The Black Hole

“A journey that begins where everything ends.”

5.8

1979

1h 38m

AdventureScience FictionAction

Director: Gary Nelson

Overview

The explorer craft USS Palomino is returning to Earth after a fruitless 18-month search for extra-terrestrial life when the crew comes upon a supposedly lost ship, the USS Cygnus, hovering near a black hole. The ship is controlled by Dr. Hans Reinhardt and his monstrous robot companion, but the initial wonderment and awe the Palomino crew feel for the ship and its resistance to the power of the black hole turn to horror as they uncover Reinhardt's plans.

Trailer

Unofficial Official Trailer Official

Cast

Dr. Hans Reinhardt

Maximilian Schell

Dr. Hans Reinhardt

Dr. Alex Durant

Anthony Perkins

Dr. Alex Durant

Captain Dan Holland

Robert Forster

Captain Dan Holland

Lieutenant Charles Pizer

Joseph Bottoms

Lieutenant Charles Pizer

Dr. Kate McCrae

Yvette Mimieux

Dr. Kate McCrae

Harry Booth

Ernest Borgnine

Harry Booth

Captain S.T.A.R.

Tom McLoughlin

Captain S.T.A.R.

V.I.N.CENT. (voice) (uncredited)

Roddy McDowall

V.I.N.CENT. (voice) (uncredited)

B.O.B. (voice) (uncredited)

Slim Pickens

B.O.B. (voice) (uncredited)

Drone with Mask Removed (uncredited)

Gary Nelson

Drone with Mask Removed (uncredited)

Sentry Robot (uncredited)

Steven Banks

Sentry Robot (uncredited)

Don Lewis

Sentry Robot (uncredited)

Reviews

CinemaSerf

A little like the "Godi" in "Island at the Top of the World" I vividly recall the first time that I set eyes on "Maximilian" the menacing robot in this far darker Disney film from 1979. The "Palomino" discovers the long lost "Cygnus" on the precipice of a black hole and they board her. Once there, they discover that the captain - an excellently eerie Maximilian Schell ("Reinhardt") and our aforementioned robot are determined to take their ship through the spatial anomaly. Soon, though, our visitors discover there is something far more sinister going on and it becomes a test of wits as they and their own - rather more friendly - robots try to escape in one piece. It is not a film seen too often nowadays which is a shame; it shows that back then, Disney could on occasion do more "adult" films with good SFX, a decent, intelligent, script and a cast - including Anthony Perkins, Joseph Bottoms, Ernest Borgnine with something to get their teeth into and Roddy McDowell has good fun as the wise-cracking, laser-toting hover-bot "V. I. N. cent"

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