Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969)

Director: Robert Parrish

Starring: Roy Thinnes, Ian Hendry, Patrick Wymark, Lynn Loring, Herbert Lom

More Info: IMDB

Tagline: You will meet yourself face-to-face when Earth meets its duplicate in outer space!

Plot: A planet is discovered in the same orbit as Earth's but is located on the exact opposite side of the sun, making it not visible from Earth. The European Space Exploration Council decide to send American astronaut Glenn Ross and British scientist John Kane via spaceship to explore the other planet. After a disastrous crash-landing Ross awakes to learn that Kane lies near death and that they apparently have returned to Earth, as evidenced by the presence of the Council director and his staff. Released to the custody of his wife, he soon learns things are not as they seem.

My Rating: 8/10

Would I watch it again? Oh, yeah.

What a pleasant surprise this was. I really love a good science fiction movie, especially the kind that involve outer space. This one freakin' delivers. And even though it might have a little that 1960s optimism that can seem naive and silly, it delivers the 'gee whiz bang' special effects and model work. And we haven't even talked about the great story.



JOURNEY (know as Doppelganger in the UK where it was made) has a great plot and twist, the kind that feels at home in The Twilight Zone. But MAN, OH, MAN the model work is fucking awesome!


It's plenty talky, building up the conflict of the secretive mission, enough to maybe turn some folks off but the great 60s Ken Adam-esque (he did the set design for most of the Bond pictures of the 60s and 70s) sets keep your eyeballs popping. Yeah, it's 45 minutes into the picture before we finally take off into space but that's OK by me.

Ooh. Cool! A Space Bed!

And a Space Car? AWESOME!!!

What the deuce? Space Cleavage? I sooo want to be an astronaut when I grow up.

JOURNEY is great fun through and through and I may enjoy it even more with a second viewing (which is certain to happen soon). I really dig sci-fi of the 60s and 70s and it's such a treat to discover a good one that I haven't seen. Loads of fun. Check it out. The DVD looks great!