Cry of the Space World

Cry of the Space World (1965)

Director: Dick Arnesto

Writers: Dick Arnesto
Todd Bulgera (uncredited)

Genre: Horror / Sci-Fi / Space Opera / Romance / Ornery Space Monsters (more)

Tagline: A thousand light years beyond terror! (more)

Plot Summary: In the distant future, the Omegaship is plagued by an alien invader with strange powers and a hidden agenda... (more)(view trailer)

User Comments: As entertaining and imaginative as it is hateful of Irish people (more)

User Rating: 3.4/10 (237 votes)

Complete credited cast:

Chet Bagwell ... Capt. Jerry "Jer" Thunderminder
Albert Winston ... Cad
Dirk Matherston ... Blake (as Dirk Xavier Matherston IV)
Vincent Price ... Dr. Veramorta
Roger J. Bendar ... Horace "Pug" Carson
Hanna Longmoore ... Nurse Endeara
Royt O'Dougal ... Mic
Carla Arnesto ... Creature

Also Known As:

Spaceship No! (Kentucky)
Space Monster of the Stars (American League)
THAT THING! (National League)
Space Worlds A-Tusslin' (Pee Wee League)
In the Heart of Man, Beware: Monster! (Canada)
Planète Pleurante Fantastique Contre Les Hommes de L'espace (France)

Runtime: 89 mins / Canada: 240 mins
Country: USA
Languages: English / French / Italian / Irish / Pre-Babel Mystery Language
Color: Color (Phantasmavision)
Sound Mix: Heknoscope

AMDB Goofs:

• Revealing Mistakes: First time director Dick Arnesto forgot to shoot the ending of the movie, requiring all the actors and crew to re-assemble at the last minute to shoot an improvised conclusion. Unfortunately, greedy studio executives had already melted all the sets down into molten ore. This is why the Omegaship's computer core, site of the climactic final battle, looks like actor Albert Winston's basement. The character played by Vincent Price, who was unable to take part in the re-shooting, was said to have died on the elevator ride to the computer core. Arnesto further suggested that time anomalies caused the rapid beard growth that occurred in the final scene. Astute film buffs might also recognize Albert Winston's basement from the spaghetti western The Dead Ride at Midnight, where it played the character of Chango.
• Revealing Mistakes: The making of the romantic comedy She's a Paris Girl Now! can be seen in its entirety reflected off the helmet of Capt. Jerry Thunderminder. The two films were shot at the same time on opposing sound stages of the Hercules-Wifflestein Studios lot.
  
• Continuity: Dick Arnesto failed to remember an earlier scene in which the creature devoured Albert Winston's character. Cad reappears unharmed 5 minutes after his death and is featured throughout the movie until the ending, even at times acting in scenes where his skeletal remains can be seen in the background.
• Revealing Mistakes: When Blake takes off his helmet there is nothing underneath.
• Factual Errors: It is only possible to breach the 4^th dimensional barrier by re-calculating magnitude dispersals at variables higher than 4.8 where the gravimetric differential is at least 47 wavefactors into the hyperspatial spectrum. In this movie said factors were never present, making the character of Blake look awfully foolish for a supposedly experienced space pilot.
  
• Continuity: In the scene in the Omegaship's science lab where Dr. Veramorta convinces his Irish assistant Mic to drink a veil of poison, the Spatial Metabolic Transducer, which he said was non-operational in the opening scene, is clearly working at full capacity.
  
• Incorrectly Regarded as a Goof: Many people believe that Mic could have warned his shipmates that Dr. Veramorta was possessed by the creature, but they fail to take into account that Mic was an alcoholic Irishman, and therefore prone to fanciful stories, false truths, and obnoxious yelling.
• Factual Errors: Character surviving in the vacuum of space with no protection, oxygen, or food for three years.
• Continuity: In one scene you can clearly see that Cad's glass of milk is completely full. In the very next scene the glass is gone and in its place is the Magna Carta.
  
• Incorrectly Regarded as a Goof: The Irish cannot, under normal circumstances, turn people into trees. In this particular instance, however, actor Royt O'Dougal was a real life leprechaun boasting a wide range of supernatural abilities.

