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Our picks for worst space-related movies

Contact (1997) 'I participated as an extra in a scene filmed at Kennedy Space Center, so I was eager to see 'Contact' when it opened in 1977. It left me disappointed. The plot line took a leap of faith. Can the nations of the world really unite to build and launch a space vehicle from designs found in a signal received from space?' - Dennis Durkee, managing editor.

Contact (1997)

"I participated as an extra in a scene filmed at Kennedy Space Center, so I was eager to see 'Contact' when it opened in 1977. It left me disappointed. The plot line took a leap of faith. Can the nations of the world really unite to build and launch a space vehicle from designs found in a signal received from space?" - Dennis Durkee, managing editor.

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  • Queen of Outer Space (1958) Astronauts aboard the first manned mission to Venus arrive at the planet only to find out that it is inhabited by beautiful women ruled by a queen who hates men. 'Bad premise, bad writing, bad acting, bad costumes, bad camera work, bad production values . I haven't seen it in years. I was 'forced' to watch it by a friend of mine who is/was something of a connoisseur of bad movies.' - Marta Christjansen, Treasure Coast Newspapers.
  • Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) Not only did this movie make our list of worst space-related movies, but it has been often considered the worst movie ever made. Directed by Ed Wood, known for his awful movies, Plan 9 starred Dracula's Bela Lugosi. In a plot to destroy Earth, aliens come up with a plan to resurrect the dead. 'Plan 9 from Outer Space has everything that a 'bad movie' shouldn't - obvious paper plates on wires passing for flying saucers; a Bela Lugosi double who barely resembles him; the cheapest set imaginable passing as a spacecraft and the cockpit of an airplane; an actor using a (hopefully) prop gun to scratch his head and push his hat back on his head; over-the-top acting by several of the actors, several of whom can be seen tripping over their feet in the graveyard; stilted dialogue that doesn't sound like anything from real life and a plot that is almost incoherent.' - Jeff Alexander, The Jupiter Courier.
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture, or as I like to call it 'Star Drek I: The Motionless Picture,' seemed to go on forever, with much of the time taken up by a tour of the starship Enterprise, of interest only for die-hard trekkies. It basically was an hour of the TV show, spread out over two to two and a half hours.' - Jeff Alexander, Jupiter Courier
  • Explorers (1985) An alien-obsessed kid and his friends find out how to design a spaceship to go to space. 'While I personally love the movie 'Explorers,' I think for anyone over the age of 13 thinks it's incredibly over-the-top silly. And it is. That's part of what's so great about it. I had just turned 13 a couple days before the movie came out and was a huge River Phoenix fan. My older sister and my parents thought it was the dumbest movie they'd ever seen, but I was glued to the screen. Its charm is really kind of wasted on adults!' - Tonia Howerton, copy editor/designer, Treasure Coast Newspapers.
  • Contact (1997) 'I participated as an extra in a scene filmed at Kennedy Space Center, so I was eager to see 'Contact' when it opened in 1977. It left me disappointed. The plot line took a leap of faith. Can the nations of the world really unite to build and launch a space vehicle from designs found in a signal received from space?' - Dennis Durkee, managing editor.
  • Armageddon (1998) An asteroid is headed for Earth and a special team of core-drilling specialists is sent to implode it. 'Armageddon ignores scientific facts to the point of being offensive made watching this loud, long and predictable movie an even more excruciating experience. Throw in the worst song ever recorded -- 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing', by Aerosmith -- and I was ready to kill myself by the end.' - Tim Woltmann, copy editor/designer Jupiter Courier, Sebastian Sun and YourNews.com.
  • Lost in Space (1998) 'Lost In Space had little of the fun of the TV series - a totally unnecessary Gary Oldman playing an exceedingly grim Dr. Smith; there was very little humor, either intentional or unintentional, in the decidedly dark 'Space' exploration saga; highlight was 'blink-and-you'll-miss-them' cameos by Lost In Space TV alumni June Lockhart, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen and Angela Cartwright.' - Jeff Alexander, The Jupiter Courier.

Our staff has picked the worst-space related movies and they explain what makes them so bad.

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