The Stranger (1973)

Touches You

Excellent but underrated film

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

A malfunction in space sends astronaut Neil Stryker (Glenn Corbett) off course and headed to something of a parallel world, called Terra, circling the sun exactly opposite Earth. As a being from space would pose a threat to this world's order, Stryker is held until a determination can be made as to exactly what to do with him. Stryker, however, gets suspicious of his surroundings and escapes. With the help of a sympathetic nurse and a old scientist who opposes the government, Stryker will try to board a spaceship and head back to Earth.Stranded in Space (or The Stranger if you prefer) is another of those 70s made-for-TV movies that was to be turned into a regular, weekly show. In this case, it's easy to see why it didn't make it. First off, there's nothing new about the show's set-up. It was undoubtedly designed to follow the same formula used by The Fugitive or The Incredible Hulk or Planet of the Apes. You know, a stranger constantly on the move going from one town to the next taking whatever odd job he can all the while being pursued by a government agency or newspaper reporter. It's a formula that's been done to death. The second strike against Stranded in Space is its lead, Glenn Corbett. Could this guy come across any less likable? I was rooting for him to get caught. Without sympathy for the main character, this kind of show would never work. Finally, this is supposed to be science fiction. Just because everyone is left-handed and someone has hung three fake looking moons on the horizon I'm supposed to jump to the conclusion that this is some distant planet? So it's a mere coincidence that they all speak English, dress just like people on Earth, and drive Plymouth Furies? Yeah, right.The lone highlight for me was the inclusion of Cameron Mitchell in the cast. Sure, it's difficult to watch him in something this dreadful, but you know the old saying - any Cameron is better than no Cameron (yeah, I've never heard it either).As with a lot of these 70s made-for-TV movies, I watched Stranded in Space courtesy of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I wouldn't call it a great episode by any stretch of the imagination, but there are a few good jokes along the way. So in the end, while I rate the movie a 2/10, it gets a 3/5 on my MST3K rating scale.

This movie takes the plot behind the sci-fi flick "Doppelganger" (an astronaut from our Earth crashing on a 'counter-Earth' on the opposite side of the Sun, and the Cold War totalitarian vibes on that world) and tries to turn it into a pilot for a TV series. However, the whole thing sank without a trace, and TV is probably better off for it.Everyone here is perfectly adequate in a 'made for TV' way. Cameron Mitchell turns in his usual solid performance. So does Glenn Corbett (who seems to be a kind of poor man's John Saxon) who plays the rugged individualist whose very existence poses a threat to the foundation of the 'World Order' on counter Earth.But the low budget and low energy and inconsistent script and the lack of any real imagination in the set designs and cinematography keep this Sci-Fi adventure firmly tethered on the launch pad.I'll give one example: in the original template for this pilot, ("Doppleganger"), the astronauts lose control of their landing vehicle in a thunderstorm, and crash their ship in a truly appalling sequence (it was obvious that their ship was never going to fly again). Then the two astronauts stagger helplessly from the smoking remains of their vehicle in the middle of howling rains and winds, only to be smacked down and overcome by faceless men yelling through loudspeakers.In "Stranded in Space", the astronauts are sitting in their seats when buzzers sound, things start shaking, and the camera blurs into a blackout (and as a friend pointed out, it was pretty obvious that the actors were simply shaking themselves on their seats, the director wasn't even shaking the camera or the set). I've seen episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits" that took more effort to establish mood and setting than this made-for-TV mediocrity.And that, in essence, is what's wrong with "Stranded In Space". No budget, no time, no imagination...just making the token gestures and hoping the sci-fi Fan Boys' imagination and enthusiasm will fill in the rest. Sorry, guys, it didn't work. I'm sure that everyone here just finished their work on this one and walked away, and never thought of it again, except as a listing on their C.V. And that's what you, the viewer will do. You'll remember, if pressed, that you once watched a TV movie called "Stranded In Space", but it made no lasting impression on you, and you can't recall too much about it.

The whole plot goes like this: An astronaut gets caught in a freak accident and lands up on some alternate earth where a Big Brother type government rules everything and controls everyone. The government, known as the Perfect Order, sends anyone who steps out of line to a place called Ward E, where they are treated pretty badly. Bad acting, predictable plotline and little to endear you to the cast makes this one a turkey.1984 does the same thing, only a lot better.

HERE WE GO... Featuring several actors from an amazing array of b-movies and made-for-tv flics, this turkey might appeal to the die-hard fan of velveeta cheese, spam and/or atari 2600, but not to the masses (except perhaps those watching a uhf channel at 3 in the morning after a binge at the local pub). Seemingly a failed pilot for a pre-doomed series, the only thing going for this movie is the sheer ability to crack jokes about the plot. Come on...An astronaut, adrift in space, wakes up to find himself in a hospital bed surrounded by slightly-paranoid medical staff. Later he finds out (through the silliest of methods) that he's actually on a twin planet to earth (on the other side of the sun where we can never see). He wanders off (actually, it's supposed to be an escape, but my grandmother's escape from the nursing home would be more exciting to watch, not to mention more challenging), and the government wants him back (of course), to pry from him certain details (I won't spoil it). Later we find out that their space technology is slightly better than ours, as he manages to steal a shuttle for the trip back home (anyone doped up on sleeping pills could have been more sneaky, and why would they have to pry in the first place. Didn't they get his ship too?). And to top it all off, he crashes into the ocean, only to find himself....(sorry, not allowed to spoil it. Too bad, because the truly pathetic"twist, climax," whatever you'd prefer to call it, proves just how much of a groaner this film is). the end.And thank heaven they didn't make the series! Great flick for drunkenbouts, cheese-fests and late-night viewing, but nothing I'd want to suffer through again.I can't even believe I went on about this turkey for more than a few sentences.Watch it on one of those mondo, make it funny shows late at night, but please don't watch it alone. 'Tis not proper to be a closet cheese-aholic!