Message from Space

[Noirman]

I saw this film during its theater release, so I have a bit of a different view than most respondents. We ALL knew its history then: that, upon seeing the grosses from Star Wars, the studio essentially got an embargo to keep it out of the country while they constructed their own "space opera", and this was it. To attack it as derivative is naive, since Lucas steals almost as much as Spielberg, especially from 633 SQUADRON, which must have been a seminal must-see for George, Steven and their classmates. If you turn off the critical filter mental circuit, it's a fast-moving, howl inducing, pyrotechnic-filled funfest. The explosion of the giant space carrier alone rivals the best pyro model work done anywhere. And the makeup! The Queen's nose extension is so obvious I wondered how Vic Morrow didn't laugh - but that's the difference about this movie. Even when they do broad "comedy', the cast takes this flick deadly serious at all times.
I have always liked it, and when I met Philip Casnoff years later (he was starring on Broadway in Shogun - The Musical: ironic?) I gave him my Shogun Warriors metal Liabe model. Stunned, he went back through the stage door, and I heard him say "There's some guy out here who saw that Japanese sci-fi movie I did a million years ago, and this was one of the ships!". He didn't offer to trade me his ankle-length deerskin coat (with matching hat), but I was OK with that.
PS: He later went on to do a great job in the Frank Sinatra biopic, and did his own singing - but they still dubbed him!

[Hunt]

This movie seemed a little corny, but I loved it,especially Philip Casnoff.

I've been watching Philip Casnoff from his first appearance in 1978 to Oz and Strong Medicine. Loved him in Red Wind (looks great in drag).

I think he's great, and absolutely adorable as Aaron in Message From Space. If anything makes this movie work it's him.

[Jacob]

Dear--sweet--Jesus: this was a bad movie. Really freakin bad. So bad it fell down so hard it bounced up to good---and back DOWN to bad again. God dammit I wish I could just erase it from my memory. Especially the part where the ships "combine" and the robot becomes a hero crap, all of a sudden appearing with his stoopid seeds (I use 2 'o's because it doesn't merit a 'u'). Save yourselves, leave this movie be.

[Ryan]

I bought a movie quite similar to this one from Blockbuster in the 80's called "Space Ninja Sword of the Space Ark".  It feature the same characters but with different names.  It is my favorite movie of all time.  It is a piece de resistance of dubbing.

My friend sent me a link to this website and told me he had found the original "Empire Strikes Back".  This stuff is so much better than Star Wars, i cant believe how close they copied this masterpiece.


If anyone knows where a copy of this can be purchased I would love to know.

[C. David Webster]

I'm a huge fan of post-1977 space opera and I've never seen Message from Space but I want to SOOOO badly!I try to keep up to date with new DVD releases but can't find any info on Message. If anyone finds out please email me so I can finally see this film. It looks too fun to pass up.

[Carl B.]

I`m truly amazed at how many people still remember this flick! The last time I saw this movie in the theater, my brother and I almost got thrown out of the place because we were laughing so loudly. This has got to be the worst movie of all time. I saw it twice!

[David McRobie]

This is actually based on a Japanese story- SATOMI HAKKENDEN that predates Star Wars by more than a few years.  It's been filmed many times, as cartoons, with puppets, with an all child cast, and in the early 80s as LEGEND OF THE 8 SAMURAI (with a lot of the same cast).
It's not like Star Wars is so blazingly original- mix THE HIDDEN FORTRESS with THE MAGIC SERPENT (both Japanese films) and you get SW.
The movie SWORDS OF THE SPACE ARK is the sequel teleseries to this movie.  Just condensed, a'la ATTACK OF THE SUPERMONSTERS.

[Roddy Dottie]

I hold this movie as a link to my childhood.  So what if I don't remember the plot.  I just remember the series...San Ku Kai.  Probably the greatest movie of all time when I was 5 years old living in Peru.  Back in 1980, I triumphed in collecting and completing the San Ku Kai sticker book.  I still have it to this day.  A link to my past.  There has got to be more San Ku Kai babies like me.  Give me a holler.

San Ku Kai in NYC

[Teresa]

I have to see this movie! Does anyone know of a cheap way of getting it? I live in the northern part of Sweden and we really need some good culture here. please help!!!

[Jan Tanjo]

I saw this in the theatre also, I had just seen Star Wars and it wasn't enough. They even had trailers on tv for this (Canada) and everything that Star Wars wasn't this movie was. One quick example, in Star Wars everything blew up into space dust and in my mind that just didn't work.

I have always found Japenesse "stories" to have very rich plots but silly charactors, If you could combine hollywood charactors with japenesse stories, now that would be something worth paying to see.

I feel that this movie REALLY weted my hungry for movies, especially sci-fi, and rich story texture and my passion for technology, (I own and use 12 computers in my house.) Anyway

[Kurt Arnold]

Gosh I loved this movie.  I saw it 8 or more years ago and never caught the name.  The funny thing was that I was half in the sack when I saw it so wasn't quite sure if it was a dream or reality (but I was pretty sure it wasn't a dream).  I'm sure most of you know this movie isn't listed on very many sites and its not really all that easy to search for a Star Wars parody that involves glowing walnuts.  But after all these years of searching I have so happily discovered the name and am just as excited to hear that there are other fans.  I'm dieing to see it again.

Does anyone have a clue how I can get a DVD English copy?  Please help.

[Matt Haley]

I. LOVE. This. Bad. Movie. I finally got a DVD-R of it recently, and have just aboout worn it out. The end swordfight scenes are worth the price of admission alone, as it looks liek they're running around inside a KISS pinball machine. Poor Sonny (KILL BILL) Chiba broke his ankle sliding into a shutting door near the end, and they had to stop filming until it healed so he could run around like a nut again. This movie made me go hunt doen GREEN SLIME, SAN KU KAI, WARNING FROM SPACE (1958), and even the execrable LATITUDE ZERO. - mh
http://www.matthaley.com

[The Old Hippie]

The story of how a brave Japanese movie studio got the government to delay the release of Star Wars for a year so this film could be made and marketed is already known, I hope. This film, which was the highest budget of the immediate Star Wars ripoffs, and is a feast of all the things people that enjoy Japanese sci-fi films like: uncomfortable American stars looking for paychecks (a young Philip Casnoff and an older Vic Morrow); special effects that wander from brilliant to amateurish in the extreme (excellent pyro effects, but the "space fireflies" scene is a howl) and a story you feel must have lost quite a bit in translation. Now, as to corrections: that's EMERALIDA who is Princess of JELUCIA, actually. Also,there is an anime crossover in costuming - Vic's outfit (worn flat brim hat and cloak) is a popular style from SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK and VAMPIRE HUNTER D just for starters1
A good movie to enjoy while baked or getting so....every movie isn't meant to be THIS ISLAND EARTH, you know, including STAR WARS.

[phil matthews]

Still one of my favorite sci-fi flicks. I have it on tape but I want it on DVD with extras if it exist. I remember some of the footage was used in a 80's video game but I can't remember the name. Good Times!

[yawn.]

I remember the commercial for this film back in 1977.  This and battlestar galactica came out as a result of this unexpected success of Star Wars.  I thought it was miserable then and is so now.  Same with battle star galactica.  Oh, that includes Napolean Dynamite.  Please.  Kind of reminds me of Welcome to the Dollhouse.  Stupid movies getting green lit.