Rocket Science

Starring:Rocket Science
Studio: Casablanca Media TV
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

quality horrible
One of the last great serials!
Cheezy Flicks has produced an excellent DVD
One of the Greats
Look! Up in the Sky!

King of the Rocket Men
Starring: King of the Rocket Men
Manufacturer: Cheezy Flicks Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Radar Men From Moon 1
Radar Men From Moon 2
Captain Video - Cliffhanger Collection
Adventures of Captain Marvel
The Phantom - Serial

ASIN: B0009ZBVBI
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Product Description

12 Fantastic Futuristic Episodes - A group of atomic researchers are being decimated by remote control. The survivors suspect that the villain, calling himself "Dr. Vulcan," is one of their own members, bent on a monopoly of their technological wonders. Jeff King is assigned to safeguard the group's secrets. For a professor, Mr. King is very handy with his fists and has the added advantage of a secret, an experimental rocket suit that enables him to fly! But Dr. Vulcan has many deadly devices also. Can the Rocket Man expose Vulcan without revealing his own identity? - If You Think The Idea Of The Rocketeer Is Brand New, Think Again.... Heres The Real Thing Leonard Maltin Entertainment Tonight

Customer Reviews:

quality horrible.......2007-03-24

sorry to say that my copy was very good until the final chapter it went blank..nothing..just sooo "p*s*d off"..sitting through the whole serial front to back, last chapter." no picture" as you can see i am totally disgusted, didnt even know how it ended..

One of the last great serials!.......2006-07-25

I had never seen the full version of "King of the Rocket Men", only the severely edited feature-length version called "Lost Planet Airmen". This is a great serial, mostly well-mastered by Cheezy Flicks-- however, my copy has a slight defect in Chapter 2 where a brief sequence is strangely repeated. Overall though, the quality is very good, better than some other DVDs of serials from the same period!

Cheezy Flicks has produced an excellent DVD.......2005-12-06

Cheezy Flicks has done an excellent job of producing this DVD. The transfer quality is very good. The picture is sharp and clear and the sound is even. The DVD contains nice special features, including 3 sci-fi trailers. There is no invasive logos poping up on screen. Both discs play perfectly in my "sensitive" old unit. That's a real plus.

One of the Greats.......2005-11-12

Rocketman , the hero of this 1949 Republic serial offering, was also known to movie (and later television) audiences as "Commando Cody" (in "Radar men from From the Moon" and the "Commando Cody" limited-run tele-serial), and as "Larry Martin" in the "Zombies of the Stratosphere" chapterplay, which featured a young Leonard Nimoy as a malevolent alien invader.

The "Commando Cody" moniker was the most utilized name for this character, but the original serial, "King of the Rocketmen", is universally recognized as the best presentation of this flying suited hero(whom many "boomers" fondly recall as "old bullethead". Back in the 1930's novelist Zane Grey created an action-adventure character , Sgt. Dave King of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and put him in a book titled
"King of the Royal Mounted". Republic Pictures bought the rights to this and turned this "King" into an excellent serial feature starring Allen "Rocky" Lane. After this, Republic was off and running on a "King" binge that lasted for years. A hero who had the last name of King would pop up repeatedly in Republic serials. There was a "King of the Texas Rangers", a "King of the Forest Rangers", a "King of the Rocketmen", and so forth. In fact, Republic's very last serial was...what else?..."King of the Carnival".

This one is likely the best of the lot. It is a film that the old "Screen Thrills Illustrated" magazine, years ago, pronounced "The last great serial to be made in Hollywood". There were some GOOD ones after it, but most serial fans do think this was the last GREAT one.

The story concerns a scientific think-tank/research facility in California called "Science Associates" . This group does high level inventive research. One of the members, scientist Jeff King, has been working secretly on a flying suit,which consists of a metal helmet, a leather flight jacket, a rocket jet-pack for the back, and a control unit attached to the front of the jacket. With this suit on, Jeff can take off and fly through the air like Captain Marvel or Superman (the fact that he has no wings to give him aerodynamic lift is ignored, as is the fact that his unprotected lower back, buttocks, and legs would get burned off by the rocket flames....hey! Its a kid serial!!!).

Jeff has to create a "mystery persona"...Rocketman...when Science Associates comes under assault by a mystery man called "Doctor Vulcan", who seems to be someone among their own group. Vulan sends out his henchmen to do nefarious deeds throughout the serial, and Jeff King thwarts them time and again. But Dr. Vulcan DOES secure the particular device he has been looking for...something that may let him "rule the world"...it is a "death ray" device that breaks down the atomic structure of anything it is aimed at. It is called the "Decimater". Vulcan and his chief henchman, Tony Dirkin, take the Decimater to "Fisherman's Island", at the edge of the continental shelf, out from New York City. In a remote shack they train the Decimater beam on co-ordinates designed to cut through the water of the North Atlantic and disrupt the "Amsterdam Fault" on the sea floor. This will create a gigantic tsunami that will wipe out NYC unless an enormous ransome is paid.

The ransome is NOT paid and Vulcan goes to work with his death ray. New York is in the throes of cataclysmic doom. But Rocketman discovers the villains' hideout and leads a flight of Army A-20 attack bombers to "clean their clock" and save the day.

