Looks like one of my favorite cheesy sci-fi flicks of the 70s is coming to the Trylon Microcinema (the tiny local theater in Minneapolis that I love!). Starcrash (1978) starring the incomparable Caroline Munro and The Hoff will be screened next Wednesday!

I already own the flick on DVD, but seeing it with like-minded geeks on a big screen will be a hoot. For those unaware, the film was an Italian production, shot in English on a shoestring budget--one of many space flicks rushed into production after the runaway success of a much more successful space fantasy.

I'm not certain which of it's failings won my love--a nearly incomprehensible plot, perplexing and hilariously overdubbed dialogue, and a fair amount of Harryhausen-esque (but not as good) special effects--but it hits on all cylinders of wackiness.

On a related note, I picked up a copy of Message From Space from Shout Factory (another Star Wars riff in '78, this time from the Land of the Rising Sun). That film is equally ridiculous, in many of the same ways, but with better art direction and the spaceship designs had more whiz-bang. This new version also has some (modest) behind-the-scenes extras that didn't appear on the old import version.


Curating a Sci-Crapfest!
One of my dreams (sadly) is to see a celebration of these cheesy classics. I'd long pined for the Trylon to do a series on second-string Star Wars (treating them as a genre unto themselves). It'd also be a good excuse to get a few local artists I know to do up some new posters for each film. Had I had the chance to curate (ahem) a film series, here are my official selections:

• Starcrash - Post-screening discussion: careers of Munro, The Hoff, Roger Corman and Harryhausen's influence over off-brand sci-fi, international SW knock-offs are first to arrive.
• Message From Space - Post-screening discussion: careers of Vic Morrow and Sonny Chiba, reciprocal Japanese/American sci-fi influences and overlap.
• Battle Beyond the Stars - Post-screening discussion: John Boy and Hannibal in Space! Robert Vaughn replays himself? Final discussion on Japanese/American sci-fi culture feedback loop continues.
• Ice Pirates - Post-screening discussion: career of Robert Urich, why the film is so underrated as satire of genre, that funky time travel scene at the end.

While they didn't quite get that full concept, I still get to see some beloved space cheese light up the screen. Can't complain about that!


 On Amazon:

• Starcrash Blu-ray / DVD
• Message From Space Shout Factory version / previous version, now hard to find
• Ice Pirates DVD / FREE on-demand
• Battle Beyond the Stars Blu-ray / DVD

Bonus: Did you know that Wikipedia has a page just for space pirates?

Step off Tom Cruise! The original Martians are here!

The venerable Heights Theater on the west side (MPLS), is hosting a slew of great sci-fi flicks (the original versions) in their Before CGI: Six Sci-Fi Classics series.

Run Dana, my fans are relentless!

If you're in the Twin Cities you can't beat the Heights for a better days-of-glory movie experience.

The series is run by Take-up.org, the same laudable and beloved movie minds behind my favorite indy theater, the Trylon, which some of you may recall screened an awesome series of Ray Harryhausen flicks just last spring. Unlike that series, I'm going to miss everyone of these because they're on Monday nights, which is the same as my night class **sobs/wailing**.

Tonight's show is a DOUBLE FEATURE of the War of the Worlds (1953) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Invasion stars the recently passed Kevin McCarthy, so it's a fitting tribute that his best-known role gets such a swank screening.

The series includes:

• Forbidden Planet (screened last weekend)
• War of the Worlds (TONIGHT!)
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (TONIGHT!)
• The Invisible Man Directed by James Whale who helmed the original Frankenstein
• The Incredible Shrinking Man
• King Kong (the original!)

I'm jealous of anyone who gets out to see these--and in a place that still sports chandeliers and a Wurlitzer that rises through the stage no less!

Next week is going to be a blast because I'm venturing out into the cine-verse to see two wonderfully over-imaginated / under-funded sci-fi flicks. The first is DESTINATION: OUTER SPACE, (I feel like that title should always be in caps), a locally produced send-up of schlocky sci-fi from a bygone age.




From the film's website:

During a test flight of Earth's first faster-than-light-speed rocket, an incident occurs that throws test pilot Captain Mike Jackson (originally introduced in 2008's "Cave Women on Mars") halfway across the galaxy! Lost in deep space, Captain Jackson must use all his wits and derring-do to find a way back to his beloved home world. A film unlike any other, "Destination: Outer Space" is full of excitement and otherworldly adventure that includes mysterious alien planets, robotic lifeforms, beautiful space pirates, alien creatures hell-bent on galactic domination and much, much more!

