Planets Against Us

Last updated

Planets Against Us
Italian: I pianeti contro di noi
French: Le monstre aux yeux verts
Directed byRomano Ferrara
Screenplay byRomano Ferrara
Piero Pierotti
Story byMassimo Rendina
Produced byAlberto Chemin
Gaetano Ciccarone
Pier Ludovico Pavoni
Starring Michel Lemoine
Maria Pia Luzi
Jany Clair
Cinematography Pier Ludovico Pavoni
Angelo Lotti
Edited byLuciano Cavalieri
Music by Armando Trovajoli
Production
companies
Wanguard Film;
P.C. Produzione Cinematografica;
Comptoir Français du Film Production
Distributed by Cino Del Duca
Release dates
  • 14 February 1962 (1962-02-14)(Italy)
  • 6 June 1962 (1962-06-06)(France) [1]
Running time
83 mins
CountriesItaly
France
LanguageItalian

Planets Against Us (original titles: Italian : I pianeti contro di noi, French : Le monstre aux yeux verts) is a 1962 Italian-French science fiction horror film directed by Romano Ferrara, based on a story by Massimo Rendina. [2] It is also known by the names Planets Around Us, Hands of a Killer, The Man With the Yellow Eyes and The Monster with Green Eyes. [3] [4] It is notable for featuring a planned invasion by cyborgs, humanoid shaped robots, rather than the common sci-fi film plot of aliens inhabiting, taking-over or duplicating humans. [5]

Contents

Plot

The plane carrying atomic scientist Prof. Landersen and his son Robert crashes in the Sahara desert, killing everyone on board. Robert’s body is not found.

In the United States and USSR several rocket launches fail disastrously, with an individual closely resembling Robert Landersen seen at each at exactly the same time; he then vanishes without trace. The authorities start to suspect the involvement of alien beings, and start a worldwide manhunt to find the mysterious man.

In Rome, artist Audrey Bradbury encounters the man, who behaves oddly. She is attracted to him and decides to call him Bronco. At a party (resembling a scene from a contemporary Fellini film) Bronco meets Marina Ferri, who is engaged to Prof. Borri, who is developing a paralysing gas. She is also attracted to Bronco, who wishes to meet Prof. Borri. When Bronco and Marina are stopped in her car by the police, Bronco touches an officer with his bare hand and he dies instantly. Later, at Audrey’s home, Audrey tries to kiss Bronco. He believes she has unwittingly betrayed him to the police and touches her back, making her crumble to dust.

Meanwhile, the authorities have concluded the Earth is being attacked by beings from another planet, all with identical appearances based on that of Robert Landersen.

Bronco is drawn to Marina, and tells her he is not human. After warning her that humanity is about to make the same mistakes with atomic radiation which destroyed his own planet, he then uses his will power to make her forget what he has told her. She takes him to meet Prof. Borri, where the police secretly X-ray him and discover he has a metallic skeleton beneath a skin-like covering. They conclude the beings are all made to resemble Robert Landersen, and they intend to invade Earth in search of a new home.

The police attempt to track down Bronco, and a policeman shoots him with a ray gun which seriously injures him. After a car chase through and around Rome involving the Italian army, the failing Bronco is targeted by a discharge from the beings’ flying saucer which departs into space, leaving him as only a pile of rags and molten metal.

Breaking the fourth wall, one of the officials urges the audience to be vigilant, explaining that other beings like Branco are lurking out there, equally monstrous and eager to take over the Earth.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<i>The Martian Chronicles</i> 1950 novel by Ray Bradbury

The Martian Chronicles is a science fiction fix-up novel, published in 1950, by American writer Ray Bradbury that chronicles the exploration and settlement of Mars, the home of indigenous Martians, by Americans leaving a troubled Earth that is eventually devastated by nuclear war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henri René Guieu</span> French writer and ufologist

Henri René Guieu was a French science fiction writer and ufologist, who published primarily with the pseudonym Jimmy Guieu. He occasionally used other pseudonyms as well, including Claude Vauzière for a young adult series, Jimmy G. Quint for a number of espionage novels, Claude Rostaing for two detective novels and Dominique Verseau for six erotic novels.

<i>Something Wicked This Way Comes</i> (novel) 1962 dark fantasy novel by Ray Bradbury

Something Wicked This Way Comes is a 1962 dark fantasy novel by Ray Bradbury, and the second book in his Green Town Trilogy. It is about two 13-year-old best friends, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, and their nightmarish experience with a traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern home, Green Town, Illinois, on October 24. In dealing with the creepy figures of this carnival, the boys learn how to combat fear. The carnival's leader is the mysterious "Mr. Dark", who seemingly wields the power to grant the townspeople's secret desires. In reality, Dark is a malevolent being who, like the carnival, lives off the life force of those it enslaves. Mr. Dark's presence is countered by that of Will's father, Charles Halloway, the janitor of the town library, who harbors his own secret fear of growing older because he feels he is too old to be Will's dad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michèle Morgan</span> French actress

Michèle Morgan was a French film actress, who was a leading lady for three decades in both French cinema and Hollywood features. She is considered one of the greatest French actresses of the 20th century. Morgan was the inaugural winner of the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1992, she was given an honorary César Award for her contributions to French cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katma Tui</span> Comics character

Katma Tui is a comic book superhero, an extraterrestrial from the planet Korugar, and a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps. She is the Green Lantern successor of the supervillain Sinestro and the predecessor of Sinestro's daughter, Soranik Natu.

