Capricorn One. Ah, a good old slice of conspiracy pie. Based somewhat, i suspect, on theories that the moon landings were faked, this film widens the plot to the first 'manned' mission to Mars. To its eternal credit, the film doesn't muck about - no silly training montages or touching family goodbyes to get you attached to the characters. Nope, the film starts with them entering the capsule, and before you can say "NASA cover-up to protect future funding. Oh, did i say we'll do unmentionable things to your loved ones if you don't play along?" the crew are up to their neck in fake films and transmissions. Elliot Gould does his trade-marked 70's lovably rumpled spanner in the works (in this case an investigative reporter) and Telly Savalas his equally trade-marked 70's nut-job "Pervert!". Karen Black looks suspiciously cross-eyed as the (very) mild love interest for Gould.
The astronauts themselves are James Brolin (fine job), Sam Waterston (equally fine job as the joker of the pack - his joke as he climbs the cliff is a cracker) and the (not proven) wife-killer OJ Simpson does well enough too. Add Hal Holbrook as the geezer who manufactures the whole thing to protect his funding and then finds that as things spiral out of control, he does worse and worse things to justify himself, and you have a fine cast in a fine film.
Haven't seen it since the mid-nineties i reckon and forgot how much i enjoyed it. I won't wait that long for the next viewing.
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