Product Review

A newly restored version of a Russian science-fiction classic.

Upon reaching Venus, astronauts encounter a ferocious planet with tremendous volcanic eruptions, a hostile environment and terrifying prehistoric monsters. This fascinating adventure became one of the cult classics of its time due to the tension and fear created by the story of six astronauts trying to survive with meager technology.

With only their wits to guide them, two teams of astronauts attempt to link up on Venus after a meteoric disaster destroys one of their ships. One team has an advantage in John, a powerful robot that can provide some protection. But the life-forms they encounter on land and in the ocean are like nothing they have ever seen before. And if they don't manage to join with their counterparts on the other side of the planet, they will never see Earth again.

Producer Roger Corman re-cut director Klushantsev's footage to produce two bastardized American versions: "Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet" (dir: Curtis Harrington) and "Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women" (Peter Bogdanovich's first film). But this ground-breaking Russian classic has never been seen in it's entirety in the United States until now.

DVD EXTRAS:

The Soviets In Space - While the fiction of "Planet Of Storms" was in the filming stage, the Soviet space initiative was making leaps and bounds. From Sputnik to twin manned launches, the real action was right here on planet Earth. So take a look at some rarely seen newsreel footage depicting the early successes of the space race.
The Phantom Planet (Excerpt) - To see how good "Planet Of Storms" is, you need to look at some of the competition. Here's a US production that has a very similar plotline, but gets really small as the film progresses.