Destination: Outer Space - The premiere is upon us!

[OmahaStar]

Destination: Outer Space, the fifth movie in Christopher R. Mihm's series of 50s-style movies, is coming out in less than a month.

May 25th, 7:30 pm, in Columbia Heights (Minneapolis) MN.

Tickets to the world premiere are only $7.50 (not a typo, what a bargain!) here.

D:OS is the fifth movie in this series, which began four years ago when The Monster of Phantom Lake was unleashed upon an unsuspecting public.

Why do I care so much? Well, beyond them being 100% pure fun, you'll be able to see me in this one. I play a Quark-like character in an alien-filled bar straight out of the Star Wars cantina.

A bit about the films ... They are all family-friendly. They can be seen by small children as well as adults, without pandering to kids. Like Doctor Who, the scripts work on multiple levels. And while you'll get more out of it if you see them all, you don't need to see them in order to appreciate Destination: Outer Space.

So why don't you come along and share the fun?

 

[Captain Euphoria]

I'll be there!

 

[RJDiogenes]

I wish I could come (thanks for the invite). Unfortunately, I'm too far away to make it. I can't wait to see the movie, though.

As I said in the other Thread:

I have this movie on pre-order, and I own all the previous ones; I highly recommend them all for those who love the classic B&W Drive-In movies of the good old-days. They're all very amusing, but not quite in the way of Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra (which I also love). These movies, beyond the comedy and gentle satire, have real stories and the characters are treated respectfully. From the sweet and awkward romance of the first movie to the guy who will stop at nothing to save his kids in the last one, they are all characters you can care about.

And the casting is really good, too. The guy who plays Dr Jackson (and his descendent) is hilarious. There's one actor who plays two very different parts in a couple of movies and I almost didn't know it was the same guy. And the women from Mars are all incredible. There's not a badly cast part in any of these movies; they're all very distinctive character-actor types, just like in the best of the old movies.

Great stuff.

 

[OmahaStar]

I'll be there!

You better be there, Mista DeMihm. :P

 

[S. Gomez]

Have previous films been released on DVD?

ETA: Never mind, just found the official site where you can order them.

 

[OmahaStar]

Have previous films been released on DVD?

ETA: Never mind, just found the official site where you can order them.

Oh, yes. And I think you'll quite enjoy them.

And only 10 bucks each, it's a bargain. One thing about the dvds ... After you watch the movies the first time, watch them again sometime with the subtitles on. They're hilarious.

 

[Dayton Ward]

A name like Destination: Outer Space just screams retro 50s Sci-Fi, and I say that with all possible respect.

 

[OmahaStar]

A name like Destination: Outer Space just screams retro 50s Sci-Fi, and I say that with all possible respect.

Ah, but it is exactly like that. With some Star Wars and Ghostbusters thrown in for more fun.

 

[OmahaStar]

It was AWESOME!

First, my review ...

Destination: Outer Space is the fifth movie in a series of offbeat black and white homages to 50s era atomic/monster movies. It is a semi-sequel to the third, Cave Women on Mars, which introduced the main character, Captain Jackson.

Following the events of that third movie, Jackson has returned to Earth and was drummed out of the service. He was an astronaut. When his best friend shows up with a new job offer - returning to Rocket Command, in command of a fancy new single-person ship - he jumps at the chance.

Couple slight problems. One, he's a big old alcoholic. Two, something goes terribly wrong, and what was supposed to be a simple jump around the solar system lands him on the other side of the galaxy.

It's there that he stumbles into my ... er, B'Kee's bar, which is straight out of the Star Wars cantina. It's full of strange, exotic beings including one Yureena Null. I don't know if it was intentional (it's not mentioned in the commentary), but Yureena sounds like a female Londo Mollari.

Once these two meet, the plot goes at ludicrous speed, with loads of cameos, an ill-tempered robot, and the most horrifying monsters yet.

Technically speaking, it's the best Mihm film yet. Speaking as a fan, I have to agree, it's the best one yet.

Fans of the other movies will find a LOT of tie-ins and little gifts. But the writer has done a fantastic job of leaving it accessible for new viewers. (I watched it again today with people who hadn't seen any of the earlier movies, and they were following along with no problem, laughing at the right spots and enjoying it like they would any other movie)

And now, my comments on the night, and a little behind the scenes tidbits.

Spoiler: the night

When I go in to a Mihm movie, I try not to have expectations. That way, I can enjoy what's on the screen.

This time was different. I'm in it. Oh, and the story of how I became a superfan? Yeah, Chris tells it in the commentary. But back to the story.

I remember filming last year, like it was yesterday. All those people in such fantastic costumes, including Mike Cook (yes, I am a fanboy, and the second I found out he was there, I thought "I'm in a scene with Gustav. I can die happy now."), I kept thinking "Don't screw this up!"

Everywhere around me was history. The room we filmed in was the same room that was the Sheriff's office in the fourth movie. Right behind the bar, where I'm standing and doing my thing, is the map that hung on the wall in that movie, rolled up and ready to be displayed on my wall.

