Author: Joshua Tyler & Drew Dietsch | updated
The ’60s were a turning point for American culture and science fiction.
For science fiction film lovers, it is now remembered as the decade that brought us Stanley Kubrick’s groundbreaking work. 2001: A Space OdysseyHG Wells’ beloved adaptation time machineAnd one of the biggest twists in history planet of the apes.
Unfortunately, most of the other great science fiction films of the past decade failed to capture the attention of modern audiences and are slowly being forgotten. Not if there is nothing we can do about it!
Let’s take a time machine back to a time when ideas were bigger and better than most special effects, but nonetheless left their mark on film history. These 1960s science fiction movies are still worth watching.
Doctor Who and the Daleks (1965)
You know doctor who Although it was produced as a TV show, in 1965 the Good Doctor got a big screen feature film: Doctor Who and Dalek. This was the first time the Doctor appeared in color.
Best of all, the Doctor is played by Star Wars’ Grand Moff Tarkin, Peter Cushing.
This film is an adaptation of one of his earlier works. doctor who Serial, “The Daleks.” Dr. It features Who and his three young companions traveling to the planet Skaro to take on the evil Daleks.
In this continuity (always intended to be separate from the show’s continuity), The Doctor is actually Dr. It is named Who. And he’s not a Time Lord. He is a human inventor who builds the TARDIS rather than stealing it. While most of the other changes are cosmetic in nature, this still remains a unique piece of sci-fi history that fans will want to check out.
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
Before Richard Matheson’s groundbreaking novel i am a legend It turned into a Will Smith blockbuster and Charlton Heston’s cheesy delight, with the legendary Vincent Price starring in the original. last man on earth. After a plague turns the population into vampiric undead, Robert Morgan goes into hiding and tries to survive even after the world has changed.
last man on earth It’s a grim little film that’s surprisingly effective in its bleak tone, thanks to its always excellent price-fixing performance. This will inspire George Romero to change his game. night of the living deadSo if you want to know where that movie came from. last man on earth This is a must see cooler.
Barbarella (1968)
barbarella It’s not as hot a space magnet movie as its reputation would lead you to believe.
Sure, the movie contains a decent amount of nudity, but sometimes it’s done in such a naive and innocent way that you barely notice.
barbarella Jane Fonda stars as a solo space pilot traveling through space in a distant future where Earth has evolved beyond the need for barbaric things like violence and war. They also eliminated sex and replaced it with pills.
In this context, Barbarella is sent to track down an intergalactic villain with plans to bring back violence and war. Early on in her journey, she discovers that sexual practices that humans no longer engage in are actually quite good. This is useful because whenever she does that, the man she couples with is often inspired to a higher level. Barbarella helps the angel gain his wings by literally making love to him.
Seems pretty vulgar, doesn’t it? But check out the video at the top of the article to see one of the sex scenes completely uncensored.
The sex all happens off-camera, and what you’re really seeing is a series of beautifully constructed sci-fi set pieces featuring actors of various abilities wearing lovingly crafted and completely unusual costumes. It’s clear that their goal here was to make more than just a space movie. They were trying to create a very ’60s kind of free-loving visual art.
Are they successful? It’s up to you, but I can assure you that there is no other movie like it. barbarella And it’s a staple of the decade for a reason.
Planet of the Vampires (1965)
Italian genre master Mario Bava has had the greatest influence on science fiction films such as: planet of vampires. The story follows a spaceship crew responding to a distress call from an unexplored planet and discovering the remains of a long-dead giant alien species.
Of course, it sounds like just another sci-fi horror movie you know, right? planet of vampires I’m definitely inspired alien But it’s closer to an alien zombie movie than a vampire movie. Mario Bava’s colorful design and pop tone in general make it a fun and important piece in science fiction film history.
The first man on the moon (1964)
Just before humans landed on the moon and discovered what it was really like, Hollywood produced an H.G. Wells adaptation that used a brilliant framing device to tie everything together.
Imagine Neil Armstrong taking one small step and then finding a note in 1899 where someone wrote that he wasn’t the first person.
first man on the moon We soon look back on the original 1899 secret mission and explore what it would have been like if humans had gone to the moon in the Victorian era. The answer is that they may have arrived underground and encountered a secret lunar interior filled with awesome Ray Harryhausen stop-motion monsters. Ah, who doesn’t love Ray Harryhausen stop-motion monsters?
Although the film never took off at the box office, it soon became a cult success. It is now considered one of the best adaptations of HG Wells’ work. George Pal’s time machine Although I am receiving a lot of love and attention, first man on the moon This is another adaptation of a classic ’60s science fiction novel that you won’t want to skip.