The flying effects are stunning. Stuntman David Sharpe is up suspended on a wire rig for some matte-work flying scenes, but most of the aerial footage is done with a life-size dummy pulled along through the air on parallel wires through some California hills and canyons; the same technique used when "Captain Marvel" flew a few years earlier. Some writers have claimed that this was an "oversized" dummy eight feet long. It wasn't. It was a LIFE size dummy (Republic wasn't going to build a special set of oversized clothes for an oversized dummy...that wasn't economical in the least...and if republic was anything, it was ECONOMICAL!!). The dummy represented a SIX-FOOT man. The eight-foot figure is arrived at when you realize the arms were extended out in front of the figure to represent horizontal "flight". Arms on a male six-foot adult are approximately two feet long when extended, ergo, a LIFE-size manikin, with arms extended upwards (when vertical), would tape out at approximately eight feet from fingertips to toe-tips.

Wired up and shot by effects wizards Howard and Theodore Lydecker, the flying dummy was a sight to behold. Extremely realistic for what it was. And the dummy shots, intercut with the take-off and landing stuntwork by David Sharpe, is truly awesome. The flying effects are much better than the CARTOON Superman flights of the movie serials, AND better than the pole-and-chest-plate matte shots of George Reeves "flying" in the Superman t.v. series.

One of the best action scenes in the film is a beautifully staged and edited sequence in the exciting last chapter. Ahead of the Army bomber flight, Rocketman dives on the hideout shack and takes on Dirkin and Vulcan in a furious fistfight. He wants the decimator shut down for sure.

The sequence begins with the dummy in a near vertical dive on the cabin, sailing down towards an open window. The editor does a quick cut as the dummy reaches the window and then Dave Sharpe (in the "stunt version of the flying suit), sails into the actual set...coming DOWN...HEAD first...hits the floor, somersaults to his feet, and blasts into the baddies' stunt doubles with fists flying. A real RUSH of a sequence.

Everything in this serial works, from the flying effects to the tidal wave stock footage from RKO's "Deluge", to the great photograpy and film editing, and to the outstanding stunt work by masters like David Sharpe, Tom Steele,and all the rest of "The Cousins", as Republic's stunt team was known.

This is a really, really enjoyable serial from the "golden age". Now we need two more to enjoy on DVD : "Spy Smasher" (My own favorite for "greatest sound serial ever made"...sorry "Captain Marvel") and "The Masked Marvel", a superlative WWII counter-sabotage showcase for stunt ace Tom Steele. Let's hope we can see these soon!!!

Look! Up in the Sky!.......2005-10-06

KING OF THE ROCKET MEN is a very enjoyable serial and I'm overjoyed it's coming to DVD at last.

By this late in the serial game (1949), Republic Studios had a tendency to go through the motions, getting by on the reputation (and re-releases) of earlier, better serials and the studio's matchless stunt and special effects men. That changed in 1948, when Columbia released SUPERMAN, which - despite the fact that it was a disappointment on every level - became the biggest money-making serial ever made. Republic, which had perfected "flying human" special effects with their earlier serials DARKEST AFRICA (1936) and THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL (1941), concocted their own airborne super-hero, Rocket Man, and bested the Man of Steel handily.

Tris Coffin, nobody's idea of a handsome, two-fisted hero (he specialized in playing weaselly henchmen or slick con-artists) is Jeff King, the guy in the rocket suit. He surprises all of us by being a very effective hero, not least of all because he suddenly loses the moustache and turns into ace stuntman Tom Steele whenever a fight breaks out.

Speaking of ace stuntmen, not only is Steele doubling for the leading man, he plays one (or more) of Vulcan's henchmen, and the gang of thugs includes Dale Van Sickel and Dave Sharpe, two of the studio's other reliable stuntmen, who perform double (and sometimes triple) duty in the same scenes, doubling the heroes, themselves, and probably the cameramen and script girl. It's a delight to see.

The plot entails Rocket Man battling a mysterious archfiend named Dr. Vulcan, who's after a deathray that he plans to use to blackmail the civilized world. Along the way, New York City is destroyed by a tidal wave (via stock footage from the 1933 film DELUGE) but the mayor doesn't seem to mind very much. By the way, despite the serial's title, if you're expecting a scene in which hordes of flying rocketmen swoop down and proclaim Tris Coffin their leader, well, don't get your hopes up.

Rocket Man would return with a new identity in the serial sequels RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON and ZOMBIES OF THE STRATOSPHERE, and the faux serial COMMANDO CODY, SKY MARSHAL OF THE UNIVERSE. For more information, please visit www.inthebalcony.com.

The DVD of KING OF THE ROCKET MEN is quite nice, with a good picture and great, hiss-free sound. (You'll have to supply your own hissing.) It includes bonus trailers from a wealth of vintage sci-fi and horror titles from the same company, including THE HEADLESS GHOST, ROBOT MONSTER, DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS and several others, plus a number of drive-in movie snack bar ads.

Average customer rating:

One of my favorites
Excellent Film
Still Missing Scenes
Lost Continent - Sid Melton gored by Triceratop is in DVD
Good sci fi

The Lost Continent
Starring: Cesar Romero , Hillary Brooke , Chick Chandler , John Hoyt , and Acquanetta
Director: Sam Newfield
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005R1O8
Release Date: 2001-12-04

Description

An atomic-powered rocket fired from White Sands Missile Base is lost in an unexplored region of the South Pacific. A military expedition is dispatched to find it. Searching by air, their plane loses control and crash-lands on a strange uncharted island--a lost world of prehistoric dinosaurs and vast radioactive uranium fields, so powerful that they cause rockets and planes to go off course. A beautifully crafted science fiction film starring Cesar Romero, Hugh Beaumont and John Hoyt. Excellent production values and a magnificent score highlight this legendary Atomic Age adventure, restored in the original theatrical version with the famous green-tinted "lost world" sequences. A must-see for all sci-fi afficionados!

