Ep# 71 - Soviet Sci-Fi in the 60s

Cinema60

In search of thought provoking astral projections from across the galaxy, the USS KINO60 has launched triumphantly for what will be remembered as a utopian journey through the stars. Cosmonauts Bart and Jenna have reported some bumpy viewing conditions and unstable nuke-happy alien civilizations, but for the most part their mission has remained stylish and largely made up of primary colors. We wish them the best – glory to the conquerors of the universe!

In this episode, Bart and Jenna take a peak at some choice sci-fi genre flicks from behind the Iron Curtain. What started off as a look at the inspirations for 2001: A Space Odyssey morphed into an excuse to watch Ikarie XB-1 and settled in nicely with a dude standing on Venus shooting various Godzillas with a handgun. Please enjoy this peek into the optimistic future we could be living in right now if it weren’t for the selfish capitalist pigs who hate peace and cooperation.

The following films are discussed:
• Silent Star (a.k.a. First Spaceship on Venus) (1960)
Der schweigende Stern
Directed by Kurt Maetzig
Starring Yôko Tani, Oldrich Lukes, Ignacy Machowski

• Planet of Storms (1962)
Планета бурь
Directed by Pavel Klushantsev
Starring Vladimir Yemelyanov, Georgi Zhzhyonov, Gennadi Vernov

• Encounter in Space (1963)
Мечте навстречу
Directed by Mikhail Karyukov & Otar Koberidze
Starring Larisa Gordeichik, Boris Borisyonok, Otar Koberidze

• Icarus XB-1 (1963)
Directed by Jindrich Polák
Starring Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker

• The Andromeda Nebula (1967)
Туманность Андромеды
Directed by Evgeniy Sherstobitov
Starring Vija Artmane, Sergey Stolyarov, Nikolai Kryukov

• Mission Mars (1968)
Directed by Nicholas Webster
Starring Darren McGavin, Nick Adams, George De Vries