First Men in the Moon Movie Review

A fun, special effects-laden adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel about an Edwardian civilian spacecraft visiting the moon and the creatures found there. Wells’ vision of space travel has a unique twist – the vehicle is a globe covered with an anti-gravity substance, controlled by a shutter system. The explorers hang in webbed hammocks for protection during the rough landing, stretching credibility even beyond the light tone of the film, and they quickly discover a breathable atmosphere below the Moon's surface. However, the insectoid “sellenites” inhabiting the lunar caverns are genuinely unsettling. Lionel Jeffries’ performance as the outlandish inventor is an easy scene stealer – at times too much so. Visual effects by Ray Harryhausen. Peter Finch makes a brief appearance. Nathan Juran often used the “Hertz” pseudonym for films he was less than proud of, but it was unwarranted in this case.

1964 103m/C GB Martha Hyer, Edward Judd, Lionel Jeffries, Erik Chitty, Peter Finch, Miles Malleson; D: Nathan (Hertz) Juran; W: Nigel Kneale, Jan Read; C: Wilkie Cooper, Harry Gillam. VHS, Beta, LV COL, MLB