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorites.......2006-09-03

At first I thought the movie was going to be bad but I was wrong. I loved it!!! Especially the big fight between the two triceratops. I recomend this to dino fans and B-movie fans.

Excellent Film.......2006-05-17

The Image dvd release, with the cover that shows Cesar Romero, Hugh Beaumont and the triceratops, against a green background, DOES have the moving Sid Melton scene at the end. I had a vhs copy that cut it, so I ordered this Image dvd release, when it became available, and the scene IS included.
As for the movie, it's an excellent B movie with snappy clever dialogue and dinosaurs that look more cute than menacing. It was a perennioal favorite of mine as a youth and remains so. It's not King Kong but it's very enjoyable.

Still Missing Scenes.......2005-09-02

OK, from the other reviews I have concluded that this is still a cut-up version. Sid Melton's "death scene" is missing (Romero puts a cig between his blood-oozing lips before he cashs his chips in and tells them to say goodby to the plane for him). Some of the earthquake scenes are probably missing also (Acquanetta's demise - if my memory serves me correct they used the "lava flow overcomes cavegirl" stock footage from 1 Million Years BC - Now you think, "Say, what did happen to those other villagers?"). Sinister Cinema advised me some years ago that whoever owns the rights was just too lazy or stupid to restore them properly. Boycott it until they do it right. Pitiful! It was one of my favorites as a child.

Lost Continent - Sid Melton gored by Triceratop is in DVD.......2005-08-20

I just got my Lost Continent DVD today from Amazon. I saw this movie in a theater when I was young. It was good to see it again after some 50-years for the first time in a long time.
I had my concerns, by other reviews about the scene with Sid Melton being gored by the Triceratop would be cut out from the DVD version.
Well! the scene is in! The DVD shows Sid Melton behind a rock and a Triceratop coming in from behind him. The others tried to warn him, but too late. He gets gored.
The entire movie is as I remember seeing it back then, especially the tinted green scenery. I remember my brother coming home telling me about it which prompted me to go see the movie.

An interesting item that is inside the DVD case is the information sheet that gives a detailed account of how the movie was made, Sid Melton's role, and some disappointments that faced the directors and actors.
The stop-motion dinosaur sequence were not the best, it explains, but they didn't have the technology like they have now.
The movie was done in 11-days.
But they got a lot of praise for their efforts in making this movie when it was released in theaters.

Enjoy!

Good sci fi.......2005-07-15

I saw this film only when it was shown on B&W TV in the '50s and didn't know about the green tint gimmic until I watched the DVD.

Average customer rating:

An Enchanting Glimpse Of One Family's Future
The Last Decade of a Century is Always the Most Interesting
An interesting television series by Oliver stone.
No Cigar
Excellent customer relationship

Wild Palms
Starring: James Belushi , Dana Delany , Robert Loggia , Kim Cattrall , and Angie Dickinson
Director: Keith Gordon , Kathryn Bigelow , and Peter Hewitt
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AM6OPI
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Description

A dark, sexy, noir Los Angeles of the future is the backdrop for Oliver Stone's haunting, sci-fi saga of greed, treason and virtual reality. Harry Wyckoff (James Belushi) is about to become a player in a dark and terrifying battle where everything is at stake and no one is who they seem. Featuring an all-star cast, this story about a cult, a corporation, and a conspiracy to rule the country, is one of the most original movie events in recent history.

Customer Reviews:

An Enchanting Glimpse Of One Family's Future.......2007-05-26

This mini-series, originally made for television, provides the viewer with a very enchanting glimpse into the life of one really dysfunctional American family. As the story unfolds, the viewer learns some important news at the same time that the characters first discover it. Not only is the concept of virtual reality thoroughly explored in this work, but it also deals with such issues as corporate greed, loyalty, propaganda, and mind-control. This is truly an intriguing drama, better understood after more than one viewing...

The Last Decade of a Century is Always the Most Interesting.......2007-05-15

Maybe it is the quickened expectations of a future completing its pregnancy. The years of Rapture; when all our dreams will come true - and so will all our fears.
The gadgets and the drugs and the conspiring social undercurrents, all interwoven with prophetic dreams of a rhinoceros in your own drained pool.
It is coming; Modern dystopia is coming; and it will be televised!

David Lynch and William Gibson fans will love it!
If you did not catch it when shown, rent it. You will love it so much you will want to own it!

An interesting television series by Oliver stone........2006-11-14

Thought of as strange and unique at the time it came out. Capitalizing on the genre as Twin peaks, ABC had this six part series. Oliver stone, riding high from JFK fame, wrote the story to this one. James Belushi plays the main character, which was a choice that still boggles my mind. The series was plenty long, but not to drug out. It to me seemed choppy on exactly how many months/years the series took place over. And for some reason everybody let Belushi go instread of just killing him or locking him away. The ending did leave the series open to interpretation, I thought the friends had won, but it sounds like he was going to fight more of the fathers, and did the senator die, or is he in cyberspace and we not find out yet. Stone did well with the small screen format. A good piece of TV history, and catchy to rewatch periodically and see if any other clues are noticed. Worth a viewing, not bad for a collection.

No Cigar.......2006-07-28

When this product arrived it was missing the first of a 2 disk set. My plans to enjoy the mini series was placed on hold while I awaited the replacement. Left me a bit bitter.