So there you go--it's got everything a geek could want! If you're local, the film premiere's at the Heights Theater on Tuesday, May 25, at 6:30 p.m.


Next on the film-going agenda....
Is a film I've neither seen nor heard of before. And I can't. Freakin. Wait.

It's called 2019 After the Fall of New York, but based on the poster and the trailer below, they should just re-title this: Mutant Future: The Movie.



From IMDB:

After a nuclear war, society breaks down into two groups, the evil Euraks and the rebel Federation. A mercenary named Parsifal is hired by the Federation to infiltrate New York City, which is controlled by the Euraks, to rescue the only fertile woman left on Earth.

The film is apparently in both English and Italian, (it's original title is Dopo la caduta di New York, just to make things more confusing). Here's the original poster, which is obviously, also totally bitchin.
This one's showing at the Trylon Microcinema, which has quickly become my favorite new theater--you might recall my posts on their Ray Harryhausen series a few months back. Anyway, this new series titled "Trash Film Debauchery," (seriously, is there any wonder why I love the Trylon so?) is all about cheesy sci-fi from the 80s, and the moment I read the synopsis for 2019 I was hooked.

2019 is showing the very next night on Wednesday, May 26, at 7:00 p.m. If you see a grown man hopping up and down and giggling like a tribble on ecstasy, feel free to say "hi", but for your own safety you may want to keep a healthy distance!

The Ray Harryhausen film series at the Trylon Microcinema here in the Twin Cities kicked off this weekend. I'd blogged earlier that I've seen most of the fantasy films he's done, but none of the sci-fi ones. I corrected that oversight this afternoon with a viewing of Earth vs. the Flying Saucers! It's definitely one of the all-time great B-movies, from the height of the cold war and UFO craze of the 50s. The film shares a lot of plot devices similar to War of the Worlds (Earth is invaded by a technologically superior race, etc.) but instead of conquering them through micro-organisms, lead scientist/hero Dr. Russell A. Marvin played by closet-werewolf and crackerjack actor Hugh Marlowe (if you've seen the last scene of the film you'll get that joke) devises a weapon to fight off the aliens. Of course, conventional artillery and firearms are useless because the aliens are using SCIENCE! So we have to use our own to even the odds. Let's just say it's definitely overdue for a Mystery Science Theater 3000 skewering. :)

The Trylon lives up to it's "Microcinema" name with just 50 seats and provides an intimate, cinema-going experience. It's nestled in the back of the XY and Z gallery at 3258 Minnehaha Avenue in Minneapolis.
The proprietors let me snap a few shots of the lobby and box office/concession area:
As you can tell by the photos, the theater is quite small and really gives the impression of a private theater. Now, I'm all about the multi-plex (usually). As my wife often endures us getting to the theater early--like an HOUR before the doors open just so we can get prime seating. I'm at home hanging out at the cinema, so this isn't really a problem (for me). But when you're angling for your favorite spot, stupid mistakes will get you bad seats (waaaay up front, or waaaay in back). And then there's the rules of theater-going with Jay:

1. Buy tickets online
2. Get there EARLY
3. Seats before treats (find prime seats before visiting the concession stand)

I'm really not this much of a freak with anything else, but I hate sitting in bad seats at the theater. We've been known to swap our tickets if we get to the theater too late--just to avoid neck strain, motion sickness, and a crappy experience. (And believe me, it's worth it.)

At the Trylon, there isn't a bad seat in the theater--there really can't be in a space this size. In fact, after watching the movie in such a cozy set-up I promptly told the box office manager that this was my new favorite theater. I'm seriously looking forward to the rest of the series--next weekend is It Came From Beneath the Sea.  I can hardly wait!

So I'd posted this over at my other blog Spellcard! and thought I should at least mention the sci-fi angle here. The Trylon Microcinema, a tiny indy filmhouse here in the Twin Cities is showing several of Ray Harryhausen's classic films every weekend in March. I'm quite familiar with this "Sinbad" fantasy series, as well as "Island" and "Argonauts," but I've not seen any of the science fiction ones on DVD let alone the big screen, so I'm hoping to get a chance to finally correct that oversight. This being GINORMOUS FOES weekend and all, I thought a prep for next month would be appropriate. Here's the sci-fi schedule:

Sunday, March 7 - Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers
Sunday, March 14 - It Came From Beneath the Sea
Friday, March 19 - First Men in the Moon
Saturday, March 20 - First Men in the Moon
Sunday, March 21 - 20 Million Miles to Earth

See the full schedule.

I can't wait! Oh and here's some artwork (courtesy of Wrong Side of the Art) to make you all jealous: