Is there a more appropriate tale in time of COVID than “Robinson Crusoe?” Only if it’s “Robinson Crusoe on Mars.”
Once again, Roy Bjellquist and I will convene from our respective bunkers, through the power of Zoom, to discuss Byron “The War of the Worlds” Haskin’s 1964 Red Planet castaway narrative, starring Paul Mantee, a largely silent Victor Lundin (who started out as an opera singer), and Adam West (who receives third billing, barely, ahead of a monkey).
An American astronaut finds himself stranded on Mars with limited resources, but unlimited resourcefulness. The only thing he lacks for is companionship (save for the aforementioned monkey). Then he meets his man Friday.
51 years before Matt Damon became “The Martian,” there was “Robinson Crusoe on Mars.” Belly-up for a heapin’ helpin’ of water-plant sausage stew and oxygen-generating hot rocks, on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. Keep us company with your comments. The interplanetary conversation will be live-streamed on Facebook, this Friday evening at 7:00 EDT.
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