On the shelves were all sorts of creepy-looking exotic jars. Some of them were veggies and things that George Mihm had canned. There were mugs that had been used in earlier films, and the Panasonic transistor radio from two earlier movies. And yes, when no one was looking, I touched it. I admit it.

There were skulls and hookahs and chess boards ... and the only surviving part of the Monster of Phantom Lake costume, of which I did get pictures.

Everyone there had a great day, a fun time filming.

Many pictures were taken, both during the filming and group shots at the end of the day. When it was over, I was tight-lipped. I gave away nothing, other than me being in it, so that what showed up onscreen would be a surprise when people saw it.

Going in, though, was nerve-wracking. I was nervous, hoping I didn't screw up royally. Would my stuff be cut? Did my little piece ruin the entire movie?

I caught up with others before the movie started ... Angela, Maggie, Cherie, Rylan, Mike Cook (GUSTAV!), Josh, and more. First big memory of the night ... Shannon (Julie Ann from two movies, another character here) comes up and gives me a big hug and kiss ... I didn't realize until later that I went through most of the night with her lipstick on my neck. She is the biggest sweetheart in the history of ever.

Then the movie starts, and I'm drawn in. That is, until my scene starts. I didn't screw up. I have dialog. And in a five-minute or so long scene, I'm in almost every shot. There's maybe 20 seconds of the whole sequence when I'm not on screen, either in close-up or in the background.

My character is even referenced again later.

Every person who is in the movie not only gets credited at the end, but our pictures are shown too, so there's no mistaking who is who. MAJOR applause for every single person (even me!) from the crowd.

After it was over, most of the cast assembled in the front of the theater, and many pictures were taken.

Then we got up on stage, and Angelina turned to me and said "Paparazzi." It was exactly what I was thinking. We'd walked the carpet, and now we had Paps. People came up to me to get autographs.

I signed autographs. That was so surreal.

The entire experience was like a gift from Christopher to the fans, and I don't think it could ever be topped.

 

[RJDiogenes]

So when do the DVDs ship?

 

[OmahaStar]

So when do the DVDs ship?

They started shipping the day after the premiere, Wednesday.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Great. Hopefully I'll get mine this week.

 

[Forbin]

Link to the DVD site for the other films plz?

 

[FalTorPan]

Clicky

 

[RJDiogenes]

I actually got this a few days ago and didn't know it. I forgot that the PayPal screw up from my previous order would carry through, so it got delivered to my Mother's house. I got it today and I should be able to watch it sometime over the weekend.

 

[OmahaStar]

It's the weekend. Have you watched it yet? We need reviews!

 

[RJDiogenes]

I plan to watch it today if all goes well.

 

[Forbin]

Watched Cave Women on Mars last night. This is exactly the kind of film my friends and I kept trying to make in Super-8 back in the 70s and 80s, but never got our acts together enough to finish. Take that as you will.

Okay, I understand the whole "affectionate spoof" thing with the intentionally mediocre acting (it's the same thing we were aiming for with our unfinished ("Captain Majors" 30s-style serial), but what the heck was the captain/professor guy trying to do with the scary stares and long pauses? That was just creepy and unnerving - I don't remember any 50s sci fi actors doing things like that. It worked best in the scenes between the Lieutenant and the blonds, where the acting was actually rather normal (well, closer to normal, given the cavewoman dialog ).

I have to forward the website to that old film gang of mine, I'm sure they'd get a kick out of seeing what might it have been like if we'd finished anything.

 

[FalTorPan]

I just ordered a copy of Destination: Outer Space.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Well, I watched the movie (didn't finish the commentary yet), and it did not disappoint. Especially the closing credits.

Like the previous movies in the series, Destination: Outer Space is completely self-contained, yet inhabits a larger universe. It really makes you wonder why professional Hollywood writers are incapable of simple continuity when talented independent filmmakers can do it so effortlessly. As we've come to expect, this movie is a fond homage, not a satire or parody, of classic B-grade Drive-In films. Unlike movies like Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra (which I love), this is intended to be something that might almost be mistaken for an old movie-- at least at first glance. And the characters are always treated respectfully. Captain Jackson, in this installment, is suffering the fallout of the events on Mars and has a character arc involving his parents-- most particularly an artifact that represents his mother-- that is very touching.

Since this one is set primarily in outer space, it has a bit of a different feel than the others, even Cave Girls On Mars. In addition to the ST and SW homages, there is a bit of a Hitchhiker's vibe here as Jackson is buffeted around the cosmos from one exotic locale to another. There is a larger cast than in previous movies, but they mostly come and go-- the action, so to speak, focuses on Jackson.

The special effects are great, and just what you'd expect from a low-budget 50s movie. I find the home-made artistry of effects like these even more appealing than the photorealism currently in vogue in contemporary wanna-be mainstream sciffy. I especially liked the little village on the first planet. It looked like an illustration out of an old magazine.

So when does the next one come out?