<i>High Wall</i> 1947 film by Curtis Bernhardt

High Wall is a 1947 American film noir starring Robert Taylor, Audrey Totter and Herbert Marshall. It was directed by Curtis Bernhardt from a screenplay by Sydney Boehm and Lester Cole, based on a play by Alan R. Clark and Bradbury Foote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hector Hammond</span> DC Universe supervillain who is primarily an enemy of Green Lantern

Hector Hammond is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics who is primarily an enemy of Green Lantern.

A flag of Mars is a concept of a possible flag design, meant to symbolize the planet Mars or to represent a fictional Martian government, in works of fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justice Guild of America</span> Superhero team

The Justice Guild of America is a superhero team featured in the Justice League animated series two-part episode "Legends", an homage to the Golden Age Justice Society of America, and to a degree the Silver Age Justice League of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawkman (Katar Hol)</span> DC Comics superhero

Hawkman is a DC Comics superhero. He is the Silver Age, Bronze Age and New 52 Hawkman. Created by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert, he first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #34. There are two versions of Katar Hol, the Silver Age/Pre-Crisis version and the post-Hawkworld/Post-Crisis version.

<i>Cities in Flight</i> Series of novels and short stories by James Blish

Cities in Flight is a four-volume series of science fiction novels and short stories by American writer James Blish, originally published between 1950 and 1962, which were first known collectively as the "Okie" novels. The series features entire cities that are able to fly through space using an anti-gravity device, the spindizzy. The stories cover roughly two thousand years, from the very near future to the end of the universe. One story, "Earthman, Come Home", won a Retro Hugo Award in 2004 for Best Novelette. Since 1970, the primary edition has been the omnibus volume first published in paperback by Avon Books. Over the years James Blish made many changes to these stories in response to points raised in letters from readers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michel Jeury</span> French writer (1934–2015)

Michel Jeury was a French science fiction writer, reputed in the 1970s. He also used the pseudonym of Albert Higon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Ferris</span> Fictional character in DC Comics

Caroline "Carol" Ferris is a fictional character appearing in the DC Comics Universe. She is one of many characters who has used the name Star Sapphire, and the long-time love interest of Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern. In her role as Star Sapphire, Ferris has been active as both a supervillain and, more recently, as a superhero.

<i>I Thank a Fool</i> 1962 British film by Robert Stevens

I Thank a Fool is a 1962 British Metrocolor crime film directed by Robert Stevens and starring Susan Hayward and Peter Finch. It was made by Eaton and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in CinemaScope and produced by Anatole de Grunwald from a screenplay by Karl Tunberg based on the 1958 novel of the same title by Audrey Erskine Lindop. The music score was by Ron Goodwin and the cinematography by Harry Waxman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Lantern: Secret Origin</span>

"Secret Origin" is a comic book story arc published in Green Lantern #29-35 by DC Comics. Written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, the story retells the origin of Earth's first Green Lantern Corps member Hal Jordan for the New Earth continuity. It featured Abin Sur, Sinestro as a Green Lantern, the new character Atrocitus of the Five Inversions, and served as one of many preludes to the Blackest Night story line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebo (comics)</span> Disney comics character

Rebo is an Italian comics character, created for the story Saturno contro la Terra by Cesare Zavattini (plot), Federico Pedrocchi (script) and Giovanni Scolari (art) in 1936. He is the dictator of Saturn and wants to conquer Earth, but his plans are foiled by Dr. Marcus and Ciro.

<i>Haven</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of the American television series Haven premiered on July 9, 2010, and concluded on October 8, 2010, on Syfy. The show aired on Fridays at 10:00 pm ET. The season consisted of 13 episodes. The show starred Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant, Eric Balfour and Nicholas Campbell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otello Toso</span> Italian film and stage actor

Otello Toso was an Italian film and stage actor.

<i>As I Open My Eyes</i> 2015 film

As I Open My Eyes is a 2015 French-Tunisian drama film directed by Leyla Bouzid. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Baya Medhaffar stars as a teenage rock singer. The film is Bouzid's first feature. It was selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards. However, the film was not included on the final list of submissions published by the Academy.

Come into My Cellar, alternatively titled Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in Your Cellar!, is a science fiction short story by American writer Ray Bradbury. It was originally published in Galaxy Magazine in October 1962, and was subsequently included in the short-story collection S is for Space.

References

  1. "Le Monstre aux yeux verts". Encyclo Ciné (in French). Yves Jacquot et Pascal Sorin. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  2. "Planets Around Us (1962)". RadioTimes.com. Immediate Media Company Ltd.
  3. "Planets Against Us". Encyclopedia.com.
  4. bandsaboutmovies. "Planets Against Us (1962)". B & S About Movies.
  5. "Planets Against Us". Classic Sci-Fi Movies.