Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Project Moon Base

Project Moon Base (or Project Moonbase) is a 1953 science fiction film. Hayden Rorke (better known from I Dream of Jeannie) plays a General. I guess this is how women are bound to get depicted when Heinlein is writing the material. Just when I think a more sexist movie can't exist I see one. The General tells the Colonel, "Any more guff out of you and I'll turn you over my knee and spank you." Later in the movie, the Colonel (Colonel "Bright Eyes") says, "I'm sorry to have gone "female" on you, Major." Then the Major suggests she powder her nose. At least in this one all the astronauts -men and the token woman- wear non-traditional but identical short shorts and tight t-shirts, and the U.S. president is portrayed in this future 1970 as a woman.

You can watch it online, compliments of Googlevideo:


Moria has a review. 1000 Misspent Hours says it "is notable mainly for being among the most conspicuously failed hard sci-fi films of its era" and closes by saying that "All things considered, Project Moon Base is another film which is probably not worth bothering with unless you’re an obsessively hardcore fan of 50’s science fiction." The review spends some time focusing on the blatant sexism of this film.

4/10/2011: SF Signal features this film in the Sunday Cinema post today.

4 comments:

  1. You caught me on this one -- a Theremin in the credits AND written by Heinlein. Who could resist?

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  2. The theremin is irresistible! I'm always reminded of The Day the Earth Stood Still when I hear it.

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  3. I blame you on my new time waster. I now need a time turner.

    I must resist. I must resist.

    I've loved Internet Archive for a long time. I've watched a bunch of campy 1950's sex ed films. They are a hoot. And some of the military training films, as well.

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  4. Resistance is futile! bwa ha ha.

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