Classic Horrors Club

Chances are you’ve seen Planeta Bur (Planet of Storms) and don’t even know it. Roger Corman took footage from the 1962 film and hired then-film student Curtis Harrington to add footage and Americanize it. He somehow got Basil Rathbone and Faith Domergue to appear in it and, in 1965, AIP released it for television (and maybe some drive-ins) as Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet. Then, three years later, Corman hired Peter Bogdonovich to create a second film, Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (featuring Mamie Van Doren), using a similar distribution model.

I can’t speak to the American versions; however, I recently watched the original Planeta bur, in Russian with English subtitles. In short, it was a fun movie with some decent special effects and a surprising conclusion. It’s hard to judge the acting, but the adventure was also decent, with some nods to other genre films, as if elements of them were dumped on the planet Venus for five cosmonauts to discover. There are man-eating plants, dinosaurs, and my favorite, what I like to call “baby Godzillas.”

There’s also a compelling story. Three spaceships approach Venus when one of them, the Cappella, is hit by a meteor and destroyed. As the crews of the Sirius and Vega mourn the deaths of their comrades, they debate whether or not to continue their assignment. Another ship, the Arktur, is on the way, but won’t arrive for several weeks and who knows when another meteor, or something worse, could also destroy the Sirius and/or Vega. Against orders from Earth, they decide to land on Venus.

Here’s a problematic aspect, particularly in this day and age. One person must remain in space to monitor the others, and it’s the woman, Masha (Kyunna Ignatova) who’s chosen. On one hand, that could demonstrate the faith the men have in her. On the other, though, one of them warns her:

If we die, don’t lose your head.

As she watches the others head toward the planet, a single tear runs down the side of her face. Later, she can’t decide what to do when she loses contact with them. And later than that, “John” (see below) states that a robot can grasp a situation, not a woman.

She doesn’t know it, but they haven’t died. Venus is a hostile planet… a planet of storms, with thick fog covering a rocky terrain and water. Water. So there must be life. Besides the aforementioned creatures, there’s also an intermittent wailing sound which the characters refer to as a “voice.” Does that mean there’s human life? If so, they wonder where it came from, seemingly not considering the idea that it could have been born there. Also, the air is poisonous, but fire can burn. I’m no scientist, but mustn’t that mean there’s oxygen?

Don’t get hung up on that or the next thing you know you’ll be asking why regular gunfire is the primary method of survival. There’s other technology that’s fun enough, and sometimes clever enough, to compensate. For example, their robot, “John,” doesn’t just ride with the men as they glide to the surface of the planet. He’s disassembled and must be reassembled when they land. It’s also got more than its share of weaknesses. As it carries two of them across hot, flowing lava, it tries to toss them off its back because it’s feel are melting.

I particularly like the hovercar that goes over land or water. However, when attacked by pterodactyl like creatures, it submerges and it’s not meant to operate under water. Later, when they drag it onto shore, it must “dry out” before they can resume using it. The danger culminates as they’re about to launch their rocket back into space and there’s an earthquake.

If Sirius collapses, we’re doomed!

I’m not sure of the finer details like why three of them might have to stay and set-up camp when the others leave, or what specifically reverses that decision. In fact, I probably missed a lot of the finer details trying to keep up with the subtitles. However, I didn’t miss any of the excitement. I enjoyed Planeta Bur. I can imagine what Corman, Harrington, and Bogdonovich did to it, but I’m not sure I want to.