Space Probe Taurus (1965)

"I think it's some species of crab," 5 September 2014

In their search for an inhabitable world named Taurus, the crew of Hope 1 is sent millions of miles off course – only to discover another inhabitable world. That's really about it. Not much to see here. "Dull" would be my one word synopsis. A more competent movie might have done more with the alien space craft, flaming meteor showers, or the giant crabs, but not Space Probe Taurus. Instead, the movie is more concerned with the sexist commander and the (gasp) female scientist. You can probably guess how this goes – they fight and fuss until that inexplicable moment when they fall in love. Please! It's been done a million times – and usually in a more effective manner. The commander is played by James B Brown. He looks old enough to be the grandfather of love interest and lone female, Dr Lisa Wayne. Ewww. Francine York plays Dr Wayne and is the movie's loan bright spot. The other two cast members are just plain annoying – one, for being a stereotypical greasy money-hungry playboy and the other for being completely worthless.

I realize the movie was made by the notoriously low-budget AIP television division, but it's horrible by those standards. The movie was made in 1965, but looks and feels like it was made in 1955. You can find any number of sci-fi movies from the 50s with far better and more effective special effects. 2001: A Space Odyssey, with its amazing effects, was made only a couple of years later. And the incredibly tired sexist plot I've already mentioned feels more at home in something like Rocketship X-M from 1950 than a movie made in the more liberal thinking 60s.

Overall, not a good movie viewing experience.

2/10