Capricorn One (1977)

Conspiracy theories have always intrigued a section of movie-goers. Many movies have used the wild rumours as fodder for interweaving a good story. Capricorn One does just that. Moon landing conspiracies have been rebundled with a political edge & journalistic passion. This time the setting is for Man to land on Mars. & there's no beating round the bush. The movie dives straight into the plot & uses the available resources to a good potential.

It's not a wonderful script; & there are loopholes aplenty. But the unravelling of the story is brilliant, because the audience gets to root for the protagonists. The ending seems a bit rushed, but the jubilant dash through the cemetery felt appropriate enough to tie up the tale.

Alternate ending: The exageration of the plot makes it slightly chunky to gulp. NASA operatives seem to have way too much access; & a lot gets swept under the carpet very conveniently. The fate of the captured astronauts was left unanswered. I'd want some definitive closure.

Fav moments: The commentary at the start; The "Go jump yourself" conversation between the journalists; The reporter's brake-failure accident; dead-cat joke

First Viewed: Alone at Harborne in Parramatta.

Rating-2.5*