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It may have been Disney’s pallid attempt to cash in on the success of Star Wars, but The Black Hole is another kind of animal, a kitschy matinee sci-fi/horror movie that’s worth a look in its own right.  It’s a cross between Frankenstein and The Old Dark House, falling more in line with Forbidden Planet than it does George Lucas’ famous trilogy.

Robert Forster, Anthony Perkins, Yvette Mimieux, Joseph Bottoms, and Ernest Borgnine play the crew of a spaceship that discovers a derelict vessel perched at the edge of a black hole. Aboard the vessel, the explorers find an obsessed scientist, Dr. Reinhardt (Maximilian Schell), the only human on a ship full of his own robotic creations. Unfortunately, Reinhardt is teetering on the brink of madness. His robots aren’t what they seem, and the good doctor intends on taking everyone straight into the black hole.

What the movie achieves most is an atmosphere of dread and isolation, supported by John Barry’s suitably dreary music score. It also has some striking set design and a smattering of interesting visuals, including a memorable fireball sequence and a surreal depiction of what’s inside the black hole itself. I like Reinhardt’s relationship with Maximillian, his imposing red droid-at-arms.  Whatever the two of them are doing inside the black hole at the end of the movie is anyone’s guess, but I think it’s pretty kinky.

The movie’s pretty silly at times, especially when the robots Vincent and Bob (voiced by Roddy McDowell and Slim Pickens) are on screen, but for whatever reason, I find The Black Hole a weird, charming little flick.

Oscar Nominations: Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects