Countdown (1967)

Robert Altman returned to the big screen 10 years after "The James Dean Story" with this captivating science fiction drama. Among other things, the overlapping dialogue combined with fairly long camera shots hint at what Altman's style would become. Equally compelling is the restrained yet effective acting by the notoriously explosive Caan and Duvall. The sets may look a bit cheap, spoiled as we are by the mega-science productions of recent years, but the story—written by Lorian Mandel, based on Hank Searls' book "The Pilgrim Project"—remains captivating until its excellent conclusion.

Translated from Dutch · View original

Two astronauts bickering over who gets to go to the moon? Seems a bit ridiculous. But thankfully, this little drama to fill the time was over pretty quickly, and they got back to work. Unfortunately, everything that followed didn't quite rise above what we're already familiar with from earlier (and more entertaining) 1950s productions: cardboard props and a "moon walk" that was clearly filmed on Earth. It must have been a budget issue, but I expected more, so close to the actual moon landing in 1969.

Translated from Dutch · View original