Sixties City - Science Fiction Films of the 60s

	The Power MGM / George Pal Byron Haskin George Hamilton, Michael Rennie, Suzanne Pleshette, Yvonne DeCarlo, Earl Holliman Nehemiah Persoff A group of scientists involved in research on human endurance discover that one of their number has developed superhuman mental powers and can destroy by sheer force of will, but they have to find out which one.	The Valley Of Gwangi (The Valley Time Forgot) (The Lost Valley) Warner / Morningside James O'Connelly Richard Carlson, Laurence Naismith, James Franciscus, Gila Golan, Freda Jackson Cowboys discover a forgotten world of dinosaurs in Mexico. Move along little dogiesaurus…..
	The Incredible Invasion (Alien Terror) (Sinister Invasion) Filmica Vergara SA / Parasol Group / Azteca Films Jose Luis Gonzalez de Leon and Jack Hill Yerye Beirute, Enrique Guzman, Boris Karloff, Christa Linder, Maura Monti, Tere Valez Sergio Kleiner A powerful ray shot into space by a scientist attracts a U.F.O. whose occupants decide that the Earthlings are too dangerous and must be destroyed. Boris Karloff's last film (his scenes were shot in 1968).	Planet Of The Apes From a novel by Pierre Boulle TCF / Apjac Franklin J.Schaffner Roddy McDowell, Charlton Heston, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, Linda Harrison Astronauts return to Earth through a time warp, arriving in the far distant future after a nuclear holocaust has left intelligent apes in charge of everything, keeping humans as slaves and pets.
	The Batwoman Cinematográfica Calderón S.A. René Cardona Maura Monti, Roberto Cañedo, Héctor Godoy, David Silva, Crox Alvarado, Armando Silvestre Manuel Capetillo, Ofelia Chávez, Manuel Garay, Jorge Mondragón, Carlos Suárez When a number of professional wrestlers are mysteriously murdered, the Caped Crusader is called in to investigate. The culprit is the evil Dr. Williams who is murdering the prize athletes in the name of science as, with the help of his assistant Igor, he is attempting to genetically engineer a sort of super fish-man! You Tube	The Blood Of Fu Manchu Udastex Films Jesus France Christopher Lee, Goetz George, Richard Greene, Howard Marion Crawford, Tsai Chin Shirley Eaton Fu Manchu is back with his latest world domination brain-child. The idea is to get hold of ten gorgeous girls (sounds good so far), fill them up to the gills with poison and then send them off to plant 'the kiss of death' on the lips of world leaders. The planet is saved just in time by the efforts of Fu's old adversary Inspector Nayland Smith. Most released versions were drastically cut by about 30 minutes, destroying any faint chance the film had of being of reasonable quality. You Tube trailer
	2001 - A Space Odyssey From Arthur C.Clarke's story 'The Sentinel' MGM / Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick Gary Lockwood, Keir Dullea, William Sylvester, Leonard Rossiter Douglas Rain (as the voice of HAL) An expedition to investigate an artificially created monolith on Jupiter is threatened by a dodgy, homicidal HAL9000 computer which takes over the ship. An allegorical story of man's failure to have made the best of his opportunities.	Charly Based on the novel 'Flowers For Algernon' by Daniel Keyes Selmur / Robertson Associates Ralph Nelson Cliff Robertson, Claire Bloom, Leon Janney, Lilia Skala, Dick Van Patten, William Dwyer A neurosurgeon and a psychiatrist find a 'cure' for mental retardation and try it out on a thirty year old bakery assistant with an IQ of 68. He becomes a genius overnight but the film ends on a downbeat note when he discovers that a super-mouse, who also had the treatment, is beginning to regress.
	How To Steal The World MGM / Arena Sutton Roley Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Leo G. Carroll, Barry Sullivan, Eleanor Parker Leslie Nielsen, Tony Bill, Mark Richman, Daniel O'Herlihy A renegade agent plans to end all war by the use of a nerve gas that will let him control the minds of the world's population. To help him create it he kidnaps six top scientists including Dr. Kurt Erikson, triggering preventive action from U.N.C.L.E. in the persons of Solo and Kuryakin who have to try and locate their former colleague. Also see U.N.C.L.E. Films	Madame Death (La Senora Muerte) Filmica Vergara S.A. Jaime Salvador Regina Torne, John Carradine, Elsa Cardenas, Miguel Angel Alvarez, Victor Junco Nathaniel Leon Frankenstein, Isela Vega, Alicia Ravel, Patricia Ferrer We've seen this story line several times - a disfigured woman achieves a return of her beauty through blood transfusions and skin grafts from healthy young victims. The results, as always, are not permanent, forcing her to keep finding new victims for the evil surgeon performing her treatments.
