Russian Kaiju?

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Russian Kaiju?

Postby Shonokin » Fri May 25, 2007 1:01 pm

For some reason a movie with a name like "VOYAGE TO THE PREHISTORIC PLANET", never really called my name and just seemed like one of dozens of super low budget brain-dead exploitation B movies from the Hollywood 50s or 60s.

BUT I was searching out something else the other day and came across some info on , which is the original Russian movie that wound up scavenged by Roger Corman ala Power Rangers or Godzilla KOTM, into an American movie starring Basil Rathbone and Faith Domergue.

Since I'd never gone out of my way to look into "PREHISTORIC PLANET" I was quite surprized at the level of effects work on PLANETA BURG. The robot, space suits and ship designs totally remind me of the pulp and higher concept sci fi novel illustrations of the era, which to me seems pretty amazing.

I've now watched bits and pieces of "PREHISTORIC PLANET" since it is easily available online (archive.org), and I had a hard time with the super dorky dialog. So am now waiting to see the original PLANETA BURG in it's original Russian with eng subs. Hopefully this tonight. Everything seems more intelligent with subs, right? :P And Masha (Kyunna Ignatova) is way cuter than Faith Domergue.

Oh, so the reason for this post, I just wanted to point out that there are some dinosaurs in this. They range from really bad suit-mation of man-sized lizards that look an awful lot like the T-Rex's from UNKNOWN ISLAND (an amazingly entertaining film with stunningly bad effects) to some more interesting full sized puppets with locomotion by a family of puppeteers.

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Supposedly full-sized dino.

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'Dactyl attacks the hover ship.

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Robot carries the crew across lava.

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Nice '50s ship designs.

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Hover ship.

Some additional links:
with nice screen caps and poster art.

Untranslated low quality stream of PLANETA BURG on .
Last edited by Shonokin on Fri May 25, 2007 1:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Xenorama » Fri May 25, 2007 1:10 pm

i actually enjoy PREHISTORIC PLANET (well, the first one more than the WOMEN/PREHISTORIC). i've seen all of PLANET OF STORMS- Sinister Cinema had a copy of it complete with subs. it's a bit more plodding, but a fun movie.

i'm surprised it hasn't surfaced like other Soviet movies- THE SILENT STAR (FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS) and ILYA MURA... something (THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON) both are out on DVD.

always worth a look.

David


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Re: Russian Kaiju?

Postby Daikaijuu Rojira » Fri May 25, 2007 1:16 pm

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Postby Gwangi » Sat May 26, 2007 11:09 am

This movie has been re-edited a couple of times. As David mentioned there was "Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women". This one was done by all people Peter Bogdnaovich(!), and had Mamie Van Doren as leader of Venusian sirens (all probably right out of Playboy!), trying to dispose of the Russian astronauts. Curious film indeed.
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