AMDB Trivia:

• The titular space world never appears, leaving the origins of the creature sketchy at best. In a commentary track recorded for the 40^th anniversary DVD release, director Dick Arnesto explained that the planet was a metaphor for McCarthyism. Dick Arnesto was on morphine and inside an iron lung while recording the commentary, so his statements are somewhat dubious.
• Director Trademark: Character giggles uncontrollably due to mysterious space gas, then goes mad with blood lust.
• The model of the Omegaship used in the film for exterior shots was actually actor Chet Bagwell's flask, frequently borrowed from him during his many bouts of unconsciousness.
  
• Director Trademark: An elderly man tries to sell a scientist a bag of head lice.
• Dick Arnesto originally wanted to hire Ray Harryhausen to do the creature effects, but could not afford him. Instead he brought in a laundry basket full of dirty clothes and painstakingly affixed them with tar to his ex-wife, Carla Arnesto, against her will. The rage the creature demonstrated was not scripted and did not end when the cameras stopped rolling.
  
• Dr. Veramorta's science gloves were actually oven mitts purchased at a yard sale. Dick Arnesto decided not to tell actor Vincent Price this, causing him to suffer severe radiation burns after handling the plutonium used in the ship's reactor.
• Director Trademark: Repetitious shots of men leering at empty chairs, biting their knuckles, and howling.
  
• The romantic subplot involving Blake and Nurse Endeara was scrapped due to Hanna Longmoore's real life menstrual cycle. As custom dictates, she spent most of her time outside the set in a small hut, waiting out her period until such a time that she was deemed clean. This is partly why she appears for only 7 seconds in the film.
  
• Cameo: Orson Welles' left inner thigh visible for 4 seconds during the first creature chase sequence.
• Dr. Veramorta's robot was actually lead actor Chet Bagwell's son, who had come to visit his father on set after winning an elementary school costume contest. He mistakenly walked on camera, and Vincent Price improvised the line, "Is this supposed to be my robot?" An off camera voice replies, "Yes, work with it!"
• This was actor Dirk Matherston's final appearance on screen. Shortly after filming he was devoured whole while defending his South American plantation from an onslaught of army ants.
  
• Director Trademark: Camera being thrown at character in film.
• Director Trademark: Director's tears seen streaming down camera lens.
  
• Dick Arnesto was inspired to write in the sequence inside the creature's nest after breaking into his neighbor's utility shed to look for valuables he could steal and pawn off to help finance the film. He found the interior of the shed so amazing that he later snuck several of the actors in to film the strange sequence. The shed was largely full of pornographic magazines and bowling trophies.
• Director Trademark: Director punching cameraman during filming.
  
• The character of Horace "Pug" Carson had only one scene, which required extensive camera tricks to pull off. Originally he was supposed to feature prominently in the film as the ship's security officer, but actor Roger J. Bendar was shrunk to the size of a pill bottle after digging up a gypsy grave, making it impossible for him to convincingly portray the ship's gruff and imposing lawman.

Memorable Quotes:

Capt. Jerry Thunderminder: We're being invaded by a force that can only be described as pure evil, and you want to panic?
Cad: Do you have any better ideas?
Capt. Jerry Thunderminder: Yes! We fight it with everything we've got! Are you with me?
Cad: I'm with you, Captain! We're all with you!

Dr. Veramorta: No, we mustn't harm the creature! I must study it! I must learn its ways! I must! I must! I must!
Mic: Doc, you sure are the smartest man I know.
Dr. Veramorta: I must have your blood! All of it! Now!

Blake: We're approaching the source of the anomaly! 10 gravitons... 9 gravitons... We are now in range.
Capt. Jerry Thunderminder: Focus all wavefactors on fluctuation Alpha-10!
Cad: Fluctuating wave factors on Alpha-10. Polaric synchronization achieved!
Capt. Jerry Thunderminder: Focus forward transversals at the singularity point Beta-12, reverse hypersensors and re-calculate magnitude dispersals!
Blake: This soon? We could rupture the 4th dimensional barrier!
Capt. Jerry Thunderminder: We don't have the luxury of time or safety, Blake. We are past the threshold of danger. Oh, we're long past it indeed! Aboard our vessel lurks an evil greater than any known to man and it is our solemn duty to stop it.
Blake: I am sorry, Captain. I won't question you again.

– Josh "Livestock" Boruff (@Livestock)