Mondo senza fine

Allied Artists pulls out their wallets and all the stops for this fantastic tale of men and mutants locked together in a time warp. The studio, at the time, had more in common with poverty row stalwarts like Eagle-Lion, Republic and Monogram, than the major studios of the era. But here they mounted a handsome production in "Cinemascope" and Technicolor. The major complaint about the film seems to concern the behavior and attitudes of the astronauts toward the females. I believe sexist and juvenile come to mind. But look a little under the surface and you will find the character of Deena. She breaks the typical space babe mold and develops an independent woman. Check out her courage in disobeying the elders as well as Rod Taylor, when she tags along in order to provide some practical information on the mutant culture. I can't believe I just wrote the words "mutant culture." In addition, I'm also aware that the costume department delivered the same mini-skirts which you might find in similar flicks of the period. But also remember that Star Trek dressed their female crew members in the same fashion--and in the late-sixties, too! I also like the engineer's character who is given feelings of sadness, regret and remorse when confronted with the ramifications of breaking the time barrier--with no means to return to his loved ones. Applause and salutations to the thoughtful screenwriter who delivered these pages.

I recently watched this movie for the first time and found it a cross between Planet of the Apes and The Time Machine, complete with Rod Taylor.

Four astronauts returning from a space mission go through a time warp and end up on earth thousands of years into the future after a nuclear war. They encounter rubber giant spiders, mutant cavemen and hostile survivors who have survived the war and are living underground. At first they don't believe how the astronauts got there but they do eventually and they help them to destroy the mutants and start afresh and live without the fear of these unfriendly cavemen. Two of the astronauts fall in love with two of the local women.

As well as The Time Machine's Rod Taylor, the film also stars Hugh Marlowe (The Day The Earth Stood Still) and Nancy Gates. The acting is good from all.

I found this movie enjoyable and is beautifully shot in colour, despite the low budget. The giant spiders look cheap though. A must for sci-fi fans.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

Space pioneers are returning to Earth from a trip to Mars when their spaceship is propelled into the future. They land and discover a vastly different Earth than the one they left. All of the elements that went into the 50s scifi genre are here. Space travel, mutant creatures, and life in the far distant future. This film was a better than average film for its time. The effects are poor compared to today but the dialog makes up for it. The color is sharp and clear and there is a good cast to make it enjoyable. Pull up a chair and break out the popcorn. Following the adventures of the newly returned space travelers makes for a good Saturday afternoon viewing.

A few years ago I watched this movie with a group of friends. We had a terrific time with it. It was great to see `The Time Machine' star Rod Taylor with `The Day the Earth Stood Still' star Hugh Marlow. Other high points included that great rocket ship (which was first designed for `Destination Moon', but rejected in favor of the one actually used). The rocket was first used in `Flight to Mars', and it later appeared in `It! The Terror from Beyond Space' and `Queen of Outer Space'.

If your not into rockets, perhaps the stunning girls in the short `futuristic' skirts will hold your interest. Famed pin-up artist Alberto Vargas is listed in the credits, although he's credited with `production design', instead of `costume design'. Perhaps he did both.

The story has strong points and weak points. The weak points are forgivable: few special effects, a terrible `giant spider', and sets that not exactly spectacular.

The strong points are, I guess, a matter of personal taste. The story is simple, but still interesting. In a post-holocaust world, a small society of civilized people live underground, safe from the violent mutants who live on the surface. The characters interact well, and when they take on the mutants in the climax, my friends and I were cheering as if we were watching the Super Bowl.

Maybe it'll affect you the same way. Give it a chance.

A low-budget kiddie sci-fi flick from the same period that brought us "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers," and interestingly enough starring the same actor, Hugh Marlowe, a sort of older version of that other '50s sci-fi star, Richard Carlson. Four astros headed for Mars go through a time warp in space and end up on Earth after atomic Armaggedon has decimated the planet. This makes things convenient both set- and costume-wise, as all the cities and highways are gone and all that's left on the planet's surface is a bunch of murderous cavemen. Ah, but inside one particular cave, the astros encounter an underground habitat containing what's left of humanity. The plot is sort of H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine" in reverse. Because the story is actually interesting (the sun-deprived humans are dying out and the astros try to convince them to return to the planet's now-decontaminated surface), it's easy to forgive the theatrical photography, cardboard sets, and the three '50s-type females in their restaurant hostess outfits and bouffant hairdos. One way or the other, the always-dependable Marlowe keeps everything nicely grounded as the leader of the astros. The film looks like it cost $1.98 to make, but a reasonably strong story and decent-enough cast make it worth a glimpse. A young Rod Taylor. the Russell Crowe of his day, plays one of the other astros -- although he's given little to do except to bare his chest and make the ladies swoon.