Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2018 August 01 • Wednesday

The Angry Red Planet (1959) doesn't have great reviews but I really enjoyed it.

The special effects were created at least in part by a process called CineMagic, which apparently didn't work the way it was supposed to.

Nonetheless I think they did a great job with the images and the monsters, using a red filter for Martian landscapes.

The crew of four astronauts encounter some cool monsters on the planet. First up is this giant carnivorous plant.

Then there's this rat bat spider monster.

A giant amoeba monster that comes out of a Martian lake.

And I think this is an actual Martian, as in the dominant species.

We get a look at it from inside the ship as well, without the red saturation.

The four astronauts track quite closely with the four astronauts who became the Fantastic Four. From left to right this could be Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm and Susan Storm.

Here's the Martian city they see only from a distance.

There are some interesting things happening behind the camera also. Paul Dunlap's music is subtle and atmospheric throughout and unexpectely comes out swinging and jazzy for the end credits.

And I would guess that part of the reason the movie looks so good is because the great Stanley Cortez is credited with shooting it.

As far as product placement goes, all of the equipment in the rocket is made by the Burroughs corporation, still around but known as Unisys now, and the same Burroughs family that includes writer William S. Burroughs.

If you like this kind of thing I imagine you'd like The Angry Red Planet, though it certainly has its flaws.