Cult-Tastic: Future Worlds

War Of The Satellites (1958)  / Battle Beyond The Sun (1959) / Deathsport (1978) / Starcrash (1978) / Battle Beyond The Stars (1980) / Galaxy Of Terror (1981) / Nightfall (1988) / Dead Space (1991) 

War Of The Satellites (1958) Inspired by headlines of the first Russian satellite, Roger Corman raised $50,000 and had the film in cinemas 60 days later. A minor effort, noticeable for Corman regular Dick Miller as action hero and winning over Susan Cabot.

Battle Beyond The Sun (1959) A Russian epic focusing on cooperation between the US and USSR in the space race is recalibrated to revise propaganda and splice in monsters. The new material from Francis Ford Coppola and Jack Hill collides with striking, original visual effects and design. 

Deathsport (1978) Death Race 2000 follow up, creative differences led to the director pulling a gun on set and David Carradine retaliating with a Samurai sword. Drama lacking in the final film is compensated by a load of explosions and gratuitous nudity and speeding motorbikes.

Starcrash (1978) John Barry provides a typically lush score to a Star Wars knock off almost mesmeric in its ineptitude. Barely comprehensible narrative propels Catherine Bach across the stars to encounter various badly dubbed characters and blow everything up.

Battle Beyond The Stars (1980) Fondly remembered, fun production values and VFX, a rousing James Horner score and quirky characters counter the static direction. The John Sayles scripts opts for a Magnificent Seven riff, while obviously trading on Star Wars popularity.

Galaxy Of Terror (1981) A dark, relentless space horror that combines Freudian fear of the unconscious desire with basic gross out effects. James Cameron's evocative design dominates, elevating a narrative that kills its explorers with vicious, numbing regularity.

Nightfall (1988) Ambitious, visually inventive, unsuccessful attempt to adapt an early Asimov short story that pits religion vs science in a future world awaiting the madness of  night. Some effectively visceral sequences collide with humourless debates on reason and faith.

Dead Space (1991) Efficient, uninspired retread of Forbidden World, as Marc Singer travels to a space station where a young Bryan Cranston and fellow scientists have released a virus that soon mutates into an all-consuming monster. Elements of humour aid the cinematic stew.