shows:
Doctor Who – Season 6.5
Grand Prize:
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
Marooned
Marooned is a long, slow and boring film about a space shuttle that gets marooned in orbit and the rescue attempt to get them back before they run out of air. There are no twists and really only one "turn" near the end, instead it's all very methodical and dialogue oriented. This could have been pulled off with great direction and/or writing, but it's just not there. Minus a few interesting scenes, there really isn't much going for this film.
I will say the special effects were pretty great. At no point did it feel like they were trying too hard to make it look like science fiction but instead it just looked about as accurate as they could do it in the 60s. I think I even recognized some actual Apollo footage in there. (Incidentally, this won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.)
The real irony is that this came out in 1969, just one year before the actual Apollo 13 disaster which would prove to be more interesting than a scripted movie about a similar problem. Also, why did they make a movie about a space disaster at the height of the Apollo program, anyway? Were they trying to jinx the moon landing?
All the winners:[/size]
1960s Final Results[/size]
H.R Giger Award[/u]
1960: The Time Machine – “Morlocks”
1961: Mothra – “Mothra”
1962: King Kong vs. Godzilla – “Godzilla”
1963: The Day of the Triffids – “Triffids”
1964: Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster – “Ghidorah”
1965: Daikaijû Gamera – “Gamera”
1966: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster – “Sea Monster”
1967: King Kong Escapes – “MechaKong”
1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey – “HAL 9000”
1969: Gamera vs. Guiron – “Guiron”
Most Original Award[/u]
1960: The Time Machine
1961: The Day the Earth Caught Fire
1962: Panic in Year Zero!
1963: X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1964: The Last Man on Earth
1965: Alphaville
1966: Fantastic Voyage
1967: Five Million Years to Earth
1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey
1969: Marooned
Best TV Series Award[/u]
1960: Twilight Zone – Season 1.5/2.0
1961: Twilight Zone – Season 2.5/3.0
1962: Twilight Zone – Season 3.5
1963: The Outer Limits – Season 1.0
1964: The Outer Limits – Season 1.5/2.0
1965: Get Smart – Season 1.0
1966: Star Trek – Season 1.0
1967: Star Trek – Season 1.5/2.0
1968: Star Trek – Season 2.5/3.0
1969: Star Trek - Season 3.5
Grand Prize
1960: The Time Machine
1961: Mysterious Island
1962: Panic in Year Zero!
1963: X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1964: Robinson Crusoe on Mars
1965: The War Game
1966: Seconds
1967: You Only Live Twice
1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey
1969: Marooned
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
The Time Machine – “Morlocks”
Most Original:
And the runner-up is...
The Village of the Damned
It’s a shame that this movie won’t win the award as it’s very original, in my opinion. Not only is the idea of a town being frozen like this for hours of time pretty enticing, but the following pregnancies of evil children is certainly original, as well.
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
The Time Machine
Time travel certainly isn’t original now, but not only was this pretty much the first movie to really dive into it, but it was also arguably the first book (which decidedly makes it a bit less original, but Village of the Damned was based on a book, too, so…). But it didn’t get by on its premise only, but also had a very science fiction heavy idea about humans evolving into two different sub-species that doubles as social commentary, as great science fiction tends to do.
Best TV Series:
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Twilight Zone – Season 1.5/2.0
Other 1960 sci-fi shows:
The Flintstones?
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Village of the Damned
A very well made sci-fi/horror film. Short and simple, but the premise is pretty great and the script progressed very well. At only 77 minutes it could have been pushed to just 90 minutes and it would have added some depth to make it a real classic. The ending is fantastic.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
The Time Machine
I’ll admit it, this movie almost didn’t win. Watching Village of the Damned was about as fun as I remember the last viewing of this movie, which is always better in my head then when I actually watch it. The first half is brilliant, no doubt, but the second half is kind of a silly mess at times. Ultimately, I had to go with the sci-fi classic that’s done much more for the genre instead of the horror/sci-fi film. But it is a shame Village of the Damned won’t win anything because it is a pretty great movie.
All the winners:[/size]
H.R. Giger Award: The Time Machine – “Morlocks”
Most Original: The Time Machine
Best TV Series: Twilight Zone – Season 1.5/2.0
Grand Prize: The Time Machine
Most Original: The Time Machine
Best TV Series: Twilight Zone – Season 1.5/2.0
Grand Prize: The Time Machine
1961 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the runner-up is...