	Mister Freedom Opera / Les Films Du Rondpoint William Klein John Abbey, Delphine Seyrig, Jean-Claude Drouot, Philippe Noiret, Donald Pleasence Yves Montand This is apparently a satire on the American handling of the Vietnam war. Mister Freedom is a superhero for whom things never go quite as planned and in order to save France from a collection of super-criminals he comes to the conclusion that he has to destroy the country. The mickey is taken out of the Americans in various ways, not least of which is the depiction of the American embassy as a giant supermarket which sells such delightful items as aerosol defoliants. The future is agent orange? You Tube	Popdown Fremar Productions / New Realm Fred Marshall Diane Keen, Jane Bates, Andy Ellison, Carol Rachell, Nicole Yarna, Margaret Evans Debbie Slater, Bill Aaron, Zoot Money, Tony Hicks, Brenton Wood, Fred Marshall A 'lost' psychedelic pop film with a sci-fi story line based around visiting aliens. Other musical contributions include: Don Partridge, Blossom Toes, Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and The Trinity, Luis Bonfa, Maria Toledo, Hetty Schneider, The Idle Race and Dantalion's Chariot. Also see Pop and Music Films
	The Vengeance Of She Sequel to 'She' 1965 Warner - Pathe / Hammer Cliff Owen John Richardson, Olinka Berova, Edward Judd, Colin Blakeley, Derek Godfrey, Jill Melford George Sewell, Andre Morrell, Noel Willman, Daniele Noel, Gerald Lawson, Derrick Sherwin William Lyon Brown, Charles O'Rourke, Zohra Segal, Christine Pockett, Dervis Ward Summoned by a strange telepathic calling, a girl who seems to have lost the memory of her true identity, is seized with a need to travel to the lost city of Kuma and will kill anyone who tries to stop her. In the city, she has long been awaited by Killikrates, who is thusands of years old and immortal due to the effects of bathing in a sacred flame created periodically by a meteorite. He believes that Carol is the reincarnation of his long lost love, Ayesha, but has been duped by people around him wanting to take advantage of his obsession with finding her again. Also see Hammer Films	Santo And The Blue Demon vs The Monsters (Santo y Blue Demon Contra Los Monstruos) (Santo Contra Los Monstruos De Frankenstein) Producciones Sotomayor Gilberto Martinez Solares Santo, Alejandro Cruz, Hedy Blue, Jorge Rado, Carlos Ancira, Adalberto Martinez Vicente Lara, David Alvizu, Gerardo Cepeda, Manuel Leal, Fernando Rosales Elsa Maria Tako, Yolanda Ponce Can anyone describe this one briefly? Our two wrestling heroes team up again, this time battling a series of monsters created by the mad Dr. Halder and his hunchbacked assistant. The monsters include Frankenstein, a mummy, three vampires (two of them female), a werewolf, a cyclops and even a robot double of Blue Demon. The battle is wrestling-style as the creatures invade a wrestling contest and enter the ring against our boys for the final showdown.
	Santo Contra Blue Demon En La Atlantida Producciones Sotomayor Julian Soler Santo, Alejandro Cruz, Jorge Rado, Rafael Banquella, Silvia Pasquel, Magda Giner Rosa Maria Pineiro, Griselda Mejia I just knew you were waiting for more 'masked wrestler' pictures - well, here they are. This one sees the 'stars' of two separate series come together for the first time as they fall under the temporary mind control of an ex-Nazi in Atlantis (yes - I know!), who has discovered the secret of eternal youth and, surprise surprise, plans to rule the world. The two protagonists manage to free their minds, stop fighting each other and team up against him. Most of the 'Atlantis' stock shots were footage from TOHO's 'Kaiju Daisenso' film. Also see Japanese ScFi Films	Hello Down There (Sub-A-Dub-Dub) Ivan Tors Films Jack Arnold and Ricou Browning Harvey Lembeck, Henny Backus, Jim Backus, Ken Berry, Kay Cole, Richard Dreyfuss Bruce Gordon, Merv Griffin, Pat Henning, Bud Hoey, Andy Jarrell, Lora Kaye, Jay Laskay Janet Leigh, Frank Logan, Charles Martin, Roddy McDowall, Lee Meredith, Charlotte Rae Tony Randall, Frank Schuller, Arnold Stang, Gary Tigerman, Lou Wagner Comedy Sci-fi musical about a family living in an experimental underwater condo where they also rehearse their pop band. After making a nationwide broadcast from under the sea they make it big, announcing their plan of opening underwater night clubs. Flipper, being a dolphin, was intelligent enough to stay well away from this one.
