Journey to the 7th Planet (1962)

[Scott]

JOURNEY TO THE 7TH PLANET (1962) - Neat Sci-Fi space film. I think an episode of the original STAR TREK covered the subject also. A crew of four are sent by the United Nations to Uranus in the year 2001. On the planet the crew encounter the un-expected. The planet gives the illusion of the crews memories from earth. They find the same forest and girls from they're day dreams appear before them. This color film has some other neat moments. Don't go crazy looking for it, but it's a film worth seeing at least once.

[Velvet Brotha]

It sounds interesting... I'll keep it in mind the next time I'm looking for a decent Sci-Fi flick.

[The Burgomaster]

You can get this on a "Midnight Movies" DVD double feature with INVISIBLE INVADERS for under $10.00.  I bought it at Best Buy and I got an extra discount at the cash register.  I think I ended up paying less than $8.00 for it.

[Flangepart]

Same here. Not a bad deal. Comes with trailers too.

[Scott]

Yea, that's what I have is the Midnight Movie DVD with INVISIBLE INVADERS. I picked it up for $7.99 at an CD Exchange store that also exchanged DVD's. Will probably see INVISIBLE INVADERS later this week.

[StatCat]

Another Danish Sidney Pink movie (like Reptilicus!) I thought it was weird, alongside with the Angry Red Planet, these two would be a great double feature. I also have it on the mgm dvd. It seemed like very weird LSD induced strangeness.

[Chris K.]

While I thought JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET was an interesting viewing, I have read alot about the film's production history and unfortunately it didn't at all go very well.

The film was made in Denmark shortly after REPTILICUS, and Pink was suffering from the harsh criticisim in the Danish community as a laughing stock filmmaker. And when JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET was in production, the entire Danish crewmembers didn't understand the idea of sci-fi and thus just laughed at everything on the film from the well-constructed sets to the large brain with the flashing eyeball. Even so, the Danes have absolutely no concept of sci-fi and when REPTILICUS was shown the Danish audience couldn't believe that their buildings could be destroyed as they felt their buildings were "indestructable". Like with Sweden, the Danes are mostly known for making drama sex films which most have never seen the light of day in a U.S. theatre (their is a good reason, their sex films are TERRIBLE).

Of course, JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET does suffer from a low budget, but this was producer-distributor American International Pictures doing than Pinks. The budget couldn't even afford laser gun optical effects, which resulted in Bent Barford to literally use a sharp pin end and scratch the laser effects in the original negative film! That, and, some of the original effects work of Bent Barford would also suffer too: his original stop-motion animated monsters (which, as the claims say, were full scale creations designed from chicken wire and paper mache) were replaced by American International Pictures with new stop-motion effects by Projects Unlimited team Tim Barr, Wah Chang, Gene Warren, and Jim Danforth. Ib Melchoir, who was responsible for working on the original script and English dubbing, claims that he has a 35mm print of Pink's original version. Well Ib, reveal it to us because I am dying to see the original cut.

[Scott]

Yea, those ray guns were something. I read that they did the same thing in THE FLESHEATERS. Scratching the film to get that effect.

[StatCat]

Great info, I never even heard that before. You have to feel bad for Pink- he must of had some criticism with these movies but the guy was awesome to understand sci-fi when nobody else would.  I can't even think of any other Scandinavian movies besides these two.

[Scott]

For it's time it was probably a great film in some ways.

[Chris K.]

If their ever was a guy who is still an unsung hero of early sci-fi, it would definately be Sidney Pink. Pink understood the concepts of it and did what he could with his ideas under such extremely limited budgets, and as much as he suffered on all levels to get his work out there I personally felt he succeeded, no matter how silly or crazy his work turned out to be.

When I was 8 years old, REPTILICUS scared the crap out of me. Today, I look back on those memories and wonder how did I scare easily towards a fake sock-puppet dinosaur? But nonetheless, at that time it was indeed a fun ride and I enjoyed it and I wish I could experience it all over again, but sadly I'm not a little kid anymore. And if good ole' Sidney Pink were alive and well today, I would would give the guy a huge bear-hug for making films like REPTILICUS and JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET? Why? Pink was able to entertain and bring about a hight fantasy level in his films. But is Pink's films incredibly campy, silly, and yes cheap? Of course they are. But is Pink's films entertaining on that level? You bet your mortgage they are. Not only that, but REPTILICUS and JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET were incredibly successful back during their big U.S. theatrical runs, so that should show that these films were not 100% failures.

And today, Pink's cult following seems to be getting larger than it was before. Not only that, but his films are still circulating more than ever. Even the original Danish cut of REPTILICUS, which is longer than the U.S. cut, has surfaced and can be finally seen after being lost in the Vault's of Obscurity. One wonders what else of Pink's career will surface. But in the meantime, his films will do for now.

[Chris K.]

Okay, for those of you out there who want to read up on Sidney Pink and the making of REPTILICUS and JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET, here is a lengthy article by Jack Stevenson. The article also discusses the original Danish cut of REPTILICUS and the big balyhoo about it's release, as well as the behind-the-scenes of JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET. And their is one mention of a Sidney Pink title THE GREEN EYED ELEPHANT, which never made it to U.S. shores (and no, it's not a monster movie about a green-eyed elephant). Here is the link:

http://hjem.get2net.dk/jack_stevenson/pink.htm

[StatCat]

Thanks, cool article I especially like the part:
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 Pink claimed in the article that associates in the US and England were thrilled with the 1000-meter rough cut footage he had sent them to preview, and that REPTILICUS was slated to open in Hollywood on Christmas day to qualify it for the Oscar Awards, which all involved reckoned it had a good chance to win.
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Reptilcus winning the Oscar, hell yeah!

I actually have the Danish version of the film.  It has scenes of Reptilicus flying and a bunch of other things.  I've never sat through it completely, but I should sometime and compare it to the US cut which seems to be quite different.  It's kind of like the Japanese version of Godzilla vs the US version from what I understand.

[Flangepart]

To the tune of the Sandy Frank song....
"Sidney Pink, Sidney Pink-Talent pool is realy draaaained.."
"Sidney Pink, Sidney Pink-Credabilitys freakin' straaaained!"

But....ah, what quality Danish Cheese! Let the riffing brgin!