MovieMonday.com - Countdown with Robert Duvall, James Caan, Joanna Moore

Space Aventure Films

Countdown (A)

STARS...
James Caan, Joanna Moore, Robert Duvall, Barbara Baxley, Michael Murphy, and Ted Knight.

PLOT SUMMARY...
The United States sends one man to the moon in a modified Gemini spacecraft.

QUICK SCAN...
This film could be compared to "Capricorn One". James Caan and Robert Duvall deliver strong performances as rival astronauts. The Music, by Leonard Rosenman, is stirring and intense. "Lou Grant" fans will enjoy seeing Ted Knight, in a serious role, before his "Ted Baxter" anchorman fame.

DIRECTOR: Robert Altman
YEAR & RATING: 1968 (NR)

BEST BETS:

Capricorn One
Alien Nation
2001
SYNOPSIS...
Three astronauts train for the upcoming Apollo moon mission. When it's learned that the Russians have launched cosmonauts toward the moon, a plan is put into action to send one American astronaut to the moon. When the Russians turn out to be civilians, Chiz is replaced on the mission by Lee.

Chiz asks Lee to quit; he refuses. Eventually Chiz agrees to train Lee. Later, Chiz goes to the NASA brass in an effort to replace Lee on the mission; the NASA chiefs turn Chiz down. Lee and Chiz argue.

Although the Russian cosmonauts are preparing to land on the lunar surface, the decision is made to launch Lee's moon mission anyway. Chiz guides him. Lee encounters some problems during the flight. On the moon, Lee finds the Russian cosmonauts, dead. Almost out of oxygen himself, Lee finally finds his survival shelter, his mission now a success.

Review:

Director Robert Altman's COUNTDOWN is an involving, highly realistic fictional account of the first man to land on the moon.

James Caan ("Rollerball"), Robert Duvall ("THX-1138"), and Michael Murphy ("Brewster McCloud"), are three Apollo astronauts, taking part in simulated moon landings as practiced for the first Apollo landing on the moon. When the Russians surprise the world by putting cosmonauts in orbit around the moon, their plan to land men on the moon shortly, NASA flys into action.

Duvall, as Chiz, the most senior astronaut, meets with Caan and Murphy to explain NASA's plan. NASA will put into action an emergency backup plan. As Duvall explains it to Caan and Murphy, "We're gonna send a man to the moon; One man all the way." Duvall will be at the controls, in a modified Gemini, "...on an upgraded Saturn, with a new third stage and a new landing stage, for one man. Twice the space, twice the life support." The plan is for Duvall, after landing, to live in a previously launched shelter on the lunar surface. After waiting ten months to a year, the Apollo moon mission will arrive and he'll hitch a ride home with them. Caan and Murphy are skeptical about the plan. Murphy comments, "Who thought it up? An LSD research team?"

When the Russians reveal that their three cosmonauts orbiting the moon are civilians, Duvall, a military man, is scrubbed from the one man, moon landing mission. James Caan is picked instead, because he's the second most prepared astronaut, and a civilian. Although Duvall reluctantly agrees to help coach Caan for his moon landing, there's plenty of friction between these two. Aristotle, in his "Poetics", said drama is conflict. Old Ari would have gotten a kick out of COUNTDOWN. When Duvall intentionally overworks Caan by putting him through three moon flight simulations in two days, Caan, feeling the pressure, aborts one of the simulated moon missions, looking bad in the process. Caan, set up to fail by Duvall, lays into him declaring, "You couldn't make this mission, Chiz. You got the guts but you haven't got the brains!" Effectively steered by Director Altman, and aided greatly by a powerful Screenplay, by Loring Mandel, (based on the novel by Hank Searls), Caan and Duvall make memorable screen adversaries.

The Music, Composed and Conducted by Leonard Rosenman, is stirring and intense. It's particularly effective late in the movie, when Caan explores the lunar surface in desperate search of his survival shelter.

My favorite scene takes place on the moon, when Caan encounters the three Russian cosmonauts and their spaceship. Art Director, Dick Poplin, and Director of Photography, William W. Spencer, work movie magic to make this a high impact Sci-Fi scene.

Director Altman delivers a fascinating, documentary-style look at man's first step onto another planet. Apparently made with NASA's full cooperation, (its insignia is everywhere), the under appreciated, (and little known), COUNTDOWN, released in 1968, delivers one of the most realistic accounts of man's journey into space ever committed to film. But, 1968 was also the year "2001: A Space Odyssey" came out. And then, in 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon for real, and COUNTDOWN kind of got lost in the shuffle.

Joanna Moore and Barbara Baxley deliver solid support as Caan and Duvall's wives, respectively. Of the other performers, Charles Aidman is effective as a NASA official concerned about the risks involved in Caan's mission. And it's fun to see Ted Knight, in his pre "Mary Tyler Moore" days, as a slightly pompous NASA media spokesman.

COUNTDOWN will be watchable for Sci-Fi fans who like their space drama, believable, and their human drama, powerful. COUNTDOWN really blasts off and delivers the Sci-Fi entertainment.