	Superargo (Superargo the Giant) (Superargo And The Faceless Giants) GV-Sec Film / Izaro Film Paul Maxwell Guy Madison, Ken Wood, Liz Barrett, Diana Loris, Harold Sambrel, Thomas Blank The Italian wrestling hero and his bullet proof costume thwart the evil plans of a mad scientist who is kidnapping top athletes and putting them under his control by replacing their hearts with electronic devices. What's the point? Answers on a postcard please . . .	Swiss Made (Swiss Made 2069) Yves Yersin Productions Yves Yersin, Fritz Maeder, Fredi M. Murer Henri Noverraz, Elsa Shorecka, Herbert Herrman A Swiss film comprising of three futuristic episodes, one of which involves a robot film crew making a documentary about the country and complaining that the whole place seems to be run by computers. This was made as part of Switzerland's 100th anniversary and has apparently never been shown abroad. Good.
	The Vengeance Of Fu Manchu Babasdave Films Jeremy Summers Christopher Lee, Douglas Wilmer, Tsai Chin, Horst Frank, Noel Trevarthen, Maria Rohm Tony Ferrer Fu's nemesis, Inspector Nayland Smith, sets up an interpol organisation to battle world-class crime. Not to be out-done, Fu retaliates by creating his own evil international crime syndicate. He manages to substitute a double for Smith who is then framed for a murder.	Night Of The Living Dead Image Ten George A.Romero Judith O'Dea, Duane Jones, Karl Hardman, Keith Wayne A government space probe contaminates the atmosphere turning the bulk of the local population into zombies. Would-be rescuers find it hard to tell the difference so they blast the lot. Charming!
Isela Vega	The Fear Chamber (Torture Zone) Azteca Films / Filmica Vergara Jack Hill and Juan Ibanez Boris Karloff, Yerye Beirute, Sandra Chavez, Carlos East, Eva Muller, Pamela Rosas Isela Vega, Julissa, Santanon Scientists discover a living rock under a volcano that lives on hormones produced by a fear reaction. They take it back to their lab and keep it alive with the help of some rather unwilling girls whom they abduct in the cause of science.	King Of Kong Island (Eve, The Wild Woman) (Eva, La Venere Selvaggia) (Jungla 2000) Three Star Films Roberto Mauri Brad Harris, Marc Lawrence, Adriana Alben, Esmeralda Barros, Aldo Cecconi, Ursula Davis Mario Donatone, Mark Farran, Paolo Magalotti, John Turner A girl raised by apes is captured by a mad scientist who experiments on monkeys' brains, turning them into robotic creatures. She is saved by the heroic young explorer, naturally . . .
	The Bamboo Saucer (Collision Course) Harris Associates / National Telefilm Frank Telford Dan Duryea, John Ericson, Lois Nettleton, Bob Hastings, Vincent Beck, Bernard Fox Robert Dane, Rico Cattani, James Hong, Bartlett Robinson, Nick Katurich, William Mims Nan Leslie, Andy Romano Teams from America and Russia search for a flying saucer hidden in a Chinese village. After its discovery they join forces to study it and eventually take it on a trip into space. This was Dan Duryea's last film.	Certain Prophecies (Bizonyos Jóslatok) Pannónia Filmstúdió Foky Ottó (written by József Nepp) A 12-minute animated short film in which a miniature UFO lands on a restaurant table where its occupants, the mouse-sized metallic Tau and Rho, survey the ravaged remains of a meal believing it to be the end of Earth civilisation. On leaving, they fly past a wide-eyed waiter and report back that mankind has ceased to exist and that the planet has been taken over by giant gods.
	The Astro-Zombies (Space Vampires) (Space Zombies) Geneni Film Distributing Company Ted V. Mikels John Carradine, Wendell Corey, Tura Satana, Rafael Campos, Vincent Barbi, William Bagdad Rod Wilmoth Dr. DeMarco, your common or garden mad scientist, steals organs from murder victims to create a superhuman race of Astro-Zombies. His assistant, Franchot, also uses the laboratory to carry out some interesting experiments on young women in his spare time. Just can't get the staff . . .	Thunderbird 6 From Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation TV series 'Thunderbirds' United Artists / AP Films / Century 21 David Lane The Tracy boys and Lady P. join the maiden trip aboard an experimental anti-gravity airship. Brains can't go as he is busy designing Thunderbird 6. The flight becomes a target for saboteurs, working for the Black Phantom, who take the place of the crew. It's not quite what Brains had in mind but 'Thunderbird 6' comes to their rescue. You'll see it but you won't believe it. Neither did the police who arrested the pilot in real life after the low-flying stunt on the motorway. Also see Gerry Anderson Productions
