The Green Slime
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| This 1968 sci-fi movie starring Robert Horton, Richard Jaeckel, and Luciana Paluzzi, went through several name changes, including "Invaders from Beyond the Stars," before it became the cult film classic "The Green Slime." | |||||
 
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| Commander Jack Rankin (Robert Horton) is sent to assume temporary command of Space Station Gamma III, and from there to command a mission to blast an asteroid, that is on a collision course with earth, out of existence. Unfortunately the space station is commanded by his former friend, Vince Elliot (Richard Jaeckal), a rival and the apparent winner in the affections of the station's doctor, Lisa Benson (Luciana Paluzzi). From Gamma III, Rankin and his men successfully land on the asteroid. While they are placing the explosives, one of the crew members, Dr. Halvorsen, a 'space consultant' from Gamma III, goes exploring. He finds a jelly-like green substance that appears to be alive and takes a sample for future investigation. When he returns to the rest of the crew, Rankin prevents him from bringing the specimen on board the space craft for the return to Gamma III. However, unknown to anyone, some of the substance has adhered to Halvorsen's clothing and is inadvertently brought back to the space station. | |||||
  
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| In the apparent success of the mission, the astronauts leave their uniforms in the decontamination unit and party, futuristic style of course (though the dances and the clothes look suspiciously 1960's!). Our hero is not above using a little subterfuge of his own to win the doctor back and takes advantage of his dance with her to further his own cause. | |||||
 
However, before he can make any serious moves on the
good doctor, an emergency alarm sounds from the lab. When Rankin,
Elliot, and the others rush to the rescue, they find the
decontamination lab torn apart and the lab technician dead of
apparent electrocution. Halversen discovers that the
substance has apparently metamorphosed into a multi-tentacled beast
that feeds off electricity. In addition, they discover that attempts
to shoot it splatters its blood, which simply spawns more of the
creatures.
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Since there are now
hundreds of these creatures, all feeding off the electricity generated
by the space station, Rankin decides that their only hope is to
isolate the beasts in one section of the station and blowup the entire
station. In a frantic race against time to evacuate the station and
blow it up, Rankin and Elliot stay behind to set the detonator.
Elliot is killed! Rankin gets off the station safely and is reunited
with the doctor.
| Robert Horton claims that this movie was so bad, it's actually funny. And the "monsters" that are so critical to the story line were so laughable, he has a picture of him feeding one a cookie!  
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