Russian sci-fi director Pavel Klushantsev

[Faulkner]

Here in Oz they just played a brilliant documentary on this true visionary, called "Star Dreamer"...followed a couple of nights later by his fantastic "Planet Of Storms" ('61). His special FX are amazing (no stupid-looking CGI in HIS films!!!), and totally realistic. Kubrick obviously stole heavily from him when he made his "2001".

Anybody out there heard of him, seen his films???

[Tiny]

I bet those are black and white moives... is that right?

[Faulkner]

No, vivid digitally-remastered technicolor!!! Looks fantastic!

[damienpaul]

Where may i get some, is there a specific link for them?

[Faulkner]

Good luck! :( You can probably find "Planet of Storms" (aka "Planeta Burg") around...try www.amazon.com...(Russian w/English subs - about cosmonauts travelling to Venus)...But as for his other wondrous classics...?? I missed taping "Planet of Storms" off SBS because the bloody TV guide got the schedule wrong!!! Grrrr!!! :angry: ...but I've got an ntsc version...not that I would EVER condone DUBBING it and breach COPYRIGHT legislation!!! :P

This film was butchered by - yes, Americans <_< - and reedited/dubbed into "Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet", with a few extra scenes chucked in, heaps cut out, etc...just like they did to those wonderful Godzilla/Gamera movies... You could prob'ly find this one easily enuff, I found it on DVD for $3.99 down at JB's!! Ha... But the quality is shocking, you really need to chase up the original! Looks great!!

[phase52003]

I also saw both "Star Dreamer" and "Planet of Storms" (Planet Burg) on SBS last week. Both were excellent. I have the $5 DVD copy of "Visit To A Prehistoris Planet". So HAPPY to have finally seen the ORIGINAL russian version. A a rather nice print to boot!

I have a digital STB so the only problem was trying to work out the aspect ratio beforehand. Do you think I could find out from any of the online program guides? Took a guess that "Star Dreamer" was 4:3 due to the trailer for it, and it was.

Found a site that said "Planet Of Storms" was 16:9 so set up for that. Maybe the film was made in 16:9, but SBS only had a 4:3 print. (I'm thinking it was probably made in 4:3 and that the 16:9 info was just wrong). Anyway that was easy to fix in post and convert it to a nice 4:3 copy.

I'm going to email SBS and thank them for showing the doco and the film. With a polite request that if they could show any other works of Pavel I'd be most grateful. I'd encourage other who like to see his other films, (if available), to do the same. Who knows what could happen.

Jay R.
Sydney. :D

[Faulkner]

Onya Jay, yeah I did the same thing. Also told them to bring back Des Mangan's "Cult Movies"!!

I would LOVE to see some of Klushantsev's other work...especially his later film "Mars"...with that little dog running around in a spacesuit! HA HA!!!

And how's the moonbase sets in that earlier film of his??? Bloody spectacular - and realistic looking to the MAX!!!!!

Who needs bloody James Cameron to "inspire" us when we can watch magic like this???? !!!!!!!

[phase52003]

Just an FYI:

I found this site - http://www.astronautix.com/articles/roastars.htm - which has some nice, if small images from Road To The Stars. Including the Moonbase. I love the "skirt" on the female cosmonauts spacesuit.

By the way I don't know if Kubrick had even seen any of Klushantsev's films prior to making 2001. Arthur C. Clarke refers to sending Kubrick to see "Things To Come"; but nothing else in books about the making of 2001. Thats not to say Kubrick didn't see any of Klushanstev's work of course.

I did read an interesting story about using the actors body to hide cables for weightless scenes as did Klushantev. Aparantly someone working on 2001 saw a episode of Dr.Who being filmed where a character dies by being sucked out into space. The BBC camera guys put a camera on the floor and hung the actor above it. I wonder where they got the idea?

Jay R.

[Faulkner]

Wow, whatta site!!! Onya!

Hey, Phase52003, have you read A. C. Clarke's "The Lost Worlds of 2001" also?? Yes, it talks all about the making of the film (the collaboration between Clarke & Kubrick - quite hilarious at times!!! - (after the premiere of the movie, some Universe Today-type nutter gave Clarke a tab of acid & said "wow man your film was a trip"...and good ol' Arthur diligently flushed it down the dunny (so he sez!!! :P ))))))... But yeah, sounds like you've read this book, pal, so you would've read the imbetween chapters which were Arthur C. Clarke's FIRST drafts of the 2001 book/script. Quite BRILLIANT, actually...Extremely different in content...but similar in form & shape etc...Anybody out there read this???

Anyhow... Putting "skirts" on spacesuits sounds very Russian. Now if it was the Japanese, they'd just make the chicks' spacesuits SKINTIGHT!!!!!!! :P

[Faulkner]

By the way... JAY! Are you saying it was 4:3 ratio after all? NOT 16:9 widescreen???

Did you tape it? VHS? DVD?

Do you TV-cap onto your hard-drive, or do you have a DVD stand-alone recorder?

Give me more details of you set-up, man. I'm right into that stuff. I've got every single sci-fi rarity you or anybody else has ever wanted......except for "on The Beach"...keep missing that on Foxtel, somehow...spew! (Ha)...

We should definitely have a separate posting for sci-fi esoterica........??!

(Just for us old-timers....!)

HEY JAMES CAMERON!!! MAKE A FILM ADAPTATION OF H.P.LOVECRAFT!!! I DARE YOU!!!! "CALL OF CTHULHU"???????

[phase52003]

Sorry ... busy week.

a's to q's.

Yes I read "Lost Worlds of 2001". A couple of times. Not for a number of years though.
I believe taking acid and going to see 2001 was the "done thing" in the late 60's.