Mysterious Island – “Crab”
I’d love to give the award to the great Ray Harryhausen, but it just wasn’t meant to be this year. The crab is the best creature from this movie, but there are also some huge, creepy bees and a weird giant chicken thing.
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
Mothra – “Mothra”
Easily a top three creature in the Godzilla franchise. With Godzilla as number 1. What’s also cool about Mothra is that it’s in larva stage for part of the movie.
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
The Day the Earth Caught on Fire
The science in this movie doesn’t make one lick of sense, but the Earth going off its orbit and towards the sun is pretty awesome.
Best TV Series:
And the runner-up is...
The Avengers - Season 1
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Twilight Zone – Season 2.5/3.0
Other 1961 sci-fi shows:
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
If you thought the science behind movies such as "The Day After Tomorrow" or "The Core" were bad, they're nothing compared to the premise of this one. In this movie, the Van Allen radiation belt that surrounds the Earth ignites into flame and threatens to overheat the planet. The proposed solution is to fire a nuclear missile at it to snuff it out. ....I don't even know where to start with that one, so, moving on.
The movie is also plagued with this underlining plot where the crew is threatening mutiny and sabotage since not everyone believes the nuclear missile plan will work (go figure). I suppose with the world on the line and the fact that most people seem to think the world is already doomed that this would be a problem in real life, but it was still an uninteresting part of the movie.
Still, this isn’t a “bad movie.” It's still a pretty decent action flick for being over 50 years old. There's a fun scene where a giant squid attacks them, they get attacked by a second submarine, and the best scene is when they stumble upon an underwater mine field. Other mention worthy things include one of Peter Lorre's last roles and a pretty cool submarine design.
The Absent-Minded Professor
I haven’t seen this in decades but I used to watch it all the time as a kid. I’m not sure how well it would hold up, but I’m sure it would still be an enjoyable, if not very lighthearted, science fiction/comedy.
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
From a distance, it appeared this movie would be the winner. It’s probably the most celebrated of the year, it’s epic, and it’s science fiction to its core. But honestly, I didn’t find it be enjoyable enough as a movie. Also, and it’s funny how similar this movie is to “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” but the science is just AWFUL. Two nukes are detonated at the same time on Earth so it sends our planet out of orbit. Even in the 60s they had to know this was bull, they just wanted another Cold War movie with dire consequences. If that’s not bad enough, they use nukes to try to get it back in orbit late in the movie (after it’s been hurtling toward the sun for some time.)
So I’m saying “screw it” with these ridiculous “science” fiction movies and giving the award to something that knows what it is.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
Mysterious Island
Yes, instead of movies with poor science I’m giving it to one that has 40 foot crabs and bees the size of Volkswagens. At least it’s enjoyable and it’s not my fault it’s a weak year. Here’s my review.
I was disappointed to not recognize anyone in the cast, but then I got to "Special effects by Ray Harryhausen" and I knew I was in for a treat.
Mysterious Island, adapted dozens of times from the 1874 Jules Verne novel though this appears to be the most popular) follows a few Civil War POWs and Co. as they escape in a hot air balloon and land on a magical island. This island has giant crabs, chickens, bees, squids, and Captain Nemo. I've always ben a huge fan of stop-motion animation, so these creatures were a lot of fun to me. They move realistically, but there's a fake element to them that make them all the more fantastical.
I was looking forward to Captain Nemo's cameo, but I'm afraid this may have hurt the movie a little bit. Jules Verne's narration has always been a bit jumpy and it shows in this adaptation as this movie about fabulous creatures all of the sudden turns high class and philosophical as Captain Nemo lays down his anti-war stance. I was also real bothered by the casting of Nemo. This actor was only 43 but was made up to look much older, and it was pretty obvious.
But the movie still pulls it together with a good ending where Captain Nemo helps the castaways raise a sunken pirate ship to escape. I also appreciated the healthy energy all the characters showed in this. They made you smile and laugh in many scenes in between the action.
All the winners:[/size]
H.R. Giger Award: Mothra – “Mothra”
Most Original: The Day the Earth Caught Fire
Best TV Series: Twilight Zone – Season 2.5/3.0
Grand Prize: Mysterious Island
Most Original: The Day the Earth Caught Fire
Best TV Series: Twilight Zone – Season 2.5/3.0
Grand Prize: Mysterious Island
1962 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
King Kong vs. Godzilla – “Godzilla”
Hopefully I don’t end up giving it to Godzilla too often. We’ll just let this count as the second incarnation of Godzilla after the original.
