Space Probe Taurus (1965)

Watching 'Space Probe - Taurus' is a salutary reminder of how lucky American International Pictures were to have been associated with the gifted Roger Corman. Without Corman, what we get is perfectly competent but thoroughly routine and uninspired, without the budget to create convincing spaceships or even to plunder a Soviet sci-fi picture for its effects. And it's not even in colour. The crew is the usual combination of three middle-aged looking men to one hot chick; the hot chick in this case being the late Francine York as Dr. Lisa Wayne, who wears the same unisex coverall as the men, but unlike them accessorises it with silver go-go boots instead of the lace-up army boots the others wear (presumably the quartermasters back on Earth didn't have them in her size). The name of the ship is apt, as she resembles a piece of porcelain in this bullpen. Dr. Wayne is initially charmlessly cold-shouldered by skipper Hank Stevens (James Brown) because he hadn't wanted a woman on board, before he eventually mellows and charmlessly falls in love with her instead. (Ho Hum...) The early scenes resemble Season One of 'Lost in Space' when it was in black & white. It then becomes 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea' when - forced to make an emergency landing on an alien planet - they end up on the bottom of one of its oceans, to be attacked by crab monsters and a cousin of the gill-man from 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon'.Considering how excited scientists get at the slightest suggestion of moisture in outer space, they take the presence of oceans on this new planet in their stride. Dr. Wayne's supposed to be a scientist, but when they encounter what are obviously enormous crabs her first question is to ask "What are they?" We're told early on that the equipment the ship can carry is severely circumscribed by weight, yet it fortunately turns out to include scuba gear. Naturally the new planet has a breathable atmosphere, but I wouldn't relish sharing my new home with crabs the size of elephants; presumably any other gill-men would be dealt with the way the settlers saw off the American Indians.Bearing in mind that this was made the year that Malcolm X was assassinated, the most striking observation made by anyone in the film is by Dr.Andros after they've just killed a hostile alien whose ship they'd been trespassing on. He makes a number of comments about the unlikelihood of different species being able to peacefully co-exist that are remarkably near the knuckle ("We've got enough troubles on Earth now. I mean we're barely keeping from killing each other off...pretty soon someone on Earth decides that we don't like the way they look...after all, one of us is going to be a minority group. And the next thing you know, Whammo, we're trying to blast each other out of existence."), and remain as scarily pertinent as ever over half a century later.

Even as awful Sci-Fi films of the 50's-60's go, this is a pile of cinematic dreck. If it had even the mildest intention of campiness or one stitch of humor, real science, or a hint of believable special effects, it might work even a little bit. But, quite unfortunately, it's dead serious without any of these redeeming qualities...and that's not a good thing.I thought another 60's Sci-Fi film, "The Angry Red Planet", was bad regarding to sexist remarks applied to a female astronaut/scientist, but the gruff captain in this one tops it with his prejudices against women. No wonder feminism kicked in later on down the line. Oh yeah, he redeems himself later by realizing what an idiot he had been but falls short of openly apologizing (and there's an attraction to the woman too, of course. Such drivel).The alien encountered with the 'busy tongue' is jaw-dropping in its stupidity. Where's the telepathy or alien language? Nope, it's tongue-ese! Other 'special' effects are laughable and easy to see 'how it was done'. They have been explained sufficiently by others here in this forum, so I'll withhold my own specific two-cents.So, if you must see as many Sci-Fi film relics from this era, by all means watch...all others with any modicum of discernment, it's best to steer clear of all the clichés.

By any standard, the greatest movie every made.It's a WWII submarine movie, complete with sonar pinging.Plus Sea Hunt, with underwater grappling with a monster.The background music is in both major and minor keys.The sets are comparable with those of Star Trek.The dialog is minimal and nary a word is mispronounced.The computers beep and boop obligingly.There's a countdown scene, all the way from 10 to 1. The tension builds relentlessly.The technology is comparable to that in any garage.The Mystery Science Theater guys are not in any scene.The captain is considerate enough to spell out the new planet, "Andros I," for the preliterate.Best of all, the movie end reliably, each time it's shown.All things considered, the synergy is stunning. Stunning, I say.

I've read so many bad reviews about this film that I just had to watch it when the chance arrived. It's got all the indications of being a bad film (Five aliases not withstanding: Space Probe Taurus, Space Monster, First Woman into Space, Flight Beyond the Sun and Voyage into the Sun).Keep an open mind. Remember that American International Productions and Leonard Katzman made most of these on a shooting schedule of three weeks or less with production costs of under $50,000. (In 1965 it cost Irwin Allen $150K to produce two episodes of 'The Time Tunnel' using BackYard sets in So. Calf).If you keep the above in mind and watch the actors carefully, it's not a bad film. Sure, by today's standard there's more melodrama than Si-Fi and yes, I didn't like the Model Rocket Ship in the Lobster Aquarium either.Now just sit back, relax, quite looking for things to call hokie and like I said, 'Listen to the actors, try to put your self into their shoes for 80 minutes'.The main cast were all good 'B' picture stars with the exception of the film's 'Hero' James B. Brown, (this is the same actor who brought us 'Persuit Pilot Tex' from the movie 'Airforce', also co-stared in 'Wake Island' in additions to many other fine performances) and Ms Francine York (YUM - take a look at the '02 photo of her from the DGA Tribute for George Sidney and you'll see what I mean..)There are a few scenes that actually have some pucker factor or at the very least, will have you shouting 'Come on! Hurry Up! Get out of there before something jumps out of the shadows and GRABS you!'All things considered, I liked it and if you do too, then count yourself fortunate. Movies are much more enjoyable if you can appreciate the efforts of all the participants. Not just the blockbusters who spent all the money and won all the awards.Scotty Jensen