1. April 2000 [April 1, 2000] (Wolfgang Liebeneiner, 1952)
Apr
1
2000
The President of the Global Union (Hilde Krahl) stepping out of her spaceship. DPs: Sepp Ketterer, Karl Löb & Fritz Arno Wagner.
Eine mysteriöse EPIDEMIE ist ausgebrochen.
Grauzone [Zones] (Fredi M. Murer, 1979)
Mar
21
1976
The anonymous, urgent newspaper announcement referencing the oath of secrecy considering a mysterious epidemic, starting March 21, 1976. It lists all the symptoms. DP: Hans Liechti.
Fata/Morgana [Left-Handed Fate / Panik 75] (Vicente Aranda, 1966)
Mar
9
Gim (Teresa Gimpera) modelling in a photo studio. The photographer, another woman in silhouette, has an identical hairstyle and outfit. DP: Aurelio G. Larraya.
“The conquest of new worlds always makes demands of human life. And there will always be men who will accept the risk.”
First Man Into Space [Satellite of Blood] (Robert Day, 1959)
Feb
28
1958
A newspaper headline for February 28, 1958 reading THE HIGHEST MAN IN THE WORLD. DP: Geoffrey Faithfull.
“I'm a man in search of his true self. How archetypically American can you get?”
Altered States (Ken Russell, 1980)
Jan
7
Wed
Eddie Jessup (William Hurt) in his tank. Around him visions of clouds, fishes, the ocean. DP: Jordan Cronenweth.
– Eddie Jessup
N.P. il segreto [N.P.] (Silvano Agosti, 1971)
Jan
3
1979
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The January 3–4 International Herald Tribune reports on The Gunboat Affair. DP: Dimitri Nicolau.
And April 27.
“Laugh, my friends. Laugh with me, laugh for me, because I dream for you.”
Le voyage dans la lune [A Trip to the Moon] (Georges Méliès, 1902)
Dec
19
Apollo 17
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A gif from the hand-coloured edition that is now in the Filmoteca de Catalunya. Poor Mister Moon has the adventures' rocket stuck in his eye. DPs: Théophile Michault & Lucien Tainguy.
The Moon (any moon) to commemorate the end of the final man-manned moon landing.
– Georges Méliès, 1937
In true Méliès style, a wild menagerie of showgirls and scientists meet on the Moon in this groundbreaking sci-fi spectacle.
Wojna Światów – Następne Stulecie [The War of the Worlds: Next Century] (Piotr Szulkin, 1981)
Dec
18
1999
Reporter Iron Idem (Roman Wilhelmi) bringing the news. DP: Zygmunt Samosiuk.
The Automatic Motorist (Walter R. Booth, 1911)
Dec
17
Saturnalia
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While on the ringed planet, they pick up a cop to save him from spear-wielding rascals, but he elopes with the planet's fairy. Look at those lovebirds on the rings of Saturn!
A planet with rings for Saturnalia
Two lovely newlyweds and their robot chauffeur take a trip to Saturn for their honeymoon, followed by a jolly ride under the sea. A remake of Booth's own The '?' Motorist from 1906.
Le avventure straordinarissime di Saturnino Farandola [The Extraordinary Adventures of Saturnino Farandola] (Marcel Perez + Luigi Maggi, 1913)
Dec
6
hot air balloons
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A fantastic hot air balloon fight, with machine gunners perched on top of one of the buoyant giants (via). DP: Ottavio De Matteis.
A hot air balloon*
* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for December has a few dateless themes. This is one of them.