They Came from Beyond Space, Silver-Plated Hero

For all of us less than perfect film fans, 1967's "They Came from Beyond Space" is a flick we can identify with.  Our hero is a middle-aged scientist, recovering from an automobile accident.  His main squeeze is his fellow scientist, a frumpy and icy non-babe.  Sure, the plot may be way out there (...as the title suggests), but the brainiacs who will save the Earth actually look like smart schmucks.

Six supposed meteorites land in formation on a Cornwall farm.  Arden (Bernard Kay), a government space agency guy, tries to summon Dr. Curtis Temple (Robert Hutton) to investigate.  But wait!  Temple isn't a meteorite expert, but an authority on extraterrestrial life.  Because of the silver plate inserted in his skull after his accident, Temple's doctor refuses him permission to travel, so he sends the sultry...er...well, hardly sultry...frumpy  in fact, GF Lee (Jennifer Jayne) in his place.  Here is where the space excrement hits the propulsion system.  Despite asking his plain-Jane GF to keep in contact, Temple and his agency are cut off from communication with the team studying the space rocks.

See, the meteorites emit some signal that possesses the bodies and minds of all the scientists and townspeople.  Now the possessed Earthlings requisition weapons and heavy construction equipment. Worried about Lee, Temple heads to Cornwall.  He finds the entire place is hostile to him and has to avoid machine-gun fire.  As Temple picks up a few non-possessed allies, a mysterious plague wipes out all his friends and the remainder of the townsfolk.  Now, on his own, he spies rocket launches from Cornwall to the Moon.  Our middle-aged hero gets bold and will eventually find himself in a battle of wits with the Master of the Moon (Michael Gough).

Will Temple get his perfect 5 girlfriend back?  What is the deal with the rocket launches, the plague, and the Master of the Moon? Sure, Brad Pitt and Scarlett Johansson would have looked better in the starring roles, but they wouldn't have been as likable. By the way, have you noticed that Ms. Johansson looks more and more like Christopher Walken everyday?  For some spaced out fun and suspense, enjoy "They Came from Beyond Space,"  directed by Freddie Francis.