Author: Joshua Tyler and Drew Dietsch updated
The sixties were a turning point in American culture and science fiction.
For fans of science fiction movies, Stanley Kubrick is now remembered for his seminal decade 2001: A Space Odysseya much-loved adaptation of HG Wells’ work time machineand one of the biggest twists ever planet of the apes.
Unfortunately, many other great science fiction films from this decade have not been embraced by modern audiences and are slowly being forgotten. Not if we could do something!
Let’s jump into a time machine and travel back to a time when creativity was bigger and better than most special effects but still left a mark on film history.
It’s giant monster robots, and these 1960s sci-fi movies are still worth watching.
Doctor Who and the Daleks (1965)
you know doctor who as a television show, but in 1965, The Good Doctor was released as a big-screen feature film titled Doctor Who and the Daleks. This is the first time I see a doctor’s work in color.
Best of all, the Doctor is played by Star Wars’ Moff Tarkin, Peter Cushing.
This film is adapted from the earliest doctor who TV series The Daleks. The story follows Doctor Who and his three young companions as they travel to the planet Skaro to fight the evil Daleks.
In this continuity – always intended to be separate from the show’s continuity – the Doctor is actually named Doctor Who. He’s not a Time Lord, he’s a human inventor who built the TARDIS, not stole it. Most of the other changes are cosmetic in nature, but this is still a unique piece of sci-fi history that any fan will want to check out.
The Last Man on Earth(1964)
Before Richard Matheson’s landmark novel i am legend Adapted into the Will Smith blockbuster and Charlton Heston’s cheesy delight, the legendary Vincent Price starred in the original adaptation, last man on earth. When a plague turns people into the vampiric undead, Robert Morgan goes into hiding to try to survive as the world changes.
last man on earth This is a moody little film whose grim tone is surprisingly effective thanks to an anchor performance from the always excellent Price. It would go on to inspire George Romero’s game-changing ideas night of the living deadso if you’re wondering where that movie came from, last man on earth It’s a must-see chiller.
Barbara(1968)
Barbarella This isn’t a steamy space baby movie, as its reputation would lead you to believe.
Of course, the film does contain a healthy dose of nudity, but it’s done in such an innocent way that at times you barely notice.
Barbarella Jane Fonda plays a solo space pilot who travels the universe in a distant future where the earth no longer needs barbaric things such as violence and war. They also got rid of sex, replacing it with drugs.
Against this backdrop, Barbarella is sent to track down a galactic villain whose plans are to restore violence and war. Early on in her journey, she discovers that this kind of sex that humans don’t do anymore is actually pretty good. This also comes in handy because whenever she does this, the man she marries often ends up being inspired to reach greater heights. Barbara helped the angel gain wings by having sex with him.
That sounds mean, doesn’t it? But check out what those completely uncensored sex scenes look like in the video at the top of the article.
The sex all happens off-camera, and what you’re actually seeing is a series of beautifully constructed sci-fi scenes featuring actors of varying abilities wearing elaborate and completely unusual costumes. It’s clear that their goal wasn’t just to make a space movie. They tried to create a very 60’s style free love visual art.
Did they succeed? It’s up to you, but we can safely say that there is no other movie like Barbarella There’s a reason it became a staple of the decade.
Planet of the Vampires(1965)
Italian genre master Mario Bava is one of the biggest influences on science fiction movies vampire planet. The story follows a spaceship crew member who responds to a distress call on an unexplored planet, where he eventually discovers the remains of a long-dead giant alien species.
Sure sounds like another sci-fi horror movie you might know, doesn’t it? vampire planet Definitely inspired alien But this feels more like an alien zombie movie than a vampire movie. Mario Bava’s consistent color schemes and poppy tones make it an interesting and important part of science fiction film history.
The first man on the moon (1964)
Shortly before humans landed on the moon and learned what it was actually like, Hollywood made this HG Wells adaptation that used a nifty framing device to tie it all together.
Imagine if Neil Armstrong took one small step and then found a note written by someone in 1899 telling him that he was not the first.
first people to land on the moon Soon we’ll return to the original secret mission in 1899 and explore what it would have been like if humans had landed on the moon during the Victorian era. The answer is that they may have ended up underground and encountered a secret moon interior filled with terrifying Ray Harryhausen stop-motion monsters. Oh, and who doesn’t love Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion monsters?
The film was never a box office success but quickly became a huge success. It is now considered one of the best adaptations of HG Wells’ work. George Pal’s time machine Gets a lot of well-deserved love and attention, but first people to land on the moon This is another adaptation of a classic 60s science fiction novel that you don’t want to skip.
