UK Satellite

SATELLITE IN THE SKY-1956-Great Britain is getting ready to send some kind of manned rocket into space (Project Stardust). Com-mander Hayden (Kieron Moore) is in charge. The war office wants the ship to take along a “J-Bomb”, more powerful than a hydrogen bomb. Larry Noble (Jimmy Hanley) is another astronaut. A woman reporter (Lois Maxwell) stows away on the ship. A pompous military scientist (Donald Wolfit)) is in charge of releasing the bomb into space but there's a screw up and the bomb attaches itself to the ship. Hayden takes a space walk but to no avail. They seem to have no choice but to stay up in space and die when the bomb explodes. The army scientist (Donald Grey) and Lefty (Barry Keegan), the ship's engineer sacrifice themselves to save everyone. Very talky and unexciting. 

The cheesy effects were provided by Wally Veevers who later worked with Stanley Kubrick on 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Director Paul Dickson had done documentaries and short films and later went into TV.

Thanks for reading!

Dr. Blood's Coffin

DR. BLOOD’S COFFIN-1961-Thrown out of medical school in Vienna for experimenting on human subjects, Dr. Peter Blood (Kieron Moore) returns to his small hometown which is being plagued by the robbery of medical supplies and the disappearances of locals. Actually Blood is responsible for the mayhem as he’s using the victims for his experiments in conquering death, keeping them prisoner in some caves. While covering his tracks he finds time to romance his father’s nurse (Hazel Court). When she rejects him, he raises her dead husband from his grave and is eventually destroyed by him. Ian Hunter plays Dr. Blood the elder and Kenneth J. Warren is the investigating police sergeant.

Director Sidney J. Furie made other horror movies (like THE ENTITY) but also helmed a variety of bigger budget films like THE IPCRESS FILE, LADY SINGS THE BLUES, GABLE & LOMBARD, IRON EAGLE and SUPERMAN IV:THE QUEST FOR PEACE. Screenwriter Nathan Juran directed ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMEN and HELLCATS OF THE NAVY! Nicolas Roeg is credited as camera operator.

Thanks for reading!