Customer Reviews

World Without End/Satellite in the Sky

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just when I thought I'd seen pretty much every science fiction film from the fab fifties, along comes this pair of forgotten gems from 1956. And while I'm not quite prepared to call either of them "lost classics," I was impressed with the production values and overall serious tone of both films.

WORLD WITHOUT END takes more than a few threads of H.G. Wells' TIME MACHINE, as a group of astronauts finds themselves stranded in a dystopic future earth of the year 2509. Humanity is divided into two classes: men (who are impotent) and women who live beneath the surface, and the savage "beasts" who resemble neanderthals. Genre favorites Hugh Marlowe and Rod Taylor are among the spacemen who try to spur the passive humans into action against their oppressors. And in typical 50's fashion, there are some fetching females for the lonely travelers to admire.

SATELLITE IN THE SKY offers up a serious attempt to depict a flight into outer space, similar in some respects to George Pal's Conquest of Space, release a year earlier. A rocketship blasts off (in a scene virtually lifted from Pal's When Worlds Collide) carrying a "tritonium" bomb. Lois Maxwell--Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond film from 1962 to 1985--is a reporter covering the story. While the film's anti-war message is predicably heavy-handed, particularly in the downbeat ending, the first-rate special effects keep this one interesting.

Both films in this Warner Bros. double-feature are presented in their original Cinemascope aspect ratio. Although there are no extra features at all (not even chapter selections?!), I do have to commend WB for making these relatively minor films look fantastic. SATELLITE in particular practically jumps off the screen. Some early scenes with jets, which do not appear to be the standard stock footage used in so many films, are breathtaking. . .no minor feat for a 50+ year old "b" sci-fi movie.

If you're into these sorts of films, you'll definitely want to add this disc to your collection.

First off, I'm thrilled that World Without End has FINALLY been released in its original theatrical Cinemascope. Secondly, you get two 1950s B flicks for the price of one. In this package, WWOE is, to my tastes, decidedly better than SITS.

As has been stated WORLD WITHOUT END is a takeoff on HG Wells' TIME MACHINE, 'cept this time the good guys live under ground and the baddies bask in the sun light (when they're not holed up in caves that is.)

Synopsis: An intrepid crew of five U.S. astronuts on their way back to earth from a trek to Mars get a little side tracked in a time warp and end up back on earth but this time about 500 years ahead of schedule. From the time they touch down, things don't go very well at all. They are first attacked by large, stuffed animal spiders in one of the most unintentionally hilarious scenes in sci fi movie history. Next it's literally a night time wake up call by a group of one eyed cyclops neanderthals who toss our boys around like rag dolls before they are pistol whipped into retreat. our desperate crew finally find safety in a cave and are taken in by a group of leotard and skull cap clad wimps who are all that's left of a nuclear war ravaged civilization.

Our boys are wondering, "What in hell are we doing here?" when they are greeted by a bevy of tall, leggy, mini dress-clad Vargas girls of the likes of gorgeous Nancy Gates and Shawn Smith, not to mention a very cute, but slightly shorter brunette, Lisa Montell. Wellll...suddenly things ain't so bad around here after all!! The gals are captivated by the higher testosterone levels of our more manly men. So our now wide-eyed boys decide that these folks could use a little rescuing from their cramped environs and rather desultory existence, so they are now eager to help out a little.

Naturally, there's a party crasher in the crowd named Mories who tries everything in the book to thwart our heroes but eventually gets his comeuppance when he ill advisedly decides to conk Lisa on the head with a brick 'cause she would spread some bad news about him to the authorities. Yep, the neanderthals get him as he flees the cave for "safety", Certainly, an ill advised move on his part.

With some made-for-the-occasion ordinance (a bazooka) from our advanced civilization friends, our heroes splatter a few of the neanderthals around the countryside, just to let everyone know who's boss now. Then Hugh Marlowe wrestles and dispenses with the one eyed chief of the local tribe to seal the deal and everyone returns to the earth's surface to live happily ever after.

This is a fine film that really made an impact on me as a young boy when I saw it in the theater with my folks. Time and cynicism have taken a little off of that edge, but I still enjoy it immensely.

As for SATELLITE in the SKY, this film is as boring and lifeless as its title. Also it has nothing whatsoever to do with satellites. Scientists want to detonate a nuclear bomb in outer space 'cause they're chicken and don't wanna screw up the earth. Imagine that! Sound familiar? But can you imagine someone suggesting something like that in this age?!? Environmentalists, not to mention all the rest of us, would be beyond outraged, dare I say...terrified! That, in itself, would make for a great espionage/drama flick. But not here.

In all fairness (we gotta do that), this was Great Britain's first attempt at a sci fi flick and the film makers are decidedly uncomfortable with the material. The film is uneven in its direction, story line and script. The most exciting portion of the film for me is the very beginning, with some aerial footage of a very cool English Vulcan jet bomber. That was one sweet looking airplane (I love aircraft).

But after that it's too many coffee and sandwich breaks, pointless subplots, tepid love interests, water cooler conversations and a professor who wildly over acts during the space ship sequences that made it difficult for me to stay awake while attempting to finish this film. Ok, so the space ship is cool looking but looks downright silly while it wildly puffs volumes of lazy smoke in outer space. Don't they know there's no oxygen out there? Anyway, the bomb finally (and mercifully) detonates in space to end the film and I can go to bed now!

Technically, the picture quality and sound are first rate for both films but there are virtually no extras of anything. Fortunately, the films give you nice menus with plenty of chapter breaks for scene searching.

In summation, I recommend this dvd package for any fans of 1950s sci fi. And kidding aside, I don't think either film will ultimately disappoint. As for ratings, I give WWOE a solid **** as a quality B film and **1/2 for SITS.

