Missile to the Moon

Rating:
Summary: Adventure Into The Unknown
Review: From the Wade Williams Collection and Image Entertainment, we get the definitive science fiction space extravaganza of 1959 (can you sense the sarcasm? I'm laying it on pretty thick here) directed by Richard E. Cunha, the man responsible for such cinematic schlock as She Demons (1958), Frankenstein's Daughter (1958), and Giant from the Unknown (1958). This film is actually a remake of 1953's Cat-Women of the Moon, which wasn't done by Cuhna. This movie has nearly everything, from lovely international beauty contestant winners cast as moon maidens, a spiffy rocket ship, less than exciting space travel, meteors, rock monsters, lunar caves fraught with danger (and breathable atmosphere, go figure), diamonds as big as your fist, a giant, hairy spider with big, pointy teeth, and even a catfight...what it doesn't have; a coherent plot, decent special effects, a lucid script, good characterizations, realistic sets, or passable acting, but, in the world of B movies, this one certainly stands out.

Okay, here's the deal. Seems a scientist has built a missile he intends to fly to the moon. The government, seeing the value and advanced state of his work, decides to take over the project, much to the scientists' dismay. He pouts a lot and makes a lot of statements you'd expect from a petulant child who doesn't get his way. Meanwhile, two criminals have escaped from prison, and have taken refuge within the moon missile. The scientist discovers them, and decides to convince them, at gunpoint, to help him fly his missile to the moon before the government takes away his cardboard spacecraft...er, I mean futuristic, atomic powered spacecraft. The scientists' assistant and his fiancé get caught on the ship, and all five blast off into the great unknown of space. After some danger involving meteors and such, this unlikely group reaches the moon. There they encounter some rock monsters that seem not to like people as they begin to attack our unlikely, yet plucky, cosmic travelers. It's funny watching the scenes with the rock monsters as all involved try to create tension and a sense of danger as one actor shouts out, "Look out! They're trying to surround us!" but the rock monster suits provide very little mobility causing the horrific creatures to move at a snails pace, allowing for even the most feeble to escape easily, that is unless someone trips...they take refuge in a cave, and soon find themselves transported to a lunar city, which we never really get to see, filled with a bevy of beautiful moon maidens. I can see why the scientist wanted to get here so badly, as there are no men, only bunches of lunar babes, ripe for the picking. Stuff happens, words are said, and soon we learn of the imminent danger the lunar women, and a catfight happens somewhere around here. Oh yeah, there's a wonderful scene where the scrappy space travelers are in a cave, and the order is given to release 'the Dark Ones'. As a really fake looking grate rises to a section of the cave, the suspense builds, and finally....nothing..oh wait! A big, hairy spider! And a particularly frisky one at that, based on what he's doing to that moon maiden... What happens next? Well, I don't want to give away too much, but it's all pretty predictable.

There's plenty of fun to be had here for lovers of campy movies. The disc contains a very decent print of the film, which does have minor, expected flaws, but the black and white looks crisp, and the audio is very clear. The only special feature is a photo gallery of mostly the beauty contestant winners in their moon maiden garb. I thoroughly enjoyed this better than average presentation of a late 50's sci-fi camp fest, but I was also glad that its' run time was only 77 minutes as Hollywood cheese is good, if taken in moderation.

Cookieman108

Rating:
Summary: Adventure Into The Unknown
Review: From the Wade Williams Collection and Image Entertainment, we get the definitive science fiction space extravaganza of 1959 (can you sense the sarcasm? I'm laying it on pretty thick here) directed by Richard E. Cunha, the man responsible for such cinematic schlock as She Demons (1958), Frankenstein's Daughter (1958), and Giant from the Unknown (1958). This film is actually a remake of 1953's Cat-Women of the Moon, which wasn't done by Cuhna.

This movie has nearly everything, from lovely international beauty contestant winners cast as moon maidens, a spiffy rocket ship, less than exciting space travel, meteors, rock monsters, lunar caves fraught with danger (and breathable atmosphere, go figure), diamonds as big as your fist, a giant, hairy spider with big, pointy teeth, and even a catfight...what it doesn't have; a coherent plot, decent special effects, a lucid script, good characterizations, realistic sets, or passable acting, but, in the world of B movies, this one certainly stands out.

