Four astronauts returning from man's first mission to Mars enter a time warp and crash on a 26th-century Earth devastated by atomic war. At first unaware where they are, but finding the atmosphere safe to breathe, they start exploring and find themselves in a divided future where disfigured mutants living like cavemen inhabit the surface, while the normals live comfortably below the surface but are dying as a race from lack of natural water, air and sunlight.
Practical Effects
Giant spider puppet deserves an Oscar for commitment.
Production
Underground city sets are surprisingly ambitious for the budget.
Costume
Mutant makeup: where Halloween store meets existential dread.
Director
Edward Bernds
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released four months before Elvis's first single, this captures peak 1950s nuclear terror before the Space Race made rockets cool.
Rod Taylor would later star in 'The Time Machine' (1960)—apparently time travel typecasting started early.
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