Saturday, February 9, 2013

First Men on the Moon

Actors:  Edward Judd, Martha Hyer, Lionel Jeffries
Rating:  7 out of 10, the last of my nostalgia movies from Christmas.  This was another memorable film of my youth that involved that amazing special effects guy – Ray Harryhousen.  Another HG Wells story that is brought with typical 1960s verve and the Haryyhousen effects.  The film starts with the first moon mission, led by the UN!  They are celebrating when they come across evidence of human presence on the moon dating back to 1899.  They track down the last survivor back on earth and the rest of the movie is told through flashback.  A slightly off kilter inventor, played with typical dash by Jeffries, creates a new compound which allows space travel in a brass sphere.  His incredibly dull neighbor and the neighbor’s girlfriend head to the moon where they encounter a race of ant like aliens.  This movie captured my imagination in the 1960s and the story does not age well and has firmly descended into camp fun (no gloves needed on moon – but it was still fun). 
MVP:  Jeffries as the eccentric inventor who was the first man on the moon

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