Fantasy Journey(1966)
Back when Ms. Freeze rode the magic school bus and crashed into one of her students and futurama The crew entered Frye’s intestines; dream trip An exploration of the mind of a Soviet defector. The film won multiple awards, had a star-studded cast, and provided the visual language for every movie or TV show you’ve ever seen involving the circulatory system.
Released in 1966, dream trip It was a technological miracle at the time. The film’s original trailer called it “a new kind of moviegoing experience,” and this time, that’s not an exaggeration. This is true.
Isaac Asimov, one of greatest science fiction writer For the record, a novel was written about the film, which was published before the film was released.
today, dream trip become a turning point Science fiction Film the film by exploring entirely new locations that have never been done on this scale before. It is still considered a technological advancement and a fantastic adventure.
Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)
Imagine Matt Damon’s martian What if it had been filmed in the 1960s and paired him with a monkey in a space suit. you will have Robinson Crusoe on Mars.
The film’s main character isn’t named Robinson Crusoe, but otherwise, if it took place in space, it would be a direct adaptation of Daniel Dafoe’s classic novel.
most Robinson Crusoe on Mars It was filmed in Death Valley, but you’d never know it. The production design is very appropriate for the era and does its best to find a level of realism that is consistent with science’s very limited understanding of what Mars might have been like. Even the unrealistic parts are actually pretty funny.
Look at the weird way these alien ships move in the film. I like it.
As an added bonus, Adam West appears briefly in the movie as an arrogant spaceman. He’s there long enough to make you wonder why he wasn’t chosen to star in the movie. still, Robinson Crusoe on Mars Striking enough to be restored and released by the Criterion Collection. That should tell you this is a watch worth looking at.
seconds (1966)
exist secondsScreen icon Rock Hudson gives one of the best performances of his career as an aging stoic seduced by a secret company that can change his identity and make him He grew younger as a means of finding happiness without responsibility.
In his new identity, he soon hangs out with a group of naked hippies and finds himself entangled with a disturbing woman who has also escaped from her boring life. And he’s still not happy.
seconds Adapted from the novel by David Ely, it was directed by Hollywood legend John Frankenheimer, who set out to use uneven compositions to give his film an unsettling feel, and he absolutely succeeded.
seconds plays like a particularly good episode twilight sagaand always worth a look twilight saga. seconds No different.
X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes (1963)
Roger Corman has created a ton of sci-fi movies over the years, and one of them is his best ever X: People with X-ray eyes. Ray Milland plays a scientist who wants to try to expand human vision. He developed an eye drop that first allowed him to control his X-ray vision. But soon, he couldn’t sleep because he could see through his eyelids, and things got worse from there.
Thanks to Milland’s full commitment and the film’s nightmarish pedigree, X: People with X-ray eyes Taking a potentially horrific hoax and treating it with serious sci-fi scrutiny and horror.
The Mad Professor(1963)
Steve Urkel tried to replicate it.
Eddie Murphy tried to top it.
But Jerry Lewis’s original 1963 version of the classic nerd-turned-cool, mad-science tale remains the best version.
Lewis plays a geek who does everything he can to stop himself from becoming a geek. He even tried to exercise. It got so bad that his doctor told him to give up.
But scientists never give up. He found a chemical formula that would transform him into the confident man he always wanted to be. Unfortunately, all that confidence quickly turned him into a complete jerk.
Jerry Lewis co-wrote and directed the film. He would play the film after each scene to carefully evaluate what he had done. This practice is commonly used now, but he was one of the first to do it back in 1963.
The results were an immediate sensation. Crazy Professor Now considered one of Lewis’ best films, and one of the decade’s greatest comedies. Not bad for spending less than two hours.
quartermass and pit (1967)
Published as Five million years from Earth In the United States, quartermass and pit is actually part of a series of sci-fi horror classics surrounding the character of Professor Bernard Quatermass, but this is the best of them all.
An ancient Martian spacecraft has been unearthed in London with the remains of insect-like aliens inside. Discoveries about humanity’s evolutionary history are revealed, and by the end, the spiritual energy ghosts of Mars are driving civilization toward apocalyptic madness. This is one of the most incredible and affecting sci-fi stories to ever grace the screen, and if it’s a bit duller than you’re used to, just wait and see the exciting ending. You won’t regret it.
Do you have a favorite 1960s science fiction movie? Leave your picks in the comments and make sure you subscribe to the YouTube channel to see more videos from us here at Giant Freakin Robot.
