Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965)
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Villain(s)
Carnivorous plant, dinosaurs
Actor(s):
Basil Rathbone, Faith Domergue, Vladimir Yemelyanov, Georgiy Zhzhonov
Brief Description
Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965) is a science fiction film created by American International Pictures by re-editing and dubbing the 1962 Soviet feature Planeta Bur (Planet of Storms), with new footage starring American actors Basil Rathbone and Faith Domergue spliced in. Directed by Curtis Harrington (under the pseudonym John Sebastian), the movie combines vintage Eastern European special effects with new footage starring American actors to appeal to U.S. television and drive-in audiences.
Plot:
Set in the year 2020 after the colonization of the Moon, an international space expedition launches three rocket ships—the Vega, Sirius, and Capella—from Lunar Station 7 to explore the planet Venus. As they approach their destination, an asteroid collides with and destroys the Capella, killing its crew. The lead ship Vega remains in orbit with Dr. Marsha Evans (Faith Domergue) aboard, while the Sirius lands on the surface of Venus. Astronauts Kern and Sherman, accompanied by a robot named John, descend to the hazardous terrain to aid in the exploration. The crews face a hostile prehistoric landscape featuring erupting volcanoes, torrential rainstorms, carnivorous plants, and rubbery dinosaur-like creatures. Along the way, they uncover mysterious hints of an ancient, human-like civilization before managing a perilous escape and return.