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
Panic in Year Zero!
Only a couple movies for this year, so the most original may not be so original. Then again, although Cold War movies were very popular around this time, this movie takes an interesting side of a nuclear war and shows a family trying to live out the initial chaos that would follow. It’s a lot like the new War of the Worlds, actually.
Best TV Series:
And the runner-up are...
The Jetsons – Season 1.0
Meet George Jetson.
The Avengers - Season 2.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Twilight Zone – Season 3.5
Other 1962 sci-fi shows:
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
King Kong vs. Godzilla
They decided to go light-hearted with this one and the result was a pretty silly movie. Much more interesting about this movie is that King Kong got first billing and got to win the final battle, despite being the American beast against the Japanese one. Somehow, at least at the time, King Kong was big in Japan, even bigger than Godzilla. Enough to have Godzilla, the 300 foot metaphor for America's warmongering, lose to America's creation.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
Panic in Year Zero!
I watched this movie so I wouldn’t have to give the final award to King Kong vs. Godzilla, but it actually turned out to be pretty good.
Panic in Year Zero follows a family of four who happens to be leaving L.A. when it is destroyed by nuclear weapons. What gives this movie an amazing first half hour is to watch the slow decaying of civilization and the logic and calculated choices the father must make to escape. The attack happens maybe at 5am, and they're out side of the city so there isn't a collapse just yet. And of course people just waking up have no idea what happened yet, so the father is able to wake up a couple of off-the-road shop owners and get all the supplies he needs.
Even better, there's some good social commentary in this part of the film. The father is constantly telling his family that he has to do these things, such as hold up a hardware store clerk, to survive from the people who are about to do the same thing he does. Granted, he's a good guy who's not killing anyone, though. There's also an interesting moment when he has to keep his son in check once he starts enjoying all the guns and action too much.
I wouldn't say the movie gets bad after this, but it loses its edge and becomes more about their survival in the wild before it's "safe to come back to civilization." It's still entertaining, but the themes that were established early on never evolve into anything.
The soundtrack is atrocious.
All the winners:[/size]
H.R. Giger Award: King Kong vs. Godzilla – “Godzilla”
Most Original: Panic in Year Zero!
Best TV Series: Twilight Zone – Season 3.5
Grand Prize: Panic in Year Zero!
Most Original: Panic in Year Zero!
Best TV Series: Twilight Zone – Season 3.5
Grand Prize: Panic in Year Zero!
1963 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
The Day of the Triffids - ”Triffids"
Meh.
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Neither choice was all that original. This one certainly felt more original when watching it, though.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
The Jetsons – Season 1.5
The Avengers - Season 2.5/3.0
Twilight Zone – Season 4 & 5.0
For the fourth season only, Twilight Zone was moved into a one-hour slot to replace a cancelled show. This resulted in many episodes that went on too long and a loss in the 1963 Nova Awards.
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
The Outer Limits – Season 1.0
Boy, the TV shows are really kicking now. Some actual competition.
Other 1963 sci-fi shows:
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
The Nutty Professor
The Nutty Professor is by far the more famous choice, but I gotta say that when watching it, despite being a fan of Jerry Lewis’ brand of humor, I found this movie to be pretty hit and miss.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
This movie follows a doctor who invents eye drops that allows his eyes to see more of the spectrum, including X-Rays, giving him the ability to see through things. Despite being lousy science, since you would still need the actual X-rays to bounce of things to reach your new eyes, the movie was rather interesting.
At first he used it in his profession to help out on surgeries, but due to an unlikely and poorly written murder/accident, he has to flee town and joins the circus. After many months he FINALLY realizes he can make money a lot easier at Vegas playing Blackjack. Though for some reason he tries Slots first...
What I liked about the movie was that it was basically a "be careful what you wish for" tale. For a while it was a great power; he could even see through clothes...and did so. But later on he became depressed because even when he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, he could still see everything. And despite having this great helping power, he found it very difficult to truly help the public. The ending was very interesting as well. Without spoiling it, it was very satisfying.
