CONQUEST OF SPACE (1955) *1/2 From way back in the days when they made movies about conquests without girls in them, for boys to watch on Saturday afternoons. Hmm. Shortly thereafter, Eisenhower was elected and Wilhelm Reich thrown in prison. Something like that. Anyway the day before the big mission the space command decides that the space station astronauts will fly to Mars instead of the moon. The general leading the expedition becomes a religious nut whose new views include that the Mars mission is an abomination as it isn't mentioned in the New Testament. He then sabotages by trying to crash the rocket, spilling flammable chemicals all over the planetary surface, and shooting his son, who instead of being a victim Oedipuses out, which really pisses off the Irish sergeant. Apparently only the Oriental astronaut considered that it might be any good to conduct experiments during their year on the red planet, the others mainly sit around bitching about wimpy stuff like lack of water until they get into a religious discussion and it snows. Sadly no monsters present themselves, but a series of avalanches and earthquakes makes it difficult to take off again. On the way home they agree to mislead all other humans ever yet to be born, and on a coverup. Yep that's what the McCarthy generation hoped we'd do for 'em, and it's what the Reagan/Bush generation is gonna want too.
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