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| Cut from a newspaper October 23 1986 |
Showing posts with label scifi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scifi. Show all posts
2010
I really wanted to love this film. I'd read the book, bought the soundtrack, the comic adaptation, the poster and the lobby cards....and yet it was so boring.
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| From either the Sun or Herald newspaper, Melbourne Australia, April 1985 |
Robocop
One of the truly great films of the 1980s. I await with apprehension the remake due in 2013.
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| From either the Sun or Herald newspaper, Melbourne Australia, September 19 1987 |
Meteor
This was the Deep Impact of the 1970's, and not a bad one too although the special effects were a little shaky.
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| From the Herald or Sun newspaper December 21 1979 |
The Time Guardian
Touted at the time as Australia's first big budget science fiction film. With Princess Leia in full 1980s outfit. Unfortunately it wasn't very good. At all.
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| The Sun, 3 December 1987 |
On the back of the clipping:
The Quiet Earth (1986)
The Quiet Earth started with the usual 'last man on earth' scenario that had already been done to death in the 1970s, but it ended up as something much stranger. The final scene is something I have never forgotten. I paid homage to it in one of my band's videos
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| July 1986 |
On the back of the clipping:
The Final Countdown
No, not the bombastic song by the band with a continent for a name, but the not-very-good 1980 film starring Kirk Douglas. As a financially struggling 15 year old I needed to ration my film viewing for more exciting things in the pipeline so I avoided this one. Loved the poster though.
On the back of the clipping: Church of Scientology grand opening, Aker Bilk and Basil's Seafood Restaurant. Ah, Melbourne...
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| August 1980 |
Prophecy
Anyone remember this one? It came hot on the heels of Alien and was directed by John Frankenheimer. I never saw it and still haven't but I cut out the clipping anyway as I really liked the image (an obvious 'Alien egg' rip off)
On the back of the clipping: before cutting my Dad's newspaper to pieces, I would always read the 'Rap Around' music news column.
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| September 15 1979 |
Battle Beyond The Stars
Another highly enjoyable Star Wars rip off, Battle Beyond The Stars was basically The Magnificent Seven in space.
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| Battle Beyond the Stars Dec 25 1980 |
On the back of the clipping:
The Empire Strikes back
Words can't describe the excitement and anticipation I felt leading up to the release of this. I cut out every article and mention of it in magazines and newspapers. I recorded (on cassettes) every interview and promo piece on TV shows (The Don Lane show in particular) and radio. The movie did not disappoint and in my opinion remains the best of the entire series.
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| August 9 1980 |
On the back of the clipping: more fabulously unsubtle Melbourne restaurants.
The Humanoid
Another highly entertaining Italian Star Wars rip off. The byline says "the most imaginative film of its kind since Star Wars" Exactly. Check out the Darth Vader look-a-like on the bottom right of the poster.
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| The Humanoid Aug 23 1979 |
On the back of the clipping:
Star Trek The Motion Picture
After Star Wars this film was the biggest movie event of the 1970s for me. What a mind blowing trip it was with stunning special effects and a majestic soundtrack. Pity about the plodding story, but back then it didn't bother me.
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| Star Trek The Motion Picture December 20 1979 |
On the back of the clipping: an eclectic collection of films on offer in December 1979
The Black Hole
The Black Hole, shown in glorious 70mm, was one of the most spectacular films I'd ever seen and the special effects were refreshingly dark and moody. Pity about everything else in the film.
This clipping is from The Sun, May 28 1980
On the back of the clipping: they don't make jobs like these any more...
2001: A Space Odyssey
The ad trumpets "Before Star Wars there was and there will always be 2001: A Space Odyssey." It didn't really need to say that - there was always an audience for 2001. But for a brief period in the post-Star Wars world everything in science fiction had to have a link to that most successful film.
26 August 1978, The Melbourne Herald newspaper.
On the back of the clipping: who remembers the Swagman restaurant with "the floorshow we are famous for"
Starcrash
The greatest Star Wars rip-off of all was the completely ridiculous and insanely enjoyable Starcrash. I really wanted to see this at the time but yet again my mother and her overactive rip-off radar prevented me.
Starcrash. Clipping from August 23 1979
On the back of the clipping. Anyone remember Waltons stores?
Starship Invasions
Starship Invasions was another film considered to be a Star Wars rip-off, although it was probably more of a Close Encounters rip-off and actually had more in common with an Ed Wood film. I never saw it at the time - my mother wouldn't let me. She said it was a Star Wars rip off and I'd be wasting my money. Smart mum.
April 26 1979
On the back is a bunch of 1970s restaurants with bad names. I can die happy knowing there was a restaurant in this world called "Amorous Prawn"
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Arguably the second biggest sci-fi movie event of the 1970s after Star Wars was Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It didn't reach Australia until four months after its USA debut, but like many blockbusters of the 1970s it stayed in cinemas for up to a year or more.
From The Herald 18 Jan 1979
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On the back of the clipping you can choose between the oddly named (for a
restaurant) Tramps or use the courtesy coach (!) to go to La Cocotte,
Elgin St Carlton where you can enjoy a 3 course lunch for $6.50. Fetch the coach, Jeeves!
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