Unfortunately, I had to watch this in Red/Cyan 3D without 3D glasses. I would have liked to have seen how well they pulled off 3D shots of X-ray vision seeing people's skeletons and organs.
All the winners:[/size]
H.R. Giger Award: The Day of the Triffids – “Triffids”
Most Original: X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Best TV Series: The Outer Limits – Season 1.0
Grand Prize: X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Most Original: X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Best TV Series: The Outer Limits – Season 1.0
Grand Prize: X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1964 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster – “Ghidorah”
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
The Last Man on Earth
Nothing original about vampires, even then, but to be the last human on a vampire infested Earth is pretty new. Also, the ending, which of all the “I Am Legend” adaptations gets it closest to the book, is pretty cool.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
The Avengers - Season 3.5/4.0
Doctor Who – Season 1.5/2.0
Twilight Zone – Season 5.5
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
The Outer Limits – Season 1.5/2.0
This was the real bulk of the show and gave us classic episodes such as: "The Inheritors," "Demon with a Glass Hand" and "The Solider" (the last two written by the great Harlan Ellison which have been said to “influence” The Terminator).
Other 1964 sci-fi shows:
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – Season 1.0
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Mothra vs. Godzilla
At the bottom we have more Godzilla, but this is actually one of the best, if I correctly recall. Mothra vs. Godzilla is a good matchup. This movie also has the tiny sinigng women.
First Men in the Moon
Coincidentally, this movie was similar to the last one I watched (Mysterious Island) in many ways. A 60s sci-fi movie adapted from a grandfather of science fiction author (both have the author in the official title) that involves people going to a distant land where Ray Harryhausen creatures and sets exist. Only this one was pretty bad.
First of all, the story takes place in 1899, but the movie bookends it with scenes from 1964 as people reach the moon find evidence of the trip the real characters took in the 19th century. Not only is this jarring when 15 minutes into the movie it feels like someone mixed up the reels, but it results in a horrible ending which I'll get to later. Once I got used to the second movie in 1899, it quickly fell into a kiddy Disney film complete with bright colors, dopey music, and a really, annoying character or two.
Only about 10 minutes after landing on the moon does the movie show any quality. The sets are amazing, good use of color, and the 50s sci-fi notion of just attacking space aliens is starting to go away. One of the travelers actually want to make peaceful contact, and does so, and has an interesting conversation about life on Earth and how it differs with the life that the bugs on the moon live. He makes the mistake about telling them about war on Earth and it quickly becomes classic "Final Act: We must escape" territory. But this still naturally evolved from the story.
I checked Wikipedia and learned that H.G. Wells' story pretty much ends there. The other guy escapes and we never hear from the guy who spoke of war again. But oh boy, did the movie have other plans... We cut back to 1964 and all the aliens are dead on the moon. Their race has been wiped out. Why? Because the guy from 1899 had a cold and wiped them out in the long run. Sound familiar? It should: they took it from Wells' other novel, War of the Worlds. What possessed them to make such a horrible decision? It's basically a "Yay, we won!" ending against a race of people who didn't even know what war was the last time we met them. I am truly boggled by this ending.
The Last Man on Earth
Before there was "I Am Legend," before there was "The Omega Man," there was "The Last Man on Earth." All adapted from Richard Matheson's (RIP) story "I Am Legend" about the last man on Earth full of vampires. It doesn't perfectly follow the original story (as I know it), but it's certainly the closest adaptation, and in my opinion, the best of the three. And by that I mean it attempts to film the great twist ending which was subsequently dropped from later adaptations. I won't spoil it, but it was a little rushed and, well, kind of messed up in this sense, but it's still a pretty good ending to an interesting movie.
Also, Vincent Price.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
From the title, I didn't expect this to be as great as it was. It's basically a "Cast Away" type story as an astronaut crash lands alone on Mars (with his faithful companion monkey) and must use ingenuity and his will to find a way to survive. Later on, he finds a slave from another world being forced to mine the planet. His oppressors have the upper hand with some pretty nifty spaceships blasting those who get out of line.
I know not to expect 50 year old movies to get the science entirely right, but I'm always hoping they do and always interested in what choices they make. All in all, this movie is impressive. Although Kit, the sole survivor, walks around a bit without his helmet, he knows the atmosphere is too shallow to breathe for long. Close enough. He finds water and food underground, which is fine, It serves the movie, but I think they went a bit far with oxygen being released from rocks when lit on fire. If that were true, the oxygen would immediately fuel the fire. (It’s interesting that there is a seal on the poster that says “This movie is scientifically authentic.” It’s nice to know they took pride in this and did the best they could.)