Excellent customer relationship.......2006-07-06

I'm overseas, a dvd was missing in the 2 discs set. Just sayin'so to customer support by email. And I receive a complete set by mail a week later. ;D

Modern Marvels - More Engineering Disasters (History Channel)

Average customer rating:

Modern Marvels - More Engineering Disasters (History Channel)
Starring: Modern Marvels
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Modern Marvels - Brooklyn Bridge (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives)
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Modern Marvels - Engineering Disasters 12 (History Channel)
National Geographic - Mega Structures Collection
Modern Marvels - Walt Disney World (History Channel)

ASIN: B000AABL3A
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Description

Throughout history the same builders and engineers that paved man's path out of the caves and into the modern world also caused some of mankind's worst disasters. Often a huge calamity is traced back to a tiny cause, insignificant in itself, but triggering a domino effect. We'll revisit notable disasters and search for probable causes.

Average customer rating:

An important milestone toward space exploration
Startling prescience
Frau im Mond (1929) sophisticated for its time
My take on the film
Die Frau im Mond

Woman In the Moon
Starring: Willy Fritsch , Gerda Maurus , Klaus Pohl , Fritz Rasp , and Gustl Gstettenbaur
Director: Fritz Lang
Manufacturer: Kino Video
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ASIN: B00064AEXI
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Customer Reviews:

An important milestone toward space exploration.......2007-06-29

"Frau im Mond" (Woman in the Moon) is a German silent movie of 1929, direct by the great Fritz Lang ("Metropolis" fame), and deals with a trip to the moon. It is not the first to deal with a voyage to the moon -- that honor goes to George Melies 1902 film, "Le Voyage dans la lune" (Trip to the Moon) -- but it is the first to treat the subject realistically. Along with the 1950, "Destination Moon," it belongs to a trio of films which educated the public on space travel, and provided training for future space scientists, aerospace engineers (I was one), and astronauts.

It is based on a novel of the same name, written by Lang's wife, Thea von Harbou. (She also wrote "Metropolis," and it is probably due to her that a strong woman's role was included in the film.) The name of the film, "Woman in the Moon," definitely sounds silly, but is probably a play on the-man-in-the-moon theme. It also reflects the importance of the feminine character to the plot.

The evolution in technical emphasis is very revealing. Melies makes no effort to be technically sound (other that selecting Jules Verne's cannon over the even less plausible anti-gravity "Caverite" of Wells). "Frau im Mond" does make a serious attempt. In fact, its rocket is in many ways more realistic than that of the 20-year-later "Destination Moon." This realism is largely due to the great rocket pioneer Hermann Oberth, who acted as technical advisor. The launch gantry and launch sequence count-down found in the film were prescient. At the same time, there are curious lapses. Too much is made of the point at which the earth and moon gravity cancel each other - there is nothing very special about this point. In particular, it is not responsible for weightless in space. That Oberth would make such a mistake is inconceivable. Perhaps the makers of the film (principally Fritz Lang) believed the public would not buy weightlessness without this plausible, though spurious, explanation. Incidentally, the film was not a great triumph for Oberth. He was to have produced a flying rocket model for the film. His failure to provide one in time hurt his standing as a practical hands-on engineer.

Another gaffe is that the moon would have enough air for humans to breathe. Again, I suspect the makers of the film knew better, but wanted to avoid the complications of space suits. (Would you really want to hide Friede's sweet face in a helmet?) Then there is the "dousing rod" to find water ... enough said! The business about "lots of gold on the moon" is also silly, but here there is a better explanation - or maybe I should say excuse. When one recalls that during the making of this film Germany was suffering great economic hardships, including hyperinflation, the prospect of Germans finding an unlimited source of gold must have been irresistible.

I characterized this film as the middle one in a trio. There are of course other films which might have been somewhat less influential or less well done, but nevertheless contributed to the dawn of the space age. "When Worlds Collide," "Rocketship X-M," and "The Conquest of Space" are three such films. The list would not be complete with including the fine, non-fiction "Man in Space" series of Walt Disney.

This film has something of a cult following, and there are a number of websites devoted to it. One of the best is http://taoyue.com/film/frau-im-mond.html .

Startling prescience.......2006-11-05

Lang made this movie just a few years after Metropolis. There are a few common themes in the two: futuristic speculation, and the central position of love in rather unlikely affairs. I found it different in many ways, though.

First, it stayed closer to Lang's contemporary world. It also did a pretty good job with the science part of the science fiction, down to a realistic portrayal of NASA's Vertical Assembly Building. In fact, Lang's original description of acceleration in meters per second-squared was more accurate then the translated English caption, which used meters per second. Even though the movie stuck closer to Lang's own world, most of the movie has a much more modern look than his better-known Metropolis. The makeup and acting look more natural, at least early on, unlike the exaggerated and iconic posturings throughout Metropolis. And, although the scenes were new to audiences at the time, many Lang's elements have since become the common idiom of more recent films. That scene with the scheming powermongers (cigar-chomping woman included), in their film-equipped board room - it recurred in just about every James Bond movie to date.

A few things didn't work for me, though. I'll let the moon's breathable atmosphere slide, for dramatic convenience. The 1920s pacing got to me after a while: most of the action came in the last 45min of the 2hr 45min movie, and I found some early parts dragging. The one that I just had to grit my teeth and swallow, though, was the quest for gold (yes, that horrendously heavy stuff) as the big reason for going to the moon at all. Well, I guess Lang had to make it understandable in the idiom of the era, but I'm sure he could have done better.

