Product Description: Special-effects wunderkind and genre master Byron Haskin (The War of the Worlds The Outer Limits) won a place in the hearts of fantasy-film lovers everywhere with this gorgeously designed journey into the unknown. When his spaceship crash-lands on the barren wastelands of Mars U.S. astronaut Commander "Kit" Draper (Paul Mantee) must fight for survival with a pet monkey seemingly his only companion. But is he alone? Shot in vast Techniscope and blazing Technicolor Robinson Crusoe on Mars is an imaginative and beloved techni-marvel of classic science fiction.System Requirements:Running Time: 110 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: NR UPC: 715515025621 Manufacturer No: CC1712DDVD
Amazon.com: Although it is a thoughtful and surprisingly nonexploitative movie, the title Robinson Crusoe on Mars might conjure up unholy echoes of cross-pollinated genre movies such as Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter or Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Well, don't worry. This 1964 space epic is in fact an adaptation of the classic Daniel Defoe novel, and it plays fair by logic and science. After his spaceship crash-lands on Mars, astronaut Paul Mantee must figure out how to survive on the hostile planet (shot mostly in Death Valley), aided only by a monkey from his ship. Director Byron (The War of the Worlds) Haskin's sober approach brings a refreshing emphasis to issues of survival--how many space travel movies have you seen where the traveler tests the air of a distant planet and discovers that, by George, he can breathe just fine? Not this one. Mantee's desperate methods of tracking his air flow and experimenting with methods of breathing are painstakingly explored, and seem like exactly the kind of problems a real planetary voyager would encounter. The second half of the picture cleverly blends Defoe's plot with sci-fi conventions, and the movie never does "dumb down."
The Criterion Collection's DVD of Robinson Crusoe on Mars is a handsome treatment of a minor classic. A commentary track stitches together comments from a variety of participants, including Mantee, Haskin (in a 1979 interview), and original screenwriter Ib Melchior (disagreements between Haskin and Melchoir are included). A featurette, Destination--Mars gives some of the "science fact" behind the movie, and excerpts from Melchoir's original treatment show suggest changes made. And a "music video" puts movie clips alongside a song written and performed by co-star Victor Lundin, a number he developed for his appearances at sci-fi conventions. --Robert Horton
Space Age Sci-Fi Classic This film came out in 1964, which strikes me as a fascinating time in humanity's growing awareness of interplanetary space. It came out just as the American space program was on the verge of going full throttle toward the moon and our knowledge was just beginning to increase re: the improbability of exotic "Flash Gordon" like alien civilizations existing elsewhere in this solar system. Of course we all know Mars to be much deader and more inhospitable to most life-forms than was known at that time. But don't let that knowledge interfere with your enjoyment of a classic "man on a desert island" premise transposed to a technologically advanced future. This is a golden age, labor of love production, with cool improvised gadgets (nicely illustrated in the special features that ought to delight the Boy Scouts and tech geeks in the audience) and a decently engaging performance from Paul Mantee as the sole character on screen for most of the film ('cept for him and his monkey...)
As Criterion DVDs go, it's on the slight side, content-wise, and may be overpriced if you consider it at the full retail ($40) mark-up, even though the features are nicely done. Look for a bargain price and set your cinephile pretensions to the side for a bit... cook up some popcorn and enjoy the spectacle!
Great movie If you like movies such as "The Day the Earth Stood Still" you will like this movie. Considering when the movie came out, special effects are good. The story line about being stranded on another world, by yourself, with very little to eat, drink and breath is a interesting exciting theme.
Dealing with the loneliness and God was refreshing. Then adding in Aliens from another part of the universe gave the movie an interesting twist.
You will enjoy this movie.
cool Fun movie to see again but i would wait until price drops. The special effects are dated and you have to ignore them somewhat and get into the story. The thing that makes it most interesting is that it was made before we had known anything about what Mars was like so its interesting to see our interpretation of what mars might be like. You have to give the creators of the movie a break for that. I gave 1 star off because the red sky on Mars and space ship in beginning showed usually poor art direction in my opinion.
Classic Sci-Fi, A Childhood Favorite! This was one of my favorite movies on Saturday afternoons! There really wasn't much wrong with this movie (other than some of the science, but there is almost always a need to suspend disbelief). The strong plot, acting, and decent special effects make this a movie that stands the test of time and will be enjoyed by my children, and perhaps even grandchildren.
Highly recommended!
Still enthralled Some movies just span the test of time, of course you have to give a degree of allowance for what they had available for special effects in 1964, but this movie will not disappoint a SF enthusiast nor is it a put down. I first saw Robinson Crusoe on Mars when I was 10 years old and was thrilled to see it remastered in digital format. I paid for the movie what you'd normally pay for a new release, but I tell you it was well worth it.
Survival on another planet has always intrigued me and so has Mars. You'll think there is no way this astronaut is going to make it, but something appears from the most unlikely source, I think the underlying message of this movie is that we are all dependent upon this planet and each other, no matter where in the galaxy we live.
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