But you put that stuff aside, and you have a beautifully shot film with suspense, action, and intrigue. Most of the shots on Mars are filmed in California's Death Valley with orange and red skies pasted in by mattes, but it's expertly done. There is also great use of color and special effects on the spaceships and sets.
The movie is about 110 minutes long, which is practically an epic for the 1960s concerning science fiction. It progresses very well for having only one cast member for half of the movie (poor Adam West dies early in the film), with interesting ideas and light humor to keep you interested. But it's really the final part of the movie that raises it to a new level. Up until this point, plots involving aliens were very simple. But in this movie, 30 years before Stargate, there are two separate alien races from a distant planet in a slave/master relationship. Cmdr. Kit and a slave he meets, whom he calls Friday, form a bond as he tries to teach him English. To finish it off, the movie is about them trying to escape Friday's alien overlords.
I was a bit disappointed by the ending though. I would have liked a lot more closure on the aliens and have learned more about them, but science fiction films are still in their childhood at this point. Instead, a human spaceship arrives and saves them. I guess Friday's coming to Earth?
All the winners:[/size]
H.R. Giger Award: Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster – “Ghidorah”
Most Original: The Last Man on Earth
Best TV Series: The Outer Limits – Season 1.5/2.0
Grand Prize: Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Most Original: The Last Man on Earth
Best TV Series: The Outer Limits – Season 1.5/2.0
Grand Prize: Robinson Crusoe on Mars
1965 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
Daikaijû Gamera – “Gamera”
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
Alphaville
Definitely Alphaville. As best I can tell, this is a movie about a James Bond/Sam Space type who’s in a metropolis being controlled by a huge computer. It’s original in story, plot, characters, everything. It takes place in a future not too different in technology (besides the evil computer), but instead in people’s values, sex lives, and government.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
Lost in Space – Season 1.0
The Avengers - Season 3.5/4.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Get Smart – Season 1.0
Other 1965 sci-fi shows:
Doctor Who – Season 2.5/3.0
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – Season 2.5/3.0
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Alphaville
Having never seen a Jean-Luc Godard film (I don't think) and not being a fan of French New Wave, I was a bit worried going into this one, but I suppose I had an alright time. The style was strange and the narrative was a bit peculiar at times, but I enjoyed many aspects of it nonetheless.
The plot was very "1984," except Big Brother is a computer named Alpha 60, but I couldn't help being reminded of Kubrick the whole way. The computer was like HAL at times, the humor was dry like Dr. Strangelove, and it was a sexualized future like A.I. I guess that's what made this movie fun to watch, at times: the vast range of genres and styles that were incorporated into it. There were also splashes of Sam Spade and James Bond thrown there.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
The War Game
The War Game is sort of a 48-minute mockumentary about a nuclear and its effects on Britain. If you thought "The Day After" was dark...well, it is, but this might be even darker. There's 4-year olds being blinded by nuclear blasts, food riots, millions dead, failed pregnancies, and even children answering the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" with "I don't want to be anything." (Admittedly, they may have been taking it a bit far with that one.) But The War Game is truly amazing and should really stick with you.
This won the Academy Award for Best Documentary and was never broadcast a second time in Britain until 1985. I understand this on both accounts. It's very dark but done with a great style. It's not quite mockumentary like I said. It shows the images and there are interviews from people who act like they're in a war, but there's a voiceover that speaks about all of this in hypotheticals. As a warning. But there are also these odd insertions of British humor in the form of dry satire. "Experts" giving advice that will help us with "World Wars IV through VIII" or pundits expressing their approval of a nuclear war. What's interesting is I looked into this movie and all the quotes are based on actual quotations around the time. So their insertion in-between such horrific images isn't just for stark contrast and irony, but as sort of a "**** you" to insane politicians.
All the winners:[/size]
H.R. Giger Award: Daikaijû Gamera – “Gamera”
Most Original: Alphaville
Best TV Series: Get Smart – Season 1.0
Grand Prize: The War Game
Most Original: Alphaville
Best TV Series: Get Smart – Season 1.0
Grand Prize: The War Game
1966 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster – “Sea Monster”
Most Original:
And the runner-up is...