Lang, the actors, and the production grew did quite well, though. Lang's Metropolis was an epic achievement. This movie approaches it, and maybe surpasses it in some ways. See Metropolis first, by all means, but see this one too.

//wiredweird

Frau im Mond (1929) sophisticated for its time.......2006-03-15

Poor penniless Professor Georg Manfeldt has a theory that the moon has gold, lots of it, and why not? His rich friend Wolf Helius owns a rocket factory and it seems that he has sent everything up but people. Turns out his friend Wolf has a problem; the girl Friede that he secretly loves had no idea that he felt that way and married their mutual friend and head engineer Windegger in the factory. A sophisticated criminal element gets involved and wants to control the moon gold flow.

List off occupants:
Professor Georg Manfeldt (Klaus Pohl)
Wolf Helius (Willy Fritsch)
Hans Windegger, Ingenieur (Gustav von Wangenheim)
Friede Velten, Student astrologer (Gerda Maurus)
Gustav, Child stowaway (Gustl Gstettenbaur)
Der Mann, Criminal element (Fritz Rasp)
The Mouse (uncredited)

Everything is going along swimmingly until the obligatory lack of water, oxygen, and life.

This is not your run of the mill love on a rocket that "misfires" movie. Maybe because they took the time to flesh out the movie and not rush the story it turned out to be very sophisticated. There had time for intrigue and subterfuge as even the bad guys were well organized and believable.

Top writers and top director and UFA studios can only produce a masterpiece.

The models are very good and many of the real problems with space are anticipated and depicted, unlike some cheap remakes. I was disappointed to find that all they found on the moon is gold and not Louise Brooks; the title is misleading.

My take on the film.......2006-02-05

Just saw it today! I best love the sequence when they show the rocket ship taking off from earth. Amazing realistic and well detailed and even hardhitting it was. It is by far the best sequence in the film (but the musical score honestly helps it be). Well acted throughout and expertly filmed. much like Metropolis is this film (but more realism and depth). Fans of Met. should see this film (Lang's Dr. Mabuse films are good but they might disappoint people who already just know his Metropolis). Spoiler! I am left with a few unanswered questions for those who have seen the film already:

1)How does the rather puny professor successfuly shove big lug Walter Turner down the stairs? Was Turner drunk at the time?

2)Who exactly is Gustave? A relative of Helius's maid? Or chauffeur?

3)That Louise Brooks-esq cutie selling flowers on the street. How exactly did she successfully assualt Helius in his limo? Gun? Knife? Karate chop? Poison drink? And of the other flower lady selling at the time. Was she in Turner's employ too? Jeers btw to the poster who commented on Helius's looks. That flower-selling babe was the real attractive one of the whole piece.

4)Did that puny professor live or die on the moon? Can't tell.

5) Why was Gerde Maurus's Friede character referred to as The Student in the opening credits. She had a name in the film?

And to the poster who commented after me (creepy huh?): Der Mann is Walter Turner of Chicago.

Die Frau im Mond.......2005-02-06

Painstaking direction by Fritz Lang combines with sometimes ridiculous overwriting by wife Thea von Harbau to produce a mixed masterpiece. The movie can be described as 1) crime thriller segueing into 2) eerily prescient science fiction descending into 3) soapy melodrama. Lang's influence is most obvious in the middle section but the cumbersome plotline slows down the beginning and end.

We open with handsome Doctor Helius chewing scenery with an aged professor driven into poverty and near-insanity by the rejection of his theory that the moon's mountains are full of gold. The good Doctor still believes in him, as do the 5 potentates (!) who control the world's gold supply and wish to corral the moon's as well. This introduces an underworld spy played quite suavely by Fritz Rasp.

We also meet the eponymous Woman, Gerda Maurus, a lady with expressive eyes, no particular figure and a rather bad hair-do. She is a jolly sort, though, as well as a much stronger individual than the jelly-backboned dames who pollute the post-WWII genre, and serves well enough as the love interest for both the good Doctor and his (mostly) loyal engineer Hans.

This all gets sticky for about an hour until we finally meet the Rocketship. The roll-out of the Ship is a sequence of monumental power as the massive craft and supporting structure are slowly rolled out of the assembly building to the launch pad as the moon rises out of the searchlit gloom and crowds and photographers swarm beneath the juggernaut to the accompaniment of radio voice-over which, though completely unheard in a silent film, is so beautifully gestured that we understand exactly what the announcer is saying.

The whole launch and countdown scene is one of the greatest sequences in science fiction, full of painstaking detail, creating immense drive and drama but in a vein of complete human reality. The added film score by Marsalis lends impetus particularly to this sequence.

Scenes of the craft in weightlessness are also well-grounded in physics (rocket pioneer Hermann Oberth was technical consultant). Unfortunately the landing on the moon also lands us right back in the Harlequin romance script. The lunar scenery leaves reality completely behind, while the whole hour-long Gold Syndicate subplot at the beginning basically evaporates into a bit of wrestling in the sand.

The romantic triangle is a good enough romantic triangle. It just seems like a long way to go to have a soap opera.

Even so, the amazing middle part contains maybe the most powerful dramatization of real science that I have seen, inventing the countdown sequence now used routinely in space and military launches. These scenes can be watched separately as a smaller, almost self-contained masterpiece within the much longer film.

