First Man into Space

UPC: 014381442922

Studio: Image Entertainment

Summary: Filmed not long after the launch of Russia's Sputnik satellite, First Man Into Space benefited from a surface realism made possible by enhanced public knowledge of space-travel jargon and paraphernalia. Dashing astronaut Lt. Dan Prescott (Bill Edwards) disappears from view when his experimental spacecraft vanishes in a mysterious cloud. The space capsule returns to Earth, covered in a bizarre extraterrestrial coating. Shortly thereafter, a hulking, half-human creature raids a blood bank, killing the nurse on duty and gulping down the supplies. More bizarre, unexplained events occur before Prescott's older brother Cmdr. C.E. Prescott (Marshall Thompson) concludes that the monster is actually his missing brother, transformed by his experiences in space into a mutant, vampiric beast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Thriller

Features: Theatrical trailer

First Man into Space

Format: DVD

Release Date: 06/17/1998

Runtime: 78 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Chapter Index
0. Chapter Index
1. Main Title; Monitoring the Mission [17:03]
2. A New Assignment [5:21]
3. Prepare for Take-Off [3:13]
4. Pushing the Envelope [5:35]
5. At the Crash Site [7:09]
6. Man into Monster [5:54]
7. A Mobile Menace [1:09]
8. Dropping by the Lab [8:36]
9. Making the Connection [3:03]
10. Hot Pursuit [6:49]
11. Voice Assist [2:05]
12. Under Pressure [5:38]
13. Accepting the Risks [4:22]
14. End Credits [:35]
15. Theatrical Trailer [1:31]

Bruce Eder

One of a group of British-made horror/sci-fi films of the late 1950s utilizing American leading men (in this case Marshall Thompson), The First Man Into Space doesn't deliver quite a much as it promises, especially after a relatively suspenseful first quarter. Bill Edwards plays the title role, a hot-shot test pilot who exceeds his orders and the parameters of his mission, piloting the sub-orbital vehicle he is testing beyond the boundaries of the atmosphere -- that part of the picture is just fine. And some scenes in the second half are effective in their mix of violence and suspense. But it's obvious that the ideas and ambitions motivating the makers of this movie exceeded their available budget or talent -- it might have been interesting to see what Nigel Kneale might have done with the screenplay, or Val Guest could have done in the director's chair. As it is, the movie survives on pure momentum, carried by pieces of plot that are intriguing even if they don't quite fit together, and some uneven performances. One odd problem that this movie faces lies in its faux American setting -- it's plain, just based on the images and settings, that the action is not taking place within the boundaries of the USA, and the inability to certain supporting and background players to do proper American accents only further damages the cohesion of the picture. Still, the movie has its effective spots, and The First Man Into Space was good enough to earn a place in the Criterion Collection catalog, as part of its lower-rent Eclipse line of cult movies. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Robert Day  Director 
Lance Z. Hargreaves  Screenwriter 
Charles F. Vetter Jr.  Producer 
John C. Cooper  Screenwriter 
John Croydon  Producer 
Buxton Orr  Composer (Music Score) 
Marshall Thompson  Actor 
Marla Landi  Actor 
Bill Edwards  Actor 
Robert Ayres  Actor 
Bill Nagy  Actor 
Carl Jaffe  Actor 
Roger Delgado  Actor 
John McLaren  Actor 
Richard Shaw  Actor 
Michael Patrick Bell  Actor 
Roland Brand  Actor 
John Fabian  Actor 
Helen Forrest  Actor 
Larry Taylor  Actor 
Spencer Teakle  Actor 
Chuck Keyser  Actor 
Barry Shawzin  Actor 
Marc Sheldon  Actor 
Sheree Winton  Actor 
Franklin Fox  Actor 

Country: UK