War of the Satellites

"War of the Satellites" is a better than average science fiction flick; which, just means, it is not achingly awful. Roger Corman did some genuine stylish and engrossing Edgar Allen Poe films and the cult classic "Little Shop of Horrors," an amazing film, especially when you realize it was shot over a weekend. However, except for this and "Attack of the Crab Monsters," virtually ever other Corman sci-fi is garbage,largely because of the incredibly kitschy special effects. Here the special effects are passable and the set decoration is fairly good. However, what really distinguishes "War of the Satellites" is actor Richard Devon's mostly dignified performance, mindful of Michael Rennie in "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Even more fascinating about Devon's performance is the subtle bisexuality of his character. Watching Devon is far more interesting than anything else going on around him.

Not to say Dick Miller and Susan Cabot do not contribute a lot. Miller, a stalwartly reliable character actor who worked a lot, has his moments and Susan Cabot, a fine, beautiful actress who never got her due, keep the film moving nicely. I am not certain of the of the young actor who first accuses Devon, but he is effective in a very small role. Actually, the acting and fast pacing are what keep "War of the Satellites" from being a total dud. That and the very good black and white photography.

All and all, a pretty entertaining movie.

Typically fast and cheap early Roger Corman sci-fi epic was put together in a hurry in order to capitalize on the launching of the Soviet satellite Sputnik, and the subsequent efforts of the United States to launch a satellite of their own. Lawrence L. Goldman wrote a script (based on a story by Jack Rabin and Irving Block), about the United Nations repeatedly failing with their space exploration missions. A hostile alien intelligence wants Earthlings to cease and desist with these missions, or else. Our intrepid heroes, naturally, become more determined than ever to succeed, and send a pair of rockets into outer space. But the aliens are ready to sabotage the mission.

The not so special effects and the minimum of sets merely serve to add to the fun factor of this Corman quickie. It sure as hell isn't anything great, but then it doesn't try to be. It's an amusing, fast paced, decently acted Allied Artists production that has a certain charm that often came with the low budget genre movies of this period. It's impossible to dislike, especially considering the way that Corman is slyly injecting some commentary about the Cold War as part of the package. Cormans' constant collaborators during this time, production designer Daniel Haller and cinematographer Floyd Crosby, do the best that they can with their minimal budget, and the music by Walter Greene is highly enjoyable. The acting is pretty good from all concerned: Richard Devon is effective as the determined Dr. Pol Van Ponder, Susan "The Wasp Woman" Cabot appealing as leading lady Sybil Carrington. Eric Sinclair as Dr. Howard Lazar, Robert Shayne as Cole Hotchkiss, Jered Barclay as John Compo, and Bruno VeSota as Mr. LeMoine comprise a fine supporting cast. But the primary appeal of "War of the Satellites" is the opportunity to see the legendary Dick Miller in not just a leading role, but a *heroic* leading role, as brave scientist Dave Boyer.

These 66 minutes go by quickly and engagingly.

Seven out of 10.

Famously concocted in 8 weeks after director Roger Corman promised Allied Artists a "satellite' movie in time to cash in on America's fascination with (or fear of ) Sputnik, 'War of the Satellites' really has nothing to do with the cold war or the Russian space program or, for that matter, any other reality. Briefly, Earth's attempts to put people in orbit are met with disaster when the ships approach a mysterious barrier and we are warned by the "Masters of the Spiral Nebula Ghana" that humans have been prohibited from exploring space. To ensure our compliance, the aliens kill the head of the space program, Dr. Van Ponder (Richard Devon), and replace him with a sinister doppelganger. Astronomer David Boyer's (Corman perennial Dick Miller) suspicions concerning his new boss leads to a show-down in outer space, the outcome of which could determine the future of humanity. There are some adequate special effects shots, such as the rocket base or the in-orbit assembly of a space station but other than these, the film is strictly a dime-store production, especially the interiors the space ships (featuring recliner lounges with seatbelts) or the flimsy looking control panel manned by none other than Corman himself). The plot/script makes little sense and, other than Miller and Devon, the acting is underwhelming. Typical for a Corman picture, 'War of the Satellites' turned a profit and remains watchable today (half a century after Sputnik fell out of the sky) in a chintzy sort of way.

This is cut-rate science fiction from Allied Artists and producer-director Roger Corman. The United Nations space program involving launching manned spacecraft into outer space is met with defeat after defeat as a strange energy barrier surrounding the planet destroys any craft that gets too close. One last chance is taken with an experimental solar device which will hopefully subvert the energy field, only unbeknownst to the programs members, the proposed captain (Richard Devon) has been replaced by an alien duplicate bent on stopping human efforts in space exploration once and for all.

This was rushed out in reportedly eight weeks, from conception to theaters, in an effort to cash-in on the Sputnik launch in the news. The special effects aren't very special, and a good bit of the film's final third is comprised on people walking back and forth through the same 10-foot stretch of ship corridor. But I liked seeing Richard Devon, a familiar character actor, in a lead role, and there are some fun moments when his true alien nature pops up. Longtime Corman regular Dick Miller gets one of his very few heroic leading man roles, and he uses a more serious voice than normal, much to my amusement. Susan Cabot acts a bit like a robot. This movie is no one's idea of high art, but it hit enough of the right B-movie buttons for me to be entertaining.

Years ago, I remember seeing this movie on a local syndicated TV station. I had completely forgotten about it until I came across a website writing a review about the movie. I tried to find the video but came up empty. After searching for quite awhile, I eventually found a copy. What I can't figure out is that "War of the Satellites" was a project of Roger Corman, a somewhat well known producer and director of low budget sci fi horror films of the 50's and 60's. This science fiction thriller which probably took 2 weeks to make, has a remarkably effective storyline combined with so-so special effects for that time period. This movie is hard to find and if you do happen to locate it, I would suggest getting it because it's not that bad of a rotten tomato.