Fahrenheit 451
Book or movie, Fahrenheit 451 has always been pretty original. Its main plot is similar to 1984, but with all of its interesting characters and side plots, it holds its own.
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
Science fiction has always been looking for new and faraway places for a story to take place. Fantastic Voyage showed there was one place left unturned, and that was in the opposite direction, into the microscopic world. (Though I suppose The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) first showed us that.)
[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
Lost in Space – Season 1.5/2.0
The Avengers - Season 4.5
I was hoping, especially with Emma Peel finally on the show, that this would win one of these times, but I guess it won’t be happening after 1966.
Get Smart – Season 1.5/2.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Star Trek – Season 1.0
It…has arrived!
Other 1966 sci-fi shows:
Doctor Who – Season 3.5/4.0
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – Season 2.5/3.0
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Our Man Flint
Borderline science fiction, but I still thought it’d be fun to bring up this seemingly forgotten film. James Coburn plays a Bond spoof and while I wouldn’t call this film (and its sequel) great, it’s still pretty funny. It also inspired Austin Powers quite a bit.
Fahrenheit 451
I liked the book more than this odd film. Still, there are certainly highlights, like people owning widescreen televisions.
Here’s a movie that sounds a lot better on paper. Sure, it’s a brilliant premise and the special effects are very good for its time, but the movie itself is often dull and poor. It’s a fun movie, but not one that keeps bringing you back for more.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
Seconds
I have mixed feelings about Seconds. I can't remember the last movie I saw where "great movie" and "enjoyable movie" were so far apart. Seconds is about being able to start your life over in a younger body, but the moral seems to be that some people are doomed to make the same mistakes again. There are some very remarkable ideas in here and Rock Hudson's character is interesting, as well. The problem is, the movie is very slow and often times boring. Ironically, I think I might enjoy it more on a second watch now that I've got all the themes in my head, but I don't see myself ever doing that. But it's still very thought-provoking and I would recommend it to people.
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All the winners:[/size]
H.R. Giger Award: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster – “Sea Monster”
Most Original: Fantastic Voyage
Best TV Series: Star Trek – Season 1.0
Grand Prize: Seconds
Most Original: Fantastic Voyage
Best TV Series: Star Trek – Season 1.0
Grand Prize: Seconds
1967 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
King Kong Escapes – “MechaKong”
Funny.
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
Five Million Years to Earth
I haven’t seen this movie and I can’t get a copy of it anywhere, but it sounds original. It should at least get some award since it’s probably the best of the year.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
Lost in Space – Season 2.5/3.0
Get Smart – Season 2.5/3.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Star Trek – Season 1.5/2.0
Other 1967 sci-fi shows:
Doctor Who – Season 4.5/5.0
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – Season 3.5/4.0
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Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Five Million Years from Earth
I thought long and hard about this one: do I give the main award to a movie I haven’t seen or…the one I had to give it to. Let’s just agree to forget about 1967. Hopefully 1968 will be better.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
You Only Live Twice
Average Bond film, but a pretty great finale in the volcano.
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All the winners:[/size]
H.R. Giger Award: King Kong Escapes – “MechaKong”
Most Original: Five Million Years to Earth
Best TV Series: Star Trek – Season 1.5/2.0
Grand Prize: You Only Live Twice
Most Original: Five Million Years to Earth
Best TV Series: Star Trek – Season 1.5/2.0
Grand Prize: You Only Live Twice
1968 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
2001: A Space Odyssey – “HAL 9000”
The ultimate low-key villain.
Most Original:
And the runners-up are...
Charly
Charly is only the third most original sci-fi movie of the year, but it’s still more original than most of the rest in the 1960s. I wish all three of these could have won.
Charly is a below average adaptation of the much more famous and superior book, “Flowers for Algernon.” If anything is asking for a remake, it’s this movie, because it has the wonderful premise of an idiot undergoing a procedure that slowly makes him a genius and follows the cultural and intellectual adjustments he has to make along the way. Though much more poignant is the fall back to stupid to finish the story.
Planet of the Apes
What a chance they were taking to have almost an entire cast be people in monkey suits. This wasn’t just original in characters and setting, but it tackled some heavy issues such as racism and evolution in very unique ways.
