
Voyage to the End of the Universe
Jindrich Polak’s 1963 Czechslovakian space odyssey was originally titled Ikaria XB-1, the name of the spaceship on a mission to search for life in the stars of Alpha Centuri. Adapted from Stanislaw Lem’s novel The Magellenic Cloud, this austere and beautifully designed pic anticipates Tarkovsky’s Solaris and remains one of the best of the Eastern Bloc science fiction films– all of which were released in the West in reworked adaptations. The uncut version, in 2.35 widescreen with subtitles, can be seen here.
About Joe Dante
Joe Dante is a lifelong film buff who turned his obsession into a career. He got his start cutting trailers for Roger Corman and later directed the hit movie Gremlins, as well as Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Innerspace and Small Soldiers for producer Steven Spielberg. His feature films include The Howling, Piranha, Matinee, The ‘burbs , Looney Tunes Back in Action, The Hole (first winner of the 3D Persol Award at the Venice Film Festival) and the zom-com Burying the Ex. His TV directing work includes: Police Squad, Amazing Stories, the HBO film The Second Civil War, the Masters of Horror titles Homecoming and The Screwfly Solution, and episodes of Eerie, Indiana, CSI: NY, Hawaii 5-0, Witches of East End, Legends of Tomorrow and Salem. His most recent big screen credit is an episode of the anthology film Nightmare Cinema. He’s currently consulting producer on the Amblin Television/Warner Bros. Animation hit, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.
Joe is also the frequent co-host of Trailers From Hell’s official podcast, The Movies That Made Me, available everywhere podcasts are streamed and downloaded!