	Barbarella Based on the erotic strip-cartoon by Jean-Claude Forest Marianne / Dino de Laurentiis Roger Vadim Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'Shea, Nino Musco, Marcel Marceau Claude Dauphin, Véronique Vendell, Giancarlo Cobelli, Serge Marquand, Franco Gulà Catherine Chevallier, Ugo Tognazzi, Marie Therese Chevallier, Umberto Di Grazia David Hemmings, Mark Hand 40th century adventures of the blonde, scantily-clad, secret agent spacewoman who just can't say no. In her search for Duran Duran, and her quest to prevent the positronic ray falling into the wrong hands, she comes across a blind simp angel and a black-clad lesbian queen played by Anita Pallenberg. Not much of a storyline, but another interesting insight into the Sixties male attitudes towards women.	The Lost Continent (Lost Island) (The People Of Abrimes) From Dennis Wheatley's 'Uncharted Seas' Hammer Michael Carreras Eric Porter, Hildegarde Neff, Suzanna Leigh, Tony Beckley, Nigel Stock, Neil McCallum Jimmy Hanley Sailing into uncharted waters, the captain, crew and passengers aboard a smuggling tramp steamer become trapped in a weird Sargasso Sea, along with the many other craft that are already there. Not the place for a paddle, as they come up against giant crabs, jellyfish and carnivorous seaweed. As if that isn't bad enough, this happy little community is run by the Spanish Inquisition. Also see Hammer Films
	The Omegans W. Lee Wilder Productions (as Merit Productions) W. Lee Wilder Joseph DeCordova, Joaquin Fajardo, Lina Inigo, Keith Larsen, Lucien Pan, Ingrid Pitt Bruno Punzalan, Jeorge Santos, John Yench An artist's wife is discovered by her husband to be having an affair with their jungle guide. He persuades them to pose together in a radioactive river. Don't see many of those about, do you? You Tube	Wild In The Streets AIP Barry Shear Shelley Winters, Christopher Jones, Diane Varsi, Hal Holbrook, Millie Perkins, Richard Pryor A pop singer becomes President and introduces compulsory retirement homes for the over-thirties where everyone is fed on a diet of LSD. Apparently not to everyone's taste. Coming anyway?
	Mission Mars Red Ram Productions Nicholas Webster Darren McGavin, Nick Adams, George DeVries, Heather Hewitt, Art Barker Michael DeBeausset, Bill Kelly, Ralph Miller, Monroe Myers, Shirley Parker, Chuck Zink Three American astronauts on a Mars exploration mission discover the body of a Russian cosmonaut and a curious talking orb. They end up having to fight an invisible enemy to survive. You Tube	Slave Girls (Prehistoric Women) Hammer Michael Carreras Michael Latimer, Martine Beswick, Edina Ronay, Carol White A hunter on safari searching for the legendary (?) white rhinoceros finds himself in a lost valley ruled by a tribe of prehistoric women, where time has stood still. Shame it moved on really, they seemed to be making a better job of it. Also see Hammer Films
	It's Alive! Azalea Pictures Larry Buchanan Tommy Kirk, Shirley Bonne, Bill Thurman, Annabelle Weenick, Corveth Ousterhouse Unwitting tourists are held captive in a cave in the Ozark mountains by a madman who plans to feed them to his pet monster.	The Illustrated Man From a story by Ray Bradbury Warner / SKM Jack Smight Rod Steiger, Claire Bloom, Robert Drivas, Don Dubbins, Jason Evers A trilogy film about a wanderer who tells tales about the tattoos which cover his body, one story of which involves survivors of a spaceship crash trying to reach a sun dome on a planet of constant torrential downpours.
	Brides Of Blood (Island Of The Living Horror) (Brides Of Blood Island) (Orgy Of Blood) (Brides Of Death) (Brides Of The Beast) (Terror On Blood Island) Premier Gerardo DeLeon and Eddie Romero John Ashley, Eva Darren, Mario Montenegro, Kent Taylor, Beverly Hills, Angelita Alba Andres Centenera, Carmelita Estrella, Quiel Mendoza, Pedro Navarro, Bruno Punzalan Ely Ramos Jr, Ben Sanchez, Willie Tomada, Oscar Keesee Jr. The first of three official movies and one unofficial movie based on 'Blood Island'. Inhabitants of the island have been mutated into lumpy 'blob' monsters by radioactive testing and their whole reason for existing seems to be the tasteless molestation and subsequent devouring of native females. Bad taste 'sequels' were: 'Mad Doctor Of Blood Island' (1969) and 'Beast Of Blood' (1970)	The Andromeda Nebula Sovexportfilm Yevgeny Sherstobytov Sergei Stolyarov, Nikolai Kryukov, Tatyana Voloshina, Lyudmila Chursina Lado Tskhvariashvili, Aleksandr Gaj, Roman Khomyatov, Marina Yurasova Gennadi Yukhtin, Aleksandr Goloborodko, Tatiana Mayorova, Vija Artmane Intended to be the first of a series of films, but remaining a 'stand alone', a group of humans on the spaceship Tantra are investigating an uncharted area of space when they are trapped by the gravitational force of an Iron Star for 20 years. One by one they fall prey to predators with their only source of protection being the light from the Tantra.