An absolute waste of money

A Disappointing Continuation

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

I'll never turn down the opportunity to watch an old sci-fi or horror B movie. They represent some of my favorite guilty pleasures. But this one didn't work for me at all.I have a feeling that the dubbed script didn't translate properly. I'm also sure the available version has been cut to shreds - at least I hope it was because I could make little sense from of any of it.The plot may potentially have been interesting but I was lost from the opening moments over the frenetic analyzing of the "spool" (or whatever it was). The casting went way overboard in trying to make the crew into a miniature League of Nations. I'm sure it was intended as a fine gesture but it was so contrived as to be irritating. The various creatures and situations encountered on the planet were all over the map (Venusian map that is). At some points I wondered if a different movie had been inadvertently spliced in during the editing process.I really don't like giving low scores to movies like this because I believe they need to be rated in an alternative manner but I'm stretching just to give it a 3.

When an alien artifact discovered on Earth is found to have come from Venus, an international team of astronauts embarks to investigate its origins.Odd film made in East Germany during the cold war.When the film came to the states characters were switched in the dubbing.The film is interesting as a curio piece on two levels....the cold war angle AND just because it's sci fi from 1960 set in 1985.Over all the problem with the film is that it's overly slow. The action doesn't really get going until 2/3s into the film. But it's in color which is a rarity for a film made in 1960.It's worth a look see if you're a die hard early sci fi fan. If not you probably should move along.

This East German/Polish film called Der Schweigende Stern(The Silent Star) is a really good. The movie is based on a novel called The Astronauts, by Stanislaw Lem. Who also wrote Solaris and that would later be made into a movie in 1972. *** This review may contain spoilers ***The story starts with a mysterious alien artifact is discovered in the Gobi desert in the year 1970. It is found out that it might have come from Venus. An international crew along with a R2-D2 like robot call Omega are sent to Venus and find an apocalyptic landscape with melted buildings and alien shadows on the walls. The astronauts explore the planet and discover that the Venusians were about to attack the Earth but a nuclear war wiped them out. They head back to Earth and warn humanity with an anti-nuclear message. One of the many things I like about the film was the Kosmokrator rocket ship. It's such a unique design like the Luna rocket from Destination Moon(1950)and the Ark from When Worlds Collide(1951).

Back when Germany was divided politically and ideologically the Communist East German half gave us First Spaceship On Venus which is a rather self explanatory title. It hasn't worn well with time, but it's still open to speculation what's on Venus.A magnetic spool containing Venusian recordings is found in the wreckage of what was thought to be a meteor hitting the Siberian tundra in 1908. Just enough to arouse scientific curiosity is translated and an international expedition is formed.Back in 1908 things were happening on Venus and it was a more advanced civilization on that planet and more warlike. But a big old disaster happened and the Venusians were all killed. What happened to the Venusians is why you watch the film.The film is a plea for universal disarmament and it was made sincerely with the best of intentions. The message is laid on with a sledgehammer and the acting not great and the dubbing even worse.Still Walter Ulbricht who led East Germany back then had no real reason to be ashamed of the film, but it is sadly and badly dated.