Fantastic Voyage (1966)
Long before Mr. Frizzle takes the Magic School Bus to one of his students. Futurama The crew moved to Fry’s intestines. fantastic sailing We explored the inner self of a North Korean defector from the Soviet Union. The film won several awards, starred numerous stars, and provided a visual language for every movie or TV show inside the circuit you’ve ever seen.
Released in 1966, fantastic sailing It is a technological marvel of its time. The film’s original trailer heralded it as “a new kind of moviegoing experience,” and this time around, that wasn’t an exaggeration. It was true.
One of them is Isaac Asimov. best science fiction writer I always wrote novelizations of movies that came before the movies.
today, fantastic sailing emerged as a turning point science fiction The film explores a completely new setting that has never been done on this scale before. It remains both a technological advancement and an incredible adventure.
Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)
Imagine Matt Damon Martian If only it had been filmed in the 1960s and teamed up with a monkey in a spacesuit. you are Robinson Crusoe on Mars.
The film’s main character isn’t named Robinson Crusoe, but other than that, it’s a pretty straight-forward adaptation of Daniel Defoe’s classic novel if it took place in space.
most Robinson Crusoe on Mars It was filmed in Death Valley, but you’d never know it. The production design is excellent for the era, and does its best to find a level of realism consistent with science’s very limited knowledge of what it would be like on Mars. And the unrealistic parts are actually fun.
Watch the video to see the strange way the alien spaceship moves. i like it.
As a bonus, Adam West appears briefly in the film as a cocky astronaut. He was there long enough to wonder why he wasn’t cast as the lead in the movie. yet, Robinson Crusoe on Mars It was notable enough to be restored and released by the Criterion Collection. I must say it is a worthy watch.
Seconds (1966)
in candleScreen icon Rock Hudson gives one of the best performances of his career as an aging celibate seduced by a secret company that can change his identity and make him younger as a means of finding happiness without responsibility.
In his new identity, he soon falls in with a group of naked hippies and becomes entangled with an anxious woman escaping a boring life. And he still isn’t happy.
candle Based on the novel by David Ely and directed by legendary Hollywood star John Frankenheimer. John Frankenheimer set out to use unconventional compositions to give his films an unsettling feel, and he certainly succeeded.
candle It plays out like a particularly good episode. twilight zoneAlways worth watching. twilight zone. candle It’s no different.
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)
Roger Corman has been responsible for numerous science fiction films over the years, and one of his all-time best is: X: Man with x-ray eyes. Ray Milland plays a scientist who wants to experiment with expanding human vision. He initially develops eye drops that provide controllable x-ray vision. But soon he can’t sleep because he can see through his eyelids, and things get even worse.
Thanks to Milland’s total dedication and the nightmarish descent over which the film progresses, X: Man with x-ray eyes What could be a terrible gag premise is treated with serious sci-fi investigation and horror.
The Nutty Professor (1963)
Steve Urkel tried to copy it.
Eddie Murphy tried to do more than that.
But Jerry Lewis’ original 1963 version is still the best version, with a classic geek twist and cool, crazy science story.
Lewis plays a nerd who is trying his best to stop being a nerd. He even tries to exercise. It got so bad that doctors told him to give up.
But scientists never give up. He discovers a chemical formula that transforms him into the confident person he’s always wanted to be. Unfortunately, all that confidence made him a complete fool.
Jerry Lewis co-wrote and directed the film. He used video playback after each scene to meticulously evaluate what he had done. Although it is now a common practice, he was one of the first to use it in 1963.
The result was an immediate hit. nutty professor It is now considered one of Lewis’ best films and one of the greatest comedies of the past decade. It’s not a bad way to spend less than two hours.
Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
Released as follows 5 million years to Earth In America Quatermass and the Pit It’s actually part of a series of sci-fi horror classics surrounding the character of Professor Bernard Quatermass, but this one is the best.
An ancient Martian spaceship has been unearthed in London, and inside is the corpse of an insect-like alien. Discoveries about the history of human evolution are revealed, and by the end, the ghosts of Martian psychic energy are driving civilization into apocalyptic frenzy. It’s one of the most surprising and influential science fiction stories to ever hit the screen. If that’s more boring than what you’re used to, just wait until that epic finale. You won’t regret it.
Do you have a favorite sci-fi movie from the 1960s? Leave us your picks in the comments and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos from us here at Giant Freakin Robot.
