Guerra dos Satélites

Roger Corman is well-known for his ability to make something fun and enjoyable out of nothing and War of the Satellites fits the bill. Corman even has a bit part as a ground control radio operator! It is a fast-paced film with an interesting premise that gets right down to business. Just add a few war-surplus props, footage lifted from other films and a set that looks like a basement for a UN meeting scene and Bob's your uncle! I'd love to get my hands on those fabulous reclining chairs that were used by the crew of the rocket ships!

In October, 1957, the Soviet Union surprised everyone with the first successful launch and orbit of a spacecraft, a satellite dubbed "Sputnik". That name and the term "satellite" was on front pages of every newspaper in America.

"War of the Satellites" was produced by Roger Corman because he knew he could get a deal (funding) from his distributor by promising a film with the then hot buzz-word, "satellite", on the marquee. His plan worked and the film was rushed together. By then, Corman had a number of capable people he could count on to pull it off. Discount the war-surplus and junkyard props and and the hardly scientific premise and "War of the Satellites" turns out to be fun and a rather credible popcorn epic. It was released on a double bill and the title brought in the expected crowd.

War of the Satellites (1958)

** (out of 4)

American scientists are trying to send a satellite into outer space but they keep running into some sort of force shield that causes the satellite to explode. After the tenth failed attempt the aliens from space grow tired so they kill the scientist (Richard Devon) and take over his body so that they can sabotage any future attempts. It's up to Dave (Dick Miller) and Sybil (Susan Cabot) to try and bring down the alien as well as the deadly satellite shield. I love Roger Corman. I love the films he directed and produced no matter if they were higher quality stuff like the Price-Poe flicks or lower trash like this film here. There's no question that this film belongs in the "so bad it's good" category and I must admit that I'm rather shocked that this film doesn't get called out more than it does. Perhaps because until recently it was hard to see many fans haven't given it the badly made label because if you watch this thing and then watch something from Ed Wood you're going to notice a lot of things in common. As with most of Wood's features, this here features a large amount of stock footage and more often than not it doesn't match up with the "new" footage. Take for example the scene where the aliens try to teach the world a lesson by doing various bad things. We're greeted with all sorts of stock footage with stuff taken from previous movies and it appears one scene showing a full moon was borrowed from one of the Universal werewolf pictures. Another funny bit is when a couple are making out when something crashes and explodes. When we see the explosion it's far away from the kids but the boyfriend goes to look for the item and finds it a few feet from where they were. One, this doesn't match up with what we've seen and if it really was that close then the explosion would have killed the kids. Other funny moments include some really over-the-top performances including one hilarious sequence where the alien/scientist burns himself and the young scientist starts freaking out. The expression on his face as he tries to convince someone else of what he saw is priceless. Dick Miller fans will be happy to see him playing the hero here and it's always nice to see Cabot. WAR OF THE SATELLITES is one of many rips of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. Most of the rips are poorly made and boring. This one here doesn't have much quality to it but the thing is never boring and fans of bad cinema should have a good time with it.

This is cut-rate science fiction from Allied Artists and producer-director Roger Corman. The United Nations space program involving launching manned spacecraft into outer space is met with defeat after defeat as a strange energy barrier surrounding the planet destroys any craft that gets too close. One last chance is taken with an experimental solar device which will hopefully subvert the energy field, only unbeknownst to the programs members, the proposed captain (Richard Devon) has been replaced by an alien duplicate bent on stopping human efforts in space exploration once and for all.

This was rushed out in reportedly eight weeks, from conception to theaters, in an effort to cash-in on the Sputnik launch in the news. The special effects aren't very special, and a good bit of the film's final third is comprised on people walking back and forth through the same 10-foot stretch of ship corridor. But I liked seeing Richard Devon, a familiar character actor, in a lead role, and there are some fun moments when his true alien nature pops up. Longtime Corman regular Dick Miller gets one of his very few heroic leading man roles, and he uses a more serious voice than normal, much to my amusement. Susan Cabot acts a bit like a robot. This movie is no one's idea of high art, but it hit enough of the right B-movie buttons for me to be entertaining.

"War of the Satellites" is a better than average science fiction flick; which, just means, it is not achingly awful. Roger Corman did some genuine stylish and engrossing Edgar Allen Poe films and the cult classic "Little Shop of Horrors," an amazing film, especially when you realize it was shot over a weekend. However, except for this and "Attack of the Crab Monsters," virtually ever other Corman sci-fi is garbage,largely because of the incredibly kitschy special effects. Here the special effects are passable and the set decoration is fairly good. However, what really distinguishes "War of the Satellites" is actor Richard Devon's mostly dignified performance, mindful of Michael Rennie in "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Even more fascinating about Devon's performance is the subtle bisexuality of his character. Watching Devon is far more interesting than anything else going on around him.

Not to say Dick Miller and Susan Cabot do not contribute a lot. Miller, a stalwartly reliable character actor who worked a lot, has his moments and Susan Cabot, a fine, beautiful actress who never got her due, keep the film moving nicely. I am not certain of the of the young actor who first accuses Devon, but he is effective in a very small role. Actually, the acting and fast pacing are what keep "War of the Satellites" from being a total dud. That and the very good black and white photography.

All and all, a pretty entertaining movie.