Okay, here's the deal. Seems a scientist has built a missile he intends to fly to the moon. The government, seeing the value and advanced state of his work, decides to take over the project, much to the scientists' dismay. He pouts a lot and makes a lot of statements you'd expect from a petulant child who doesn't get his way. Meanwhile, two criminals have escaped from prison, and have taken refuge within the moon missile. The scientist discovers them, and decides to convince them, at gunpoint, to help him fly his missile to the moon before the government takes away his cardboard spacecraft...er, I mean futuristic, atomic powered spacecraft. The scientists' assistant and his fiancé get caught on the ship, and all five blast off into the great unknown of space.

After some danger involving meteors and such, this unlikely group reaches the moon. There they encounter some rock monsters that seem not to like people as they begin to attack our unlikely, yet plucky, cosmic travelers. It's funny watching the scenes with the rock monsters as all involved try to create tension and a sense of danger as one actor shouts out, "Look out! They're trying to surround us!" but the rock monster suits provide very little mobility causing the horrific creatures to move at a snails pace, allowing for even the most feeble to escape easily, that is unless someone trips...they take refuge in a cave, and soon find themselves transported to a lunar city, which we never really get to see, filled with a bevy of beautiful moon maidens. I can see why the scientist wanted to get here so badly, as there are no men, only bunches of lunar babes, ripe for the picking. Stuff happens, words are said, and soon we learn of the imminent danger the lunar women, and a catfight happens somewhere around here. Oh yeah, there's a wonderful scene where the scrappy space travelers are in a cave, and the order is given to release 'the Dark Ones'. As a really fake looking grate rises to a section of the cave, the suspense builds, and finally....nothing..oh wait! A big, hairy spider! And a particularly frisky one at that, based on what he's doing to that moon maiden... What happens next? Well, I don't want to give away too much, but it's all pretty predictable.

There's plenty of fun to be had here for lovers of campy movies. The disc contains a very decent print of the film, which does have minor, expected flaws, but the black and white looks crisp, and the audio is very clear. The only special feature is a photo gallery of mostly the beauty contestant winners in their moon maiden garb. I thoroughly enjoyed this better than average presentation of a late 50's sci-fi camp fest, but I was also glad that its' run time was only 77 minutes as Hollywood cheese is good, if taken in moderation.

Rating:
Summary: Good cheesy 50's Sci-Fi fun
Review: I will admit I liked Cat-Women on the Moon better, so that's the reason I give this one four stars. I think CWOTM had a much better cast. Anyway, the plot of this movie is pretty similar, the atmosphere on the moon is depletingand the moon maidens have killed off everyone who is expendable to lengthen their air supply. One can only assume the great 'Lido' chose who lived and died.

The wayward travelers from Earth are: the scientist who built the ship, his assistant and his girlfriend, and finally two escaped convicts. None of them can really act, the worst of which is the James Dean wannabe convict. Although the convicts are fun to watch as they become experts rather quickly at flying a rocket.

Well we got a giant spider. If it was a child's project, youwould say it was wonderful. The rock monsters are pretty cool and original. True they look like giant Gumbys, but just take it in stride.

I hate to give away the ending to this deep plot, but sunlight on the moon still kills and there is a power struggle between the Lido and her succesor that leads to disaster. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous print of a beloved clinker
Review: Missile to the Moon is basically a remake of Cat Women of the Moon (even reusing that giant spider) and just as much el cheapo fun as that film. I love the school-play-quality sets and props, amateurish acting, laughable dialogue, etc., (in short, everything you want in a Bad Film). For some reason the Moon Queen has ancient Mayan art hanging on her wall! (Attention Graham Hancock.) And those clumsy rock creatures are some of the most underrated 50s "monsters" (for originality if nothing else). Let's be honest here though: this is not a lunatic mess like Plan 9 or The Creeping Terror. It suffers from a bit too much technical competence to really achieve "warp" factor, yet remains a solid 70 minutes for crummy movie enthusiasts.
The DVD presentation is quite a bit above average for this type of movie. First, despite some minor speckling and a few damaged frames here and there, the print used is spectacular: good tonal scale, nice and sharp, clear sound. Overall, much better than one would expect. (In some scenes you can even see the creases on the backdrops.) There is no trailer included (unusual for Image), although you do get chapter stops and a special bonus "photo gallery" of dozens of someone's behind-the-scenes shots taken on and around the set, including many stills (some in color) of the "Moon Maidens" posing alluringly. Not exactly "the special edition," but a nice, atypical bonus for a set like this. C-movie nerds, grab this, you won't be disappointed. One star less than perfect 'cause no trailer and the (very minor) speckling and print damage.