Average customer rating:

Space silliness
Good Movie--if You Get the Full Edition!
Uncomplete and cut
Flash Gordon and the star war
ANOTHER CLASSIC SERIAL

Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars
Starring: Buster Crabbe , Jean Rogers , Charles Middleton , Frank Shannon , and Beatrice Roberts
Director: Ford Beebe , Frederick Stephani , and Robert F. Hill
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Sci-Fi Action | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe - The Complete Saturday Morning Serial
Buck Rogers
Flash Gordon: Box Set (Space Soldiers/Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars/Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe) (3DVD)
Flash Gordon - Dominion of Ming

ASIN: 6305773904
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Amazon.com

It's easy to point and guffaw at the Flash Gordon serials. In fact, in this day and age it's hard to believe that audiences of any era were ever expected to accept bulbous rocket ships that flatulently trail sparks and smoke; preposterous, shambling space creatures; and spaceship interiors that look as though they were assembled from a plumbing warehouse. Despite the primitive sets and effects, Flash Gordon serials are as much a part of the roots of modern sci-fi as Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, or Ray Bradbury.

This collection from Image Entertainment finds Flash battling a fiendish plot staged by Queen Azura of Mars, stealing the Earth's nitrogen to aid in the ongoing war against the Clay People. Flash soon discovers that Azura is in line with his mortal enemy, Ming the Merciless, who secretly is plotting to overthrow her and take over Mars himself. As usual, the hapless Professor Zarkov gets in predicaments from which Flash must rescue him, and Dale Arden is by Flash's side through all of it. Loaded with fisticuffs, sputtering, wobbly rocket ships, lasers, and, of course, the remarkable Clay People (Martians turned into animated mud), this is fast-paced sci-fi entertainment that was state of the art for 1938. The energy and raw enthusiasm of these serials are what make them so fun to watch, not to mention providing a downright quaint time-capsule look at what Depression-era audiences thought of as the future. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

Complete and uncut: 15 episodes starring "Buster" Crabbe. Life on Earth is about to be destroyed! A mysterious beam of light emanating from Mars is sucking the nitrogen from the planet's atmosphere, and only Flash Gordon ("Buster" Crabbe) can stop it. Blasting off with Dale Arden (Jean Rogers) and Dr. Hans Zarkov (Frank Shannon), Flash and his intrepid band of adventurers quickly learn that Queen Azura (Beatrice Roberts), ruler of Mars, is stealing Earth's nitrogen to aid in her ongoing war with the Clay People, Martians whom Azura magically turned into living mud. A bigger surprise, however, is yet to come; working closely with the Queen is Flash's mortal enemy, Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton), who--while posing as Azura's ally--is secretly plotting to overthrow the Queen and seize Mars for himself! Can Flash save the Earth, rescue the Clay People, bring Azura to her senses, and stop Ming's heinous scheme? The answers lie in "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars"--15 thrilling episodes of sci-fi adventure at its very best.

Customer Reviews:

Space silliness.......2006-11-15

These fifteen episodes, twenty minutes each, add up to a five-hour marathon of popcorn-worthy swashbuckling. It's based on Alex Raymond's comic strip from that pre-WWII era that now looks like such an Eden of innocence. It wasn't, of course, but they didn't know it back then.

Queen Azura of Mars has waged war on the clay people, who seem condemned to live their shambling lives away from the sun, in prison uniforms and itchy-looking rubber masks. Evil Ming the Merciless falsely befriends her, to take advantage of her mystic command of the White Opal. It is a gem that grants her magical powers and looks pretty good on with her perpetual evening gown. Somewhere along the line the good guy's gal, Dale Arden, also doffs her lab coat and spends the rest of the flick running through forests and caves in an evening gown of her own - more sparkly, and more dramatic about the bodice. Then there's Prince Barin, standing proud in his armored chestplate and shortie bloomers. And Ming, with a little arrow pasted onto his skullcap.

Well, ignore the costumes (and the plot, if you can). Instead, drink in the tubby little strato-sleds as they soar through the air, flatulent with drooping sparks and drifting wreaths of smoke. Or the wonderful labs, generally bare except for a few ominous Erlenmeyers and a Jacob's ladder or two, or more. Or the ray guns that look mostly like little cookie presses with the handle bent sideways.

It's great stuff. My childhood was, I admit, as close to the series's 1938 date as to this writing, or closer. It was wonderful, stirring adventure back then. It still is, if you can see it with innocent-enough eyes. If not, it's the epitome of camp, only better for being so un-self-conscious. And people don't have bloody fights and do keep their clothes on, so tender sensibilities need not worry.

//wiredweird

Good Movie--if You Get the Full Edition!.......2005-10-04

Make sure you get the Image Entertainment DVD! That one has all the episodes and runs 299 minutes. I bought the 97 minute edition by accident because the reviews are all combined!

Even the 97 minute version was good, but so much was edited out, and a few times the viewer is edited into a different situation completely.

The plot involves an attempt to destroy earth once again, and Flash Gordon, Professor Zarkhov, and Dale Arden come to the rescue. The queen of Mars has usurped the throne and turned her enemies into "clay men." But behind it all is Ming the Merciless. Lots of fun! But remember, with all these serials, the viewer had better not ask questions (like how is it everyone speaks English, or why can you fly from planet to planet and never worry about Oxygen or temperature). These movies are meant as an escape and are best called "feel good" movies. Kids love these as well as adults.