I was a little young for that sort of thing myself and didn't see 2001 until 1972 during
a re-release. Saw it twice in the same week!! Amazing then, as now.

As to "Lost Worlds Of 2001"; I believe the idea was for Clarke to write the script in the form of a novel which Kubrick (and Clarke?) adapted as the screenplay. Many changes were made due to SFX limitations. eg; Saturn becomes Jupiter. (See "Making Of 2001").

Skintight spacesuits are actually quiet practical! I think Larry Niven used the concept in
a number of his early works. Greater freedom of movement and less problems with pressure. The technology just isn't here. (yet).

Yes, both Star Dreamer and Planet Of Storms were BOTH presented in 4:3.

The answer to that question would be yes, and DVD, if doing so wasn't a breach of copyright. ;) Nudge, nudge, wink, wink as Mr.Python would say.

You seem to dislike James Cameron. Is there a reason?

Personally I don't mind CGI if it adds to the story and doesn't overpower it. LOTR could not have been made without it, while I think it was the only reason for making Matrix Parts 2 & 3.

Jay R. :D :D :D

[Faulkner]

The special effects in Matrix etc is RIDICULOUS!!! Looks STUPID!!! FAKE!!! Go watch "Gamera 3"...now THERE's CGI used effectively!...and more importantly, REALISTICALLY!!!! Watch Tokyo get DEMOLISHED!!! - (and I'm not talking about balsa wood buildings getting stomped by a Jap in a rubber monster suit!! ha ha)...(tho' that is mighty cool too!)...

James Cameron? Oh, remind me to tape "Dark Angel" tonite...blah...

Gimme Jim van Bebber anyday!!!!!!! ;)

[phase52003]

As I said; I think the only reason for Matrix 2 & 3; (which were, lets face it, just one movie, split in half to get the extra $15 from the audience), was to use lots of CGI. And while I thought it didn't look to bad, (CGI still has a cartoon look to it for me), it was just boring to watch after a short while. The 2 films had a 10 minute storyline. If that. Sadly a lot of the stuff coming out of Hollywood these days is little more than overlong video clips for the MTV generation.

The thing is, CGI is here to stay. It will get better, (I've seen early 80's CGI), and hopefully film makers will stop using as the sole reason for making a film.

I have enjoyed the various "Monster Destroys Tokoyo" films over the years. Its sad that SBS has stopped showing them on Saturdays.

Back To Pavel. Are you aware if any of his other work is available? I've looked, written and asked, with little success.

Jay R.

[Faulkner]

Mate, I would LOVE to find some more of Klushantsev's work...!? I've even asked a Russian guy!! heh...(he never heard of him!?)...

I'll keep on searching, tho'...and post up any results!!?

Yeah you're totally right about CGI. It's how it's used. It should be used to enhance a story, not replace it.

I think Hollywood today is the most sickening, perverted, decadent, self-glorifying, unimaginative, uninspiring DAISY-CHAIN of greedy billionaire moguls & talentless actors/actresses. It is shocking. How much money is WASTED on these garbage films? It's terrible. They are not catering for a market, they're forcibly creating the market (by stifling all other independent cinema/distribution etc). There should be laws put in place to fight this EVIL!!!

I hear next on the line of "re-makes" is...DAWN OF THE DEAD (oh god)...THUNDERBIRDS (oh my oh my)...LOGAN'S RUN (hand me that razor blade please?)...

[phase52003]

The ThunderBirds movie; called with great imagination - "Thunderbirds Are Go!"; ( how original?), will be out about mid year. I downloaded the trailer. They use Blur's Song 2.
What, no Barry Gray?

Its been updated, (dumbed down?), and tweaked for a "younger American" audience. The Thunderbirds are all basically the same shape, (except 4), but altered. And its all CGI! Where's the fun in that?

Lady Penelope's pink ROLLER is now a pink FORD. Mr. Anderson has withdrawn from advertising the film, although some feedback reports its not too bad and a sequel is already planned.

What I want to know is what will Hollywood do when it runs out of old TV series to turn into lame (cough, cough) "movies". Oh, I know. "Survivor - The Movie".

Let me know if you find any Pavel related material.

Jay R.

And yes I have both programs on DVD. Want copy?

[Faulkner]

Man oh man, how can you possibly use CGI for those wonderful old model spaceships? That is disgusting.

The whole thing about Gerry & Sylvia Anderson (Thunderbirds, UFO, etc etc) was their meticulous attention to detail. Their special FX were fantastic!!! Real artistry at work there.

Not like now. Now it's formulaic, unimaginative TOSS!!!!!

[phase52003]

Captain Scarlet CGI is currently in production with Gerry Anderson. "Hypermariation".
A CGI version of Stingray is rumoured to also be in prodcution.
Sadly the days of SFX being done totally with minitures is gone.
Some good work still out there, but now its used with CGI.

As for the current state of film making.
I heard a lovely quote: "Its a movie made by 14 year olds boys for 14 year old boys like most of the stuff coming out of Hollywood these days".

Its not all rubbish, but you have to look hard to find a "good" film.

I wonder what ever happened to the film prints of "Road to the Stars"?
Hopefully not trashed like much of the early Dr.Who which is gone for good.

[Faulkner]

And yes I have both programs on DVD. Want copy?

YES PLEASE! Did you get my message, Phase52003?

[phase52003]

message for Pal.
i received the email you sent from this forum and have replied.
if you don't receive it contact me via: info@phase5video.com.au
much to discuss

[phase52003]

message for elliot.
received your email and have replied.
contact me direct at info@phase5video.com.au if you don't get my reply.

[Chook]

Faulkner! Faulkner! You're back! Hallelujah! Missed you, man.

You're way over my head with all this stuff, but it's good read. I must tell The Weasel!

See ya ...