Rating:
Summary: for old classic movie fans
Review: pretty cheesy movie even though it is very old. not to bad if you like old classics.

Rating:
Summary: for old classic movie fans
Review: pretty cheesy movie even though it is very old. not to bad if you like old classics.

Rating:
Summary: SENDING CARDBOARD TO THE MOON
Review: There must be something in the Geneva Convention about these kinds of movies. Painful is a word that will come to mind time and again while watching this. Running a mere 77 mins you will feel as if 777 mins have passed by the films end, yet you wont turn away, nor turn it off... it's a test (not unlike an experiment on MST3K - but for real), it's a rite of passage... it's something you can show to your friends and watch as they try to get their minds around cardboard sets (literally - these sets are hollowed out boxes with knobs and wires punched through... and the rocket is a cardboard 2-D model that is so obviously flat that no amount of forced perspective can help it), wooden acting (you could build a table from the wood laid out in this movie), and confused ideas about the Moon (don't go there), space travel, female "issues", giant spider(s) and walking rocks (Gumby's prehistoric ancestors). But, it's not all bad... there are some real moments in this film. Perhaps the best being the society the women on the Moon have founded, and the mental abilites they possess and use against each other and our "hero's" - it adds up to a missed oppurtunity to make a minor sci-fi gem over a second feature on a double bill. For sci-fi library completests only... one last note, BOX ART - IMAGE has released these films with colorized images from the film, and I have to say they look fantastic. Pity the films could not have been colorized the same way...

Rating:
Summary: SENDING CARDBOARD TO THE MOON
Review: There must be something in the Geneva Convention about these kinds of movies. Painful is a word that will come to mind time and again while watching this. Running a mere 77 mins you will feel as if 777 mins have passed by the films end, yet you wont turn away, nor turn it off... it's a test (not unlike an experiment on MST3K - but for real), it's a rite of passage... it's something you can show to your friends and watch as they try to get their minds around cardboard sets (literally - these sets are hollowed out boxes with knobs and wires punched through... and the rocket is a cardboard 2-D model that is so obviously flat that no amount of forced perspective can help it), wooden acting (you could build a table from the wood laid out in this movie), and confused ideas about the Moon (don't go there), space travel, female "issues", giant spider(s) and walking rocks (Gumby's prehistoric ancestors). But, it's not all bad... there are some real moments in this film. Perhaps the best being the society the women on the Moon have founded, and the mental abilites they possess and use against each other and our "hero's" - it adds up to a missed oppurtunity to make a minor sci-fi gem over a second feature on a double bill. For sci-fi library completests only... one last note, BOX ART - IMAGE has released these films with colorized images from the film, and I have to say they look fantastic. Pity the films could not have been colorized the same way...

Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss this Flight!!
Review: This is a classic in the "so bad it's good" canon. Almost every aspect of this film is poorly realized, and it thereby has a kind of sub-genre "purity" about it. The special effects are far from acceptable under any other circumstances. Costumes are a camp spectacular, especially those of the Moon Women and their "Lido" with her ludicrous head gear. Monsters consist of the (very slowly) walking rocks and that giant spider with visible wires who got a lot of work in the late 50s as the inhabitant of many caves and planets.

Best of all, though, is the acting. Every cast member, without exception, is inept. Even handsome Gary Clarke, who later showed he had talent, is awful here. But the Anti-Oscar surely must go to Cathy Downs for her brilliant portrayal of an Earth woman among Lunar rivals. As they lead her to her doom in the jaws of the giant spider, she cries out: "No! Don't!"

See this movie for a truckload-o-laughs.

Rating:
Summary: average on the B movie scale; fun and funny
Review: This movie is pretty decent if you're into this kind of stuff. The acting is corny, in a humorous and entertaining sort of way. The cheesy effects are great! The rock monsters are pretty cool, and the giant spider is totally hilarious. The spider is the best part of the movie. It just has to be seen to be believed! There are also some very sexy moon women to look at. B movie fans should definitely check this one out.