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
2001: A Space Odyssey
This movie would be incredibly original if it was released in any year, since there has never been anything like it before or since. You won’t find too many science fiction movies that are so scarce in dialogue, heavy in avant-garde images, and so open to interpretation.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
Get Smart – Season 3.5/4.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Star Trek – Season 2.5/3.0
The quality faded in the third season, but it’s still the best choice.
Other 1968 sci-fi shows:
Lost in Space – Season 3.5
Doctor Who – Season 5.5/6.0
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – Season 4.5
Grand Prize:
Starting from the bottom...
Charly
Like I said, a disappointing adaptation. Nothing ever seems to fit right and they made some odd choices in their deviations from the novel.
Destroy All Monsters
I haven’t watched Godzilla movies in a long time, but I remember this as one of my favorites. It has a large variety of kaiju and it’s a lot of fun.
Planet of the Apes
This is easily my second favorite science fiction film from the 60s and probably one of my top 10 of all time. It just came out in the wrong year concerning sci-fi recognition. Here’s an older review of mine:
This is a very smart movie. Underneath the plot of a man fighting for his freedom is the subtext of the illogic and immorality of slavery AND the assertion that in the real world, evolution is attacked and ignored by religious types. The weaving of these two different themes into one society is wonderfully done. Only later on does this come together in a third theme of evolution not necessarily being a good thing. We learn that Dr. Zaius may not have been hiding evolution to keep his people ignorant of science, but instead because of the dangers of technology. The former themes of racism are now seen as devolution creating a paradox of what’s really best for mankind and that perhaps mass- and self-destruction are inevitable. This is a very smart movie.
This is also a very dumb movie. First off, the absurd amount of plot holes concerning this planet being Earth. One or two wouldn’t be so bad, but let’s list them. Taylor had to make an egregious error thinking they were on some planet “in the Orion sector” and instead magically being back on Earth. Our Earth would have stars with the same constellations (even after 2000 years) and the moon, but coincidentally the whole movie takes place during the daytime (and even then, the moon could have shown itself). There wouldn’t be canyons around New York City after 2000 years. And, oh yeah, the apes are speaking English. That should have been a hint. I haven’t read the book, so I often wonder if the famous ending was always the intended ending. After all, there is an added writing credit to this movie from Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. Hmm.
Moving on, the movie also has an absurd opening monologue where Taylor is teasing the audience with how the movie will end with every single sentence he says. It’s overly convenient that Taylor gets shot in the neck (and lives) so he can’t speak for a few days. The movie speaks about racism and evolution, but it says crap about sexism as Taylor has a mute sex toy he brings around wherever he goes. On that subject, the woman on board (which he once refers to as “the most wonderful cargo we had on board”) was said to be “the next Eve.” That’s an interesting choice of words for a movie promoting evolution. They also only brought one white woman to populate the stars. That’s an interesting choice for a movie promoting equality among races.
I think the Netflix DVD slip summarizes this movie perfectly with only two words. It calls this movie a “camp classic.” It’s difficult to decide how it ranks among the best of science fiction.
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
2001: A Space Odyssey
Old review of mine:
2001: A Space Odyssey is a science fiction symphony. It has an overture, an intermission, classical music, and separate acts that don’t particularly relate to the others. It’s interesting that this should be the last (notable) science fiction film before the first Apollo moon landing of 1969. One last pondering of the unknown before we slowly discover for sure that the moon is a dead rock and that there may not be much out there at all. After all, after landing on the moon, how much are we really going to get to do? So it’s a good thing, for the time, that this film dreamed big.
It dreamed that a greater power had a part in our evolution, teaching us how to use tools. We naturally used these tools for killing, but also to build technology that would one day get us to the moon. Waiting for us on the moon is a sort of finish line; the last step of an intergalactic test. After passing, we are invited to a portal in space and time situated by Jupiter, and Dave Bowman goes into the beyond and eventually reaches a new level of evolution once again…or does he?
For those who’ve read the book, Kubrick’s film in comparison is much more up to interpretation and replaces many specific science fiction ideas with art and malaise. The beauty in which this movie holds space travel is a marvel to watch, but if this movie has a downside, and I’d say it does, it’s this replacement of science fiction for Kubrick-weirdness. Especially when so few films try to tackle the big questions, like where we are going as a race. For instance, the ending involving the travel through the portal goes on much too long. It should have ended before, or just after, the landscapes which can only be interpreted as abstract art. The movie is still brilliant, but I would have gone a different way in handling some of the material. Of course all of this is personal preference. I like it when science fiction is force-fed to me. Clearly, the style of this film is perfect for many other people. I’ve seen this movie many times, but I always have to wait a while after the last time to watch it again.
