reptilicus

Denmark might not be the first country you think of when it comes to science fiction films, but Django and Smut put it on the space map with the latest theme week, celebrating two film makers that made their mark on the genre:  Ib Melchior and Sidney W. Pink. The Dane Melchior was a distinguished World War II hero who was awarded the Bronze Heart, before embarking on writing and directing. He met American producer Sidney W. Pink, who moved to Denmark in 1959, as related in this interview by Ib late in his long and rich life. The two would form an un-easy creative partnership that spanned Denmark and the US across several films - and all because of union issues. 

Already on Cultpix:

"Reptilicus" (1961) - Denmark's first and only Kaiju film sees a giant lizard re-grown from a frozen tail rampage downtown Copenhagen, creating un-Hygge feeling. Dirch Passer sings a song with a bunch of kids about Reptilicus, in a scene cut from the US releases of the film.

"Death Race 2000" (1975) - This car race cult classic was based on the short story "The Racer" by Ib Melchior, which you can hear a great reading of in this radio series episode form MindWebs, which aired on WHA Radio in Madison, Wisconsin from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s.

"Candidate for a Killing" (1968) - Euro-thriller produced by Pink. Ib said Pink eventually became a personan non-grata in both Denmark and Spain.

"13 Demon Street" (1959) - Echoes of "Reptilicus", "Terror in the Midnight Sun" (1959) and "The Thing" (1951) in this TV episode about a women frozen in ice. 

New on Cultpix:

"The Angry Red Planet" (1959) - CineMagic was the process to give this tale of astronauts fighting off carnivorous plants, giant amoebas and a bat-rat-spider-crab creature on Mars a distinctive look. It wasn't quite 3D, but gives the film a unique look. 

"Journey to the Seventh Planet" (1962) - Cue jokes about probes being sent to 'your anus'. But this film has echoes of 'Solaris' in terms of the UN astronauts' memories creating flesh and blood women appear suddenly. Set in the year 2001. 

"Robinson Crusoe on Mars" (1964) - Daniel Defoe's classic story re-told on the red planet.  Byron Haskin directed the Ib Melchior screenplay with great use of Death Valley. Victor Lundin, one of the stars of the film, wrote an eponymous song that he played at sci-fi conventions. 

"Keep Off the Grass" (1970) - Ib's anti-marijuana information film from the era of Nixon's 'War on Drugs'.

Don't miss the next Theme Week: films name checked in Rocky Horror Picture Show's "Science Fiction/Double Feature" song.

There is of course a Danish Dudes Spotify playlist.

Django Nudo and Smut Peddler are back after a short break. This week they attended the Everyman Cult Tuesday (and Friday) screenings with Christina Lindberg introducing "Anita - Swedish Nymphet" (1973).  On 22 November there will be a Calvin Floyd double bill at Stockholm's Bio Aspen.  We thank our Mystery Santa and give a preview of the Badvent calendar that will have 24 films released in December, one per day, as we count down the 24 days of Cultmast.

From our partners Echelon Studios we have a trio of fun films, including Scandinavia's only kaiju film (make that Europe's only?) in the giant lizard form of "Reptilicus" (1961). The Danish-American co-production was made in two versions, of which you can watch the re-edited American version on Cultpix. Lizard tail found in Lapland mine grows in gigantic lizard rampaging through downtown Copenhagen - with songs!

"BMX Bandits" (1983) is not just Nicole Kidman's acting debut (she was just 16), but also helped solidify BMX bikes as a staple of 80s nostalgia films. There is a straight line from "Goonies" to "Stranger Things" that goes via this kids caper of foiling bank robbers and doing trick rides on cool bikes through Sydney. 

Then there is the Swords & Planets sub-genre of "Gor" (1987), that combines the rampent sexism of the original novels with some heavy weight acting talent: Jack Palance as Xenos (born Volodymyr Ivanovytch Palahniuk!), Oliver Reed as Sarm and Arnold Vosloo  (who was the mummy in The Mummy). Interplanetary nonsense with leather bikinis - no less 80-s than BMX bikes. 

While the poster is the stand-out feature of "The Astounding She-Monster" (1958), there is plenty else to like about this feature that Ed Wood Jr. was un-official consultant to. The budget was tigheter than Shirley Kilpatrick's alien leotard, which ripped on the first of the four days of shooting. As there was no budget to repair it, she had to walk backwards to exit a scene. Shame also that they didn't keep the original title "Naked Invader", which was ditched to appease the censors. 

Japan's first celluloid superhero Starman (Sūpā Jaiantsu, literally translated as "Super Giants") is a combination of George Reeve's "Superman" TV show and Doctor Who, as the alien from Planet Emerald sent to help Earth fight of space monsters in various forms. Edited together from TV shows into four feature films, they are cult classics that screened at the Klubb Super 8/Something Weird festival in Stockholm. Start with "Attack From Space" (1965) and be sure that "Invaders from Space" (1966) is the last one you watch as it is also the best one. 

Since we started with a kaiju film it is only right to end with one as well, as "Destroy All Planets" (1968), aka Gamera vs. Outer Space monster Viras, pitches giant flying turtle monster Gamera battling Viras with the help of some plucky boy scouts.

But what we really want to know is who would win in a battle between Reptilicus vs Gamera or Starman vs the Astounding She Creature?  And why not see BMX Bandits taking on the evil armies of Gor? That would have made for truly interesting films. Or, wait, isn't that what "Turbo Kid" (2015) was? 🤔