The Black Hole
Director: Gary Nelson
Year Released: 1979
Rating: 1.0
Preposterous schmaltz featuring a Capt. Ahab-type space renegade (Maximilian Schell, a source of hammy amusement), his legion of humanoids and a perverse plan to fly his ship into a black hole. There are hints of Star Wars spread throughout but comparing the two is outright ridiculous (and I don't even care much for Star Wars) - my easily-distracted self was left marveling at the strings holding the actors up and the matte shots and the pew-pew! lasers and tin-foil helmets. The ending is trippy in a post-2001: A Space Odyssey kind-of way.
