Denmark might not be the first country you think of when it comes to science fiction films, but Django and Smut put it on the space map with the latest theme week, celebrating two film makers that made their mark on the genre: Ib Melchior and Sidney W. Pink. The Dane Melchior was a distinguished World War II hero who was awarded the Bronze Heart, before embarking on writing and directing. He met American producer Sidney W. Pink, who moved to Denmark in 1959, as related in this interview by Ib late in his long and rich life. The two would form an un-easy creative partnership that spanned Denmark and the US across several films - and all because of union issues.
Already on Cultpix:
"Reptilicus" (1961) - Denmark's first and only Kaiju film sees a giant lizard re-grown from a frozen tail rampage downtown Copenhagen, creating un-Hygge feeling. Dirch Passer sings a song with a bunch of kids about Reptilicus, in a scene cut from the US releases of the film.
"Death Race 2000" (1975) - This car race cult classic was based on the short story "The Racer" by Ib Melchior, which you can hear a great reading of in this radio series episode form MindWebs, which aired on WHA Radio in Madison, Wisconsin from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s.
"Candidate for a Killing" (1968) - Euro-thriller produced by Pink. Ib said Pink eventually became a personan non-grata in both Denmark and Spain.
"13 Demon Street" (1959) - Echoes of "Reptilicus", "Terror in the Midnight Sun" (1959) and "The Thing" (1951) in this TV episode about a women frozen in ice.
New on Cultpix:
"The Angry Red Planet" (1959) - CineMagic was the process to give this tale of astronauts fighting off carnivorous plants, giant amoebas and a bat-rat-spider-crab creature on Mars a distinctive look. It wasn't quite 3D, but gives the film a unique look.
"Journey to the Seventh Planet" (1962) - Cue jokes about probes being sent to 'your anus'. But this film has echoes of 'Solaris' in terms of the UN astronauts' memories creating flesh and blood women appear suddenly. Set in the year 2001.
"Robinson Crusoe on Mars" (1964) - Daniel Defoe's classic story re-told on the red planet. Byron Haskin directed the Ib Melchior screenplay with great use of Death Valley. Victor Lundin, one of the stars of the film, wrote an eponymous song that he played at sci-fi conventions.
"Keep Off the Grass" (1970) - Ib's anti-marijuana information film from the era of Nixon's 'War on Drugs'.
Don't miss the next Theme Week: films name checked in Rocky Horror Picture Show's "Science Fiction/Double Feature" song.
There is of course a Danish Dudes Spotify playlist.