Uncomplete and cut.......2005-09-27

1mn45s are missing in 35mm sources while existing in 16mm TV versions.
On the Image DVD, Flash Gordon Trip To Mars Chapter 3 at 53mn53s : Flash says "It's one of the Death Squa-(sound cut, and) I don't see any more of them."
A sequence is definitely missing, the two parts said being definitely opposite in meaning.
The shot looks the same but we know how movies are shot, all dialogue in same set are shot at once even if applying to different times and actions.
From a forum, someone detailed : Flash Gordon and Zarkov are being pursued by a Martian pilot in a "Strato-Sled". (The Martian pilot pushes a button at the top of his console, and you hear an explosion) Flash says: "It's one of the Death Squadron ships right on our tails!" Zarkov says: "Man the gun Flash! I'll try to get him into position for you!" (The two ships weave around and fire at each other, Flash pushes his button, and there's a big explosion) Zarkov says: "Got 'Em Flash! Direct hit!" The injured Martian pilot crawls to the televisor and says: "Death Squadron Base Emergency!"(twice) The Squadron Commander, (Kenneth Duncan) says: "Death Squadron Base answering. Who's calling?" Martian pilot answers: " Z- N 12! Look out for...Look out for..." (he collapses, and his ship crashes into a mountain.) Flash says: " I don't see any more of them. He must be the only one."

Flash Gordon and the star war.......2005-09-08

I saw all the episodes of Flash Gordon during my adolescence and it had been for ever in my mind. Later on,as a man I had the opportunity to buy it and see it again, and I was impressed for the performance of Buster Crabbe that with the company of Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov go in the quest to save planet Earth.
During the 13 hair-raising episodes of fabulous high adventure on Mongo, a planet complete with hawkmen, lionmen,melting rays, sky cities, rocket fleets, atom furnaces, all controlled by the cruelestdespot in the universe...Ming the merciless. comparing all this I realized that this 1951 TV series is the beginning of the new star war episodes, that is the importance of to see Flash Gordon.

ANOTHER CLASSIC SERIAL.......2004-08-18

THIS TIME AROUND, FLASH GORDON, DALE ARDEN, AND PROFESSOR ZARKOFF TRAVEL TO MARS TO PREVENT QUEEN AZURA FROM STEALING THE EARTH'S NITROGEN. ALSO, THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH EMPORER MING AGAIN. THIS 13-CHAPTER SEQUEL DOESN'T COMPARE WITH THE 1ST, BUT IT'S EASILY ONE OF THE BEST SERIALS EVER RELEASED. ANY SERIAL FAN WILL LOVE THIS ACTON-PACKED SERIAL.

Average customer rating:

Campy sci-fi in its purest form

Attack From Space
Starring: Ken Utsui , Sachihiro Ohsawa , Junko Ikeuchi , Minako Yamada , and Shôji Nakayama
Director: Akira Mitsuwa , Teruo Ishii , and Koreyoshi Akasaka
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Atomic Rulers of the World
Warning from Space
Starman, Vol. 1 - Attack from Space / Evil Brain from Outer Space
Starman, Vol. 2 - Invaders from Space / Atomic Rulers
The Day the Sky Exploded

ASIN: B0001DMWS4
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Customer Reviews:

Campy sci-fi in its purest form.......2006-01-08

Starman may well be the silliest superhero to ever save the Earth from destruction. Once you see his patented twirling exit, it's impossible to take this guy the least bit seriously - and that's before you even see him fight. Of course, he's a stud back home on the Emerald Planet, which is apparently populated by discarded robot models designed and made by some unnamed elementary school students. The sad part is that the Earth actually needs this doughy guy to pull our butts out of the fire - again. He had already saved the Earth from the would-be Atomic Rulers of the World. Now it's those unruly ruffians from the Sapphire Galaxy out to conquer the universe - starting with the Earth. These fascist aliens (the Superians) threaten the entire universe with their nuclear weapons, they are able to send giant space stations across the galaxy, they've infiltrated all aspects of Earth society with their network of spies, and they even have this super mind-wiper gizmo - yet, somehow, they don't know how to design a decent engine for a spaceship. Uh, okay. That's why they kidnap a Japanese scientist who is putting the finishing touches on his own shiny new spaceship - which is to be used for only peaceful purposes, of course. The plan is to get the geek scientist's plans for an engine, build lots of ships, and then attack the Earth. It would have worked, too, if it hadn't been for those durned kids - and Starman, of course.

So what makes Starman a superhero? Well, thanks to his alien technology (basically a fancy wristwatch called a globemeter), he has the ability to fly through space, detect radiation, speak every language on earth, and whatever other powers prove convenient as the movie goes along. He can also survive and breathe in space, but that doesn't really count since everyone in this movie can do the same thing. Oh yeah, his body is also apparently made of steel or something, as no one can hurt him with any kind of weapon. Mostly, though, Starman just likes to fight. You haven't seen pitifully choreographed fight scenes until you've seen Starman's seemingly endless battle against the aliens on their space station. He just kind of throws his arms up every now and again - well, suffice to say it's extremely silly-looking. And it goes on forever and a day, since he never really hurts anybody at all.

The Japanese have made some pretty campy sci-fi films over the years, but these Starman movies, which actually consist of footage taken from the old Super Giant television serials, take the proverbial cake. Any bad guy with an ounce of self-respect would die laughing at the sight of this paunchy, uncoordinated, spandex-clad do-gooder, yet his unique fighting "skills" and general peskiness strike fear in the hearts of the Superians. If you can't get enough old, extremely campy sci-fi films with truly embarrassing special effects, then you, my friend, must introduce yourself to Starman without delay. This guy makes the Prince of Space look like a stud.