GO TO: MovieMonday.com * Sci-Fi Movie Actor Index * Sci-Fi Movie Index * Super Star Index

Countdown (A)
	STARS... James Caan, Joanna Moore, Robert Duvall, Barbara Baxley, Michael Murphy, and Ted Knight. PLOT SUMMARY... The United States sends one man to the moon in a modified Gemini spacecraft. QUICK SCAN... This film could be compared to "Capricorn One". James Caan and Robert Duvall deliver strong performances as rival astronauts. The Music, by Leonard Rosenman, is stirring and intense. "Lou Grant" fans will enjoy seeing Ted Knight, in a serious role, before his "Ted Baxter" anchorman fame.
DIRECTOR: Robert Altman YEAR & RATING: 1968 (NR) BEST BETS: Capricorn One Alien Nation 2001	SYNOPSIS... Three astronauts train for the upcoming Apollo moon mission. When it's learned that the Russians have launched cosmonauts toward the moon, a plan is put into action to send one American astronaut to the moon. When the Russians turn out to be civilians, Chiz is replaced on the mission by Lee. Chiz asks Lee to quit; he refuses. Eventually Chiz agrees to train Lee. Later, Chiz goes to the NASA brass in an effort to replace Lee on the mission; the NASA chiefs turn Chiz down. Lee and Chiz argue. Although the Russian cosmonauts are preparing to land on the lunar surface, the decision is made to launch Lee's moon mission anyway. Chiz guides him. Lee encounters some problems during the flight. On the moon, Lee finds the Russian cosmonauts, dead. Almost out of oxygen himself, Lee finally finds his survival shelter, his mission now a success.
Review: Director Robert Altman's COUNTDOWN is an involving, highly realistic fictional account of the first man to land on the moon. James Caan ("Rollerball"), Robert Duvall ("THX-1138"), and Michael Murphy ("Brewster McCloud"), are three Apollo astronauts, taking part in simulated moon landings as practiced for the first Apollo landing on the moon. When the Russians surprise the world by putting cosmonauts in orbit around the moon, their plan to land men on the moon shortly, NASA flys into action. Duvall, as Chiz, the most senior astronaut, meets with Caan and Murphy to explain NASA's plan. NASA will put into action an emergency backup plan. As Duvall explains it to Caan and Murphy, "We're gonna send a man to the moon; One man all the way." Duvall will be at the controls, in a modified Gemini, "...on an upgraded Saturn, with a new third stage and a new landing stage, for one man. Twice the space, twice the life support." The plan is for Duvall, after landing, to live in a previously launched shelter on the lunar surface. After waiting ten months to a year, the Apollo moon mission will arrive and he'll hitch a ride home with them. Caan and Murphy are skeptical about the plan. Murphy comments, "Who thought it up? An LSD research team?" When the Russians reveal that their three cosmonauts orbiting the moon are civilians, Duvall, a military man, is scrubbed from the one man, moon landing mission. James Caan is picked instead, because he's the second most prepared astronaut, and a civilian. Although Duvall reluctantly agrees to help coach Caan for his moon landing, there's plenty of friction between these two. Aristotle, in his "Poetics", said drama is conflict. Old Ari would have gotten a kick out of COUNTDOWN. When Duvall intentionally overworks Caan by putting him through three moon flight simulations in two days, Caan, feeling the pressure, aborts one of the simulated moon missions, looking bad in the process. Caan, set up to fail by Duvall, lays into him declaring, "You couldn't make this mission, Chiz. You got the guts but you haven't got the brains!" Effectively steered by Director Altman, and aided greatly by a powerful Screenplay, by Loring Mandel, (based on the novel by Hank Searls), Caan and Duvall make memorable screen adversaries. The Music, Composed and Conducted by Leonard Rosenman, is stirring and intense. It's particularly effective late in the movie, when Caan explores the lunar surface in desperate search of his survival shelter. My favorite scene takes place on the moon, when Caan encounters the three Russian cosmonauts and their spaceship. Art Director, Dick Poplin, and Director of Photography, William W. Spencer, work movie magic to make this a high impact Sci-Fi scene. Director Altman delivers a fascinating, documentary-style look at man's first step onto another planet. Apparently made with NASA's full cooperation, (its insignia is everywhere), the under appreciated, (and little known), COUNTDOWN, released in 1968, delivers one of the most realistic accounts of man's journey into space ever committed to film. But, 1968 was also the year "2001: A Space Odyssey" came out. And then, in 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon for real, and COUNTDOWN kind of got lost in the shuffle. Joanna Moore and Barbara Baxley deliver solid support as Caan and Duvall's wives, respectively. Of the other performers, Charles Aidman is effective as a NASA official concerned about the risks involved in Caan's mission. And it's fun to see Ted Knight, in his pre "Mary Tyler Moore" days, as a slightly pompous NASA media spokesman. COUNTDOWN will be watchable for Sci-Fi fans who like their space drama, believable, and their human drama, powerful. COUNTDOWN really blasts off and delivers the Sci-Fi entertainment. GO TO: MovieMonday.com * Sci-Fi Movie Actor Index * Sci-Fi Movie Index * Super Star Index