13: BATTLE BEYOND THE SUN / The Filmgroup

Welcome everybloody to Monster Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. In keeping with Eegah!!'s space theme, I had this one waiting in my pod for just an occasion!! Plus, this is a flick that Eegah!! and I saw back when it came out, and, believe me, Neccos were flyin' around big time! We liked this movie because it had cool looking space monsters. Back then, that was the holy grail of satisfaction for us...

NEBO ZOYOT is the name of the space opera made in the Soviet Union in 1959, an official state-sponsored arts project under the direction of Mikhail Karzhukov & Aleksandr Kozyr. The stunning space imagery looks like it was influenced by fifties sci-fi pulp magazines. Originally, the story was about a Russian space crew sent to find out the fate of an earlier mission to intercept an alien probe on collision with earth. The functional looking props, space wear and miniature model effects even make George Pal's work of the day laughable in comparison. The trend-setting science fiction was the work of Italian director Antonio Margheriti.

What we see here is Roger Corman and friend's version after they got their meaty claws on the Russian print in 1961...

The music is by Russian composer Yuli Meitus with special work by Carmine Coppola, Carmine composed the music for APOCALYPSE NOW, THE OUTSIDERS and THE GODFATHER: PART III. Les Baxter and Ron Stein also had some uncredited stock music used.

Lettuce bling in our littlest Dungeon helper and kool kat, Rufus The Gnat! Give the lil' guy a hand, he deserves it! But, watch where you clap, he's small and hard to see! Here's tonite's Eariffic Earclip, hit the 'GO' button, Rufus!.. BATTLE BEYOND THE SUN!

Wait, is that William Sylvester?!.. Naw, it has a 100% Russian cast!

Some super nice space miniatures, to say the least!

One of the Russians' favorite things to do in space is get tore up and then bounce around in Zero G... Yes, and, sometimes they throw up!

Those 2 pictures look good next to each other...

Hey, we're upside down, quit turning the knob!.. Me?! I'm turning it the right way, you're the one turning it the wrong way!.. You're a freakin' moron!!.. No, you are!!

This movie is filled with great close up portaits of Russian dudes. The Corman credits had western names for the actors, and, even goofy monster kids knew that sumpthin' wasn't right.