One of the most seminal sci-fi rides of the ’60s is still worth watching
Author: Jonathan Klotz | Published
Read enough science fiction novels and you’ll come across some themes that every series eventually tackles, from Then there is no more Murder mystery bottle plot evil twins or parallel universe. Among these themes is the recently forgotten but once popular idea of a tour of the miniature human body.
Back when Ms. Freeze rode the magic school bus and crashed into one of her students and future world 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 to date.
Places no one has ever been to
Released in 1966, dream trip It’s a technological marvel. The film’s original trailer called it “a new kind of moviegoing experience,” and this time, that’s not an exaggeration. This is true.
In order to save the life of Dr. Bennis, a Soviet defector who invented the science of miniaturization, five crew members boarded the submarine Proteus. The sub and its crew are then shrunk down to microbial size (one-tenth the size of a human cell) and tasked with trying to remove the inaccessible blood clot.
On their journey to their destination, they traveled through the unknown universe within the human body. This is a place filled with things they’ve never seen before, and they only have one hour to survive.
The diving crew includes brain surgeon Dr. Peter Duvall (played by Arthur Kennedy), his assistant Cora (played by Raquel Welch), and circulatory system expert Dr. Michaels (played by Donald Pleasence). ), Captain Owens (played by William Redfield), the Proteus. Grant is dispatched by the United States Small Combined Deterrence Force (CMDF) to prevent Dr. Benes from being killed again. Of course, that’s exactly what happened.
All you have to do is look at the cast and you know who the traitor is by now, but that was a year before Donald Pleasence debuted as James Bond’s nemesis Blofeld. At the time, it was a turning point.
Psychedelic visual display
The traitor aboard the Proteus adds to the tension as the acts of sabotage begin to unfold, but without the Cold War subplot, the story could have been about saving lives and be just as good. dream trip It’s at its best as the crew explores the inside of Dr. Benes’ body, passing through the circulatory system of the heart, which must be stopped to allow them safe passage.
They enter the lungs to collect oxygen, enter the ears, and even pass through the nervous system. Each new body part is another stunning visual playground for the actors to explore, and while yes, the special effects are rudimentary compared to the visual effects showcases of modern blockbusters, there’s a cheesy appeal to “Antibodies” , they were apparently thick ropes thrown off-screen by the staff.
The background and visual effects of Proteus traveling through the body are enough dream trip Won Oscars for Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction (now called Best Production Design). It’s a well-deserved win, even with the ’60s special effects, where the creepy white blood cells look like monsters from deep space rather than required, functional parts of the human body.
A genre-defining must-see film
groundbreaking and revolutionary dream trip Visually, it’s the story’s discovery of conflict and danger from the simple act of exploration that helps it become a genre-defining film. Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time, wrote the novel for the film and had it published before the film was released. This makes the audience believe dream trip In fact, the film was originally developed as an adaptation.
Asimov was a little frustrated by some of the scientific content in the film. Although he respected this in the novel, he went on to write a sequel, Fantasy Journey 2: Destination Brainwhich is more scientifically accurate.
today, dream trip By exploring new and unprecedented scenarios, it becomes a turning point in science fiction movies. story Focused on exploration and discovery, even then, Hollywood movies had replaced this with aliens and monsters. This is a simple plot, but even with There’s no external conflict, and the one-hour timer to complete the mission adds enough tension to make the whole thing compelling.
You can stream dream trip Watch on-demand video today on Amazon Prime, AppleTV, Google Play and Fandango at Home. The trip is worth it.
