Off The Wall... again

Moon Zero Two

I first saw Moon Zero Two at a school film society night, but time hasn't dimmed its infinite dumbness. It was billed as the first moon western, and they weren't kidding. On an airless moon, in pressurised lunar modules, moon buggies and a domed moonbase, everyone carries 19th century six-shooters. I got it on DVD one Christmas long ago and it's since become the only movie my wife has ever yelled at me for watching. For some inexplicable reason though, I still love it. Its an ill-conceived and misshapen beast, like Gerry Anderson meets Carry On Up The Kubrick. With his gleaming lunar dome, James Olson (who later made at least one good SF film, The Andromeda Strain) is odd casting as the hero. Although perhaps not as weird as Warren (Alf Garnett) Mitchell as dastardly villain J.J. Hubbard. We don't learn much about Hubbard, which is just as well, or his crummy Russian accent would have taken a lot of explaining. On the upside, what's not to love about Catherine Schell (later in Space: 1999) as the female lead.

Moon Zero Two: 1969 (G) 1h 40m Director: Roy Ward Baker.

It's incredible to think that Moon Zero Two was made a year after 2001: A Space Odyssey – the same year (1969) as the first actual lunar landing. Director Roy Ward Baker (Quatermass and the Pit, Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde among others) should have been bundled out of the premiere under a blanket, and D.W. Griffith and George Méliès would have had a good laugh about the effects before rejecting them as not up to 1915 standards. In other words, it's great!

John Tomlinson

*John’s Portals & Black Goo series is currently running weekly, in 2000 AD.

What an absolute Classic! I’m so glad I found this one.

The Wicker Man

1973. (R) 1h 28m Director: Robin Hardy.

The Mask

1961. 1h 23m Director: Julian Roffman.

Petulia

1968. 1h 23m Director: Richard Lester.

I have this one framed and hanging by the front door. Being inquisitive, I discovered that the producer Denis O’Dell seen here in the credits, was the uncle of Dick O’Dell, the British manager, producer, and music entrepreneur who I used to design for at William Orbit, and Dick O’Dell’s Guerilla Records.

Dick has managed some pretty cool musicians in his time, like The Slits, The Pop Group, Gang of Four, William Orbit & Ed Harcourt, and he told me that his uncle worked with Richard Lester on A Hard Day's Night & thence with The Beatles. He was head of Apple Films & produced Magical Mystery Tour among others. His daughter, Denise O’Dell, followed in his footsteps and co-produced Sexy Beast, which is one of my favourite gangster films.

Dick O'Dell's Adventures In Music is on Portobello Radio here, and is always worth tuning in to.

The Vintage

1957. 1h 32m Director: Jeffrey Hayden.

This is the oldest poster I have. There’s such a leap, stylistically once we start seeing the graphic designs of the 1960’s.

The Rain People

1969. 1h 41m (R) Director: Francis Ford Coppola.

I love the use of photography on this one, in fact I have it framed and hanging in the living room alongside the following poster with a beautiful painting by artist, Mitchel Hooks.