Had a VHS copy that was terrible. The DVD is wide screen with very good picture quality. Great 50's Scifi

I bought this release for one reason--to see 'WORLD WITHOUT END' in Color and Widescreen. I first saw it on the old 'MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE' that New York's Channel 9 used to have in flat black and white. It showed the same title 5 times a day for the entire week. This film for this small kid had everything: spaceships, mutants, time travel, and beautiful babes. 45 years later, it still brings a touch of nostalgia. Written and directed by Three Stooges alumnus Edward Bernds, its a great 50's low budget Sci Fi treat with wooden Hugh Marlowe and pre-Time Machine Rod Taylor wielding the testosterone and Nancy Gates and Lisa Martell wearing their Alberto Vargas outfits pumping up the babe department. An atmospheric music score by Leith Stevens and passable Special Effects by Milt Rice keep the fantasy going. Bernds will go over the top two years later with "QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE' which boasts the same cave spider in both films and should have been this packages co-feature. The print is pristene and highly recommended. 'SATELLITE IN THE SKY' is a poor pairing, however, it may have been suspenseful at the time but comes off as cold and bloody boring. It probably has a legion of fans though so this release will make 50's Sci Fi fans happy. As for me, 'WWE' will always have a special place in my heart- Naga, you rule!!

Good quality of some sci-fi classics- hope to see more classic releases.
How about someone getting us a good copy of Roger Cormans classic
NOT OF THIS EARTH. This classic flic should be on D.V.D.

I bought this because of "World Without End". It was one of my childhood favorites. Viewed 50 years later, it is crude, but somewhat imaginative. It is in color and is one of the better sci-fi 50's movies. "Satellite in the Sky" is simply awful.

I'd been looking for a copy of "World Without End" for a long time. As kids, my sister and I were allowed to stay up late on Saturday nights to watch a local weekly TV show usually showing Horror or Sci-Fi movies. This film was one of our favorites and we'd probably seen it on late night TV at least 2 or 3 times. The special effects are pretty "hokey" now - but back then, it was exciting to watch. It's got drama, action, monsters from other worlds, heroic guys, beautiful girls, lots of bad guys (or creatures), and of course a happy ending. Needless to say, I'm very glad to finally find a copy of this in DVD. Nostalgic, and fun to watch, even after all these years - Fifties Science Fiction at it's best. What a treasure!

I've been searching for this old sci-fi movie for a long time.It's by no means a block buster film, and is not all that well known among the more famious old filmes, But anyone that enjoys the realy old sci-fi movies that are still enjoyible to watch should be glad they got this hard to find movie.World Beyond End is the much much better of the two movies on this DVD and is the one I myself had been searching for. The seciond film, Satellite in the Sky isn't realy very good but Hey! It's still a seciond sci-fi old movie for the price of one.

I wrote a separate review on World Without End already and it's the superior of the two films on this DVD. Rod Taylor, who would later improve his roles on The Time Machine, does pretty well here, although a secondary character. The women of the future have the hots for these boys of the 20th century as the race begins to die off. Pretty good acting and effects.

Ah, but Satellite in the Sky, not so much:

Normally I give these B films a little slack, after all they worked under trying conditions, very little money and not much more than a cool idea for science fiction entertainment. But Satellite in the Sky does not even meet the standards of cheese.

"Satellite" starts out with a jet pilot and his first flight out. A plucky yet under-whelming woman reporter, and an astronaut or two with soap opera problems.

With a plot hole or two on not even wrapping up the soap opera, the plucky woman reporter who thinks the rocket going up is a waste, sneaks on board. Such lack security -- two guys who are changing shifts and she sneaks aboard.

After nearly a half hour, we finally get to the rocket going up, but not before "Jimmy" proposes to his girl on the phone. Oh boy!

The government wants to set off a huge bomb that will prove to the world the futility of war. Well, maybe.

There are parts of the film taht are quite good. The outer space scenes and the walking in space are cool. When the bomb's propulsion system fails and sticks to the ship, decisions have to be made, guys crack and women give up. What kind of movie is this?

A decent ending, but rushed. And the "The End" on the screen leaves up in the air the whole soap opera thing introduced at the start. The acting is unconvincing and the story is not really making its point.

However, do get this film with the World Without End DVD double-header, a much better film!

My brothers and I have been "World Without End" fans since it ran continously on the "Million Dollar Movie" on WOR-TV from NYC over the weekends of our youth. As a sci-fi fan, this movie also features Hugh Marlowe, a lead in two other sci-fi classics: Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (with special effects by Ray Harryhausen) and The Day The Earth Stood Still (as the love interest for Patricia Neal).

The plot is fairly straightforward and is driven by the same fears in many other movies from the era: space travel and nuclear war. For the former, the crew leaves Earth on a "simple expdeition" and hits an unknown phenomenon that hurls them to the year 2508 (I know this because the lobby card is hanging over my desk.) The crew also include a young and hunky Rod Taylor, who would go on to lead roles in other thrillers like The Time Machine and The Birds. In this future world, they land in an arctic wasteland but quickly hike to a more verdant climate (have to suspend that disbelief) where they are attacked by savages. They take refuge in a cave, where they are jumped by the most tacky giant spider ever seen on film. They eventually make their way into a tunnel that leads to the underground habitat of what seems to be the remainder of the human race. The men are scrawny (we termed them "the pune-asses") and the women vital, buxom, and in short skirts with high heels. These new Earthmen are seen by some as the saviors of the human race. And, after some predictable flack from one of the more threatened men, Rod and the boys save the day, led by Hugh, who takes on Naga, the lead of the "mutants", with only a knife, a hatchet and his superior wits.

They all live happily ever after.