The film has three strong points: the plot, the cinematography/music, and also a computer known as HAL 9000. There are so many movie villains out there; it’s hard to find one as unique as HAL. He’s cold, calm and calculating, but innocent in his decisions, making him all the more dangerous as he has no regard for human life, only what he perceives as being best for the mission. And he does this all with an ironically soft and soothing voice, making the “I can’t let you do that, Dave” and “Daisy” scenes some of the most iconic of all time.
All the winners:[/size]
H.R. Giger Award: 2001: A Space Odyssey – “HAL 9000”
Most Original: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Best TV Series: Star Trek – Season 2.5/3.0
Grand Prize: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Most Original: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Best TV Series: Star Trek – Season 2.5/3.0
Grand Prize: 2001: A Space Odyssey
1969 Nova Awards
H.R. Giger Award:
And the WINNER of the H.R. Giger Award is...
Gamera vs. Guiron – “Guiron”
Most Original:
And the WINNER of the Most Original Award is...
Marooned
Eh, not really.
Best TV Series:
And the runners-up are...
Get Smart – Season 4.5/5.0
And the WINNER of the Best TV Series is...
Star Trek – Season 3.5
Other 1969 sci-fi shows:
Doctor Who – Season 6.5
Grand Prize:
And the WINNER of the Nova Award is...
Marooned
Marooned is a long, slow and boring film about a space shuttle that gets marooned in orbit and the rescue attempt to get them back before they run out of air. There are no twists and really only one "turn" near the end, instead it's all very methodical and dialogue oriented. This could have been pulled off with great direction and/or writing, but it's just not there. Minus a few interesting scenes, there really isn't much going for this film.
I will say the special effects were pretty great. At no point did it feel like they were trying too hard to make it look like science fiction but instead it just looked about as accurate as they could do it in the 60s. I think I even recognized some actual Apollo footage in there. (Incidentally, this won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.)
The real irony is that this came out in 1969, just one year before the actual Apollo 13 disaster which would prove to be more interesting than a scripted movie about a similar problem. Also, why did they make a movie about a space disaster at the height of the Apollo program, anyway? Were they trying to jinx the moon landing?
All the winners:[/size]
H.R. Giger Award: Gamera vs. Guiron – “Guiron”
Most Original: Marooned
Best TV Series: Star Trek – Season 3.5
Grand Prize: Marooned
Most Original: Marooned
Best TV Series: Star Trek – Season 3.5
Grand Prize: Marooned
1960s Final Results[/size]
H.R Giger Award[/u]
1960: The Time Machine – “Morlocks”
1961: Mothra – “Mothra”
1962: King Kong vs. Godzilla – “Godzilla”
1963: The Day of the Triffids – “Triffids”
1964: Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster – “Ghidorah”
1965: Daikaijû Gamera – “Gamera”
1966: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster – “Sea Monster”
1967: King Kong Escapes – “MechaKong”
1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey – “HAL 9000”
1969: Gamera vs. Guiron – “Guiron”
Most Original Award[/u]
1960: The Time Machine
1961: The Day the Earth Caught Fire
1962: Panic in Year Zero!
1963: X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1964: The Last Man on Earth
1965: Alphaville
1966: Fantastic Voyage
1967: Five Million Years to Earth
1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey
1969: Marooned
Best TV Series Award[/u]
1960: Twilight Zone – Season 1.5/2.0
1961: Twilight Zone – Season 2.5/3.0
1962: Twilight Zone – Season 3.5
1963: The Outer Limits – Season 1.0
1964: The Outer Limits – Season 1.5/2.0
1965: Get Smart – Season 1.0
1966: Star Trek – Season 1.0
1967: Star Trek – Season 1.5/2.0
1968: Star Trek – Season 2.5/3.0
1969: Star Trek - Season 3.5
Grand Prize
1960: The Time Machine
1961: Mysterious Island
1962: Panic in Year Zero!
1963: X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1964: Robinson Crusoe on Mars
1965: The War Game
1966: Seconds
1967: You Only Live Twice
1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey
1969: Marooned
