GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.

Manthast Absolutely amazing

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Bloodwank I wish I could watch The Lost Missile as audiences of its time might have done. To transplant myself into the Cold War mindset, be filled with fears of nuclear destruction and watch the film in that way would be worlds away from watching it now. I don't have too many issues with the tight budget or the old fashioned effects work and I found its tension impressive, but these are post fear days where any subject can and will be satirised, and a topical work heading straight for the fear centres has to make more of an effort than ever before to conjure up genuine anxiety and not just passing suspense. Still, while I may not have any lingering worries about world destruction a couple of days after The Lost Missile I won't soon be forgetting its tight handling and nerve wracking power. The story sees an alien craft knocked off course by a Russian missile, bringing it into an orbit low enough for its speed and radiation to burn away any thing that it passes over, unfortunate given that its path will lead it in time to burn away the entire surface of the Earth. It falls to some nuclear scientists, in particular a Dr. David Loring and his assistant/fiancée Joan Wood to save the day, in a tale as swift and intense as the missile itself. The film wraps up in 70 minutes and its events take place over the course of a single day, it's a film free of any fat though it does allow for brief spells of downtime for some all important character development. Sadly the budget doesn't allow for any notable effects work, the missile is simply a crude model accompanied by screaming sound, while most of the action is accomplished with stock footage. This stock footage is well used though, clips of radar technology, missile launches and lots of vintage fighter aeroplanes including one very fun moment of massed air assault on the missile. It gives the film a nicely realistic feel, and works well with the solemn narration and its use of technical lingo, including reference to the Distant Early Warning (DEW) line, a radar defence referenced in several science fiction films of the period. A couple of montage scenes are also handy in keeping up the pace and seriousness, generally this is a well put together film and edge of the seat stuff by the end. Acting is generally sound, though there isn't much to raise the characters above stock levels the actors are committed, Robert Loggia is a solid hero, Ellen Parker attractive and likable (also smarter than average) as his assistant, whilst supporting actors are generally sound if unspectacular. My only problems with this one stem from its lost potential, I hate to criticise a film like this on reasons related to budget, but this one really doesn't do much justice to the destructive potential of the missile and it's rather regrettable. There are also interesting issues regarding its origin, and the potential tensions between super-powers it raises that are sadly glossed over and it brings down the films impact a little. Still, I was by and large rather impressed by this one and recommend it to fans of the era, a sweet swift fix for genre fans.

ebiros2 When I saw it as a kid, I didn't understand the premise of the story, and as an adult, I still have problem with the premise that a runaway missile from space starts to circle around the earth by sheer chance. I guess that's what makes this movie one of a kind. If you go beyond the incredible coincidence that this missile just happened to find earth and randomly started killing its inhabitants, the movie is pretty good sci-fi from the '50s. They try to make things look factual by using stock military footage, and use pseudonym of actual existing institution like Havenbrook (which is an obvious reference to Brookhaven National Laboratory). The scary part of the movie is the glow you see over the horizon as the missile approaches, and the sound it makes. The movie is somewhat leaning towards horror genre in this respect, and what happens to the main protagonist as he attempts to stop the runaway missile. If you've seen this movie once, you'll never forget it - which makes this movie one of the sci-fi classics from the '50s.If you can find it (as it's getting easier with so many posting of old movies on the internet), this movie is worth a glance.

MARIO GAUCI I had never heard of this one before it turned up on Cable TV. It's very typical of late 50s sci-fi: sober, depressing and not a little paranoid! Despite the equally typical inclusion of a romantic couple, the film is pretty much put across in a documentary style - which is perhaps a cheap way of leaving a lot of the exposition to narration and an excuse to insert as much stock footage as is humanly possibly for what is unmistakably an extremely low-budget venture! While not uninteresting in itself (the-apocalypse-via-renegade-missile angle later utilized, with far greater aplomb, for both DR. STRANGELOVE [1964] and FAIL-SAFE [1964]) and mercifully short, the film's single-minded approach to its subject matter results in a good deal of unintentional laughter - particularly in the scenes involving an imminent childbirth and a gang of clueless juvenile delinquents!

march9hare Released (some would say "escaped") in 1958, "The Lost Missile" is, de- spite it's many flaws and shortcomings, a fairly interesting tale about a wild missile, apparently of extraterrestrial origin, loose in the Earth's atmosphere and frying everything underneath it with a million-degree exhaust. The biggest problem with this film really isn't the film's fault: it suffers from being rather too ambitious for its budget. While this is true of many fifties sci-fi films, this is not to say that there are other flaws which cannot be so easily dismissed' to wit: the acting. Robert Loggia plays Dr. David Loring, the tragic hero, and turns in a performance that is played with such lethargy and apparent disinterest that it makes you wonder if he was wondering "what was I thinking?" The rest of the cast play their parts like second- or even third-string summer stock. Oh, yeah: there's also the cliche'd frazzeled scientist ("My wife's having a baby, and I can't be with her!!"), lots and lots of stock Dept. of Defense shots of scrambling fighters, and some surprisingly good effects rendered by then-Masterof the Art Jack Glass. By far, the most hilarious performance is rendered by the Governor's aide. This guy looks like he just found out that his wife is cheating, his single daughter is pregnant, his son has the clap, he has prostate cancer, the car needs a new tranny, and the bank is foreclosing on his mortgage. . .all at the same time!!! Coming in a close second is the TV singer. This guy couldn't carry a tune in a semi! Seriously though, while "The Lost Missile" may not be a great film, it isn't quite a bad one, either. It's fast-paced and does hold your interest, which is more than I can say for "Phantom From Space". That one.. .OY!!