Average customer rating:

Looking for my brother
looking for my brother

Looking For My Brother
Starring: Tom Kenney , Laurel Sweet , Alan Rickman , George Bush , and Dan Rather
Director: John Kenney , and Rick Knief
Manufacturer: Rocket Science Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Charlie Rose with Jeff Bridges; Alan Rickman (August 27, 2002)
An Awfully Big Adventure
Therese Raquin
Something the Lord Made

ASIN: B000A13B8M
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Customer Reviews:

Looking for my brother.......2006-08-24

A deeply moving account of the affect of September 11th from a personal prospective, I enjoyed this film enormously.

looking for my brother.......2005-07-09

an incredibly moving and compelling true account of a moment in time in the lives of two people profoundly and directly impacted by the events of september 11th. it was engaging, riveting and a unique and distinctive portrayal of two brothers connected, yet disconnected.

Average customer rating:

WOW!
Without any doubt the best documentary of the space age yet
Great content, great value for the money...
This is the best bang for the buck
Best history of rockets on DVD

Rocket Science
Starring: Rocket Science
Manufacturer: Casablanca Media TV
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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The Mighty Saturns: Saturn V
Liftoff! Success and Failure on the Launch Pad
Saturn (Apogee Books Space Series)
NOVA - Genius: The Science of Einstein, Newton, Darwin, and Galileo
Space Station (IMAX)

ASIN: B0002IQE1Y
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Customer Reviews:

WOW!.......2007-02-19

If you see this dvd...BUY IT...'BRILLIANT'
Covers A to Z of the space race in amazing detail.
3 dvd box set for this price is AWESOME value for money.

Without any doubt the best documentary of the space age yet.......2005-11-06

This 3-DVD set is a must-have for space enthousiasts. It is packed with great footage, and covers not only the American manned missions but also - and fairly extensively so - the Soviet program (Soviet rocketry, R16, Vostok, Gagarin, Leonov, Salyut, Zond, N1 Soviet moonrocket). There's a lot of unique footage on Wernher von Braun and nazi-Germany (including the V2) and on things like the Cuban missile crisis. It's really a history course all by its own. The space age comes alive again in all its cold war glory (it's nice to see, for instance, a triumphant Khruschev (with white hat) discussing plans with Korolov outside his summer mansion, embracing hero-cosmonaut Gagarin on the red square, and cheering with Castro, or president Kennedy's speech before congress). It is impossible to describe the incredible amount of content on these three discs (mostly high quality). The program also features a lot of interviews with astronauts, technicians, scientists, historians and managers. Especially interesting in my opinion were the interview-fragments - spreaded throughout the discs - with Andrew Chaikin (A man on the moon) and Robert Godwin (Apogee books). But you'll see and hear many, many more interesting people. It's a great historical document, recommended also for history teaching. You can watch it, or parts of it, over and over again. I found the title of this Canadian TV-program somewhat misleading, because it is not focusing on rocket technology at all, but on the space program in all its dimensions. This set will please you, space enthusiasts.

Great content, great value for the money..........2005-09-22

I too was a child of the Space Age and have always been fascinated by what took place in those days. Even today as a middle-aged accountant, I still have that same sense of wonder and appreciation for the space program that I had as a boy in the late 60's/early 70's. It is in that vein that I have bought and read/watched numerous astronaut biographies, documentaries, etc. including most of the Spacecraft Films DVD's and the CG Publishing/Apogee Books space series.

In fact, I stumbled across this DVD set on the CG website, then later saw it on Amazon for $17.99. I wasn't sure if there would be anything here that I hadn't seen or read before but the price was right so I gave it a shot, and I'm glad I did. I haven't watched the whole thing yet but I've already learned some things I didn't know about before, like the mass influx of Canadian engineers and the inflatable wing proposal for Gemini landings. If you're looking for a good "starter set" for learning about the space race days of the 60's, look no further. Highly recommended.

This is the best bang for the buck.......2005-06-12

If you are interested in the space program, particularly in its history and achievemnts, I doubt you will find a better series than this one. It is superb.

Man's quest for space is examined in a series of programs starting out with wide eyed visionaries like Robert Goddard and progressing through the Air Force's X-Plane program of the 50s. Those are well done and interesting and then it just gets better. Subsequent volumes look at the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo prgrams. Each episode is a delight.

Not only are the pilots and astronauts present to take part in the series, many of the support staff lend their experiences as well. This includes the engineers who made the program happen and even the odd politician or two. Not only are we given the facts of the program, we get a feel for the excitement of the era as well.

I love the space program and have seen many programs. None is as good as this one.

Best history of rockets on DVD.......2005-02-28

I think this is the most comprensive history of the evolution of rockets from Melies to the landing on the moon you will find anywhere on video. Contains both historical footage and new interviews with participants to the moon program and the X-planes. It's sometimes a little long but I beleive you get the most accurate picture of what it was and what drove the race to the moon . To me that's worth far more than pretty pictures of actors pretending to be rocket scientists or astronauts. Well worth the money.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful

The Naked Cosmos
Starring: Gilbert Hernandez; Carol Kovinick
Director: Gilbert Hernandez; Carol Kovinick , and Gilbert Hernandez
Manufacturer: Bright Red Rocket
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0009EIO28
Release Date: 2005-04-15

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2006-01-25

Greeting children of the cosmos,
I watched a copy of the DVD over a friend's house. Then I told myself...I gotta get a copy of this!!!
I've also got myself a copy of the NakedCosmos comic book. 1 UP for me. Lucky.
Gilbert Hernandez is out of control by playing almost all the characters himself. There are random moments with short segments. It will create sparks in your head. People have to see this. Go to their site www.brightredrocket.com and you will see what I mean.
oh yeah, also check out "God Hates Cartoons" DVD.

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