''Rocket Attack U.S.A.'', also known as ''Five Minutes to Zero'', is a 1958

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...

produced, directed and edited by

Barry Mahon Barry Mahon, born Jackson Barrett Mahon (February 5, 1921 – December 4, 1999) was an American film director, cinematographer and producer. Early years Mahon was born in Bakersfield, California and attended the Page Military Academy (now Page ...

who intended to

exploit Exploit means to take advantage of something (a person, situation, etc.) for one's own end, especially unethically or unjustifiably. Exploit can mean: *Exploitation of natural resources *Exploit (computer security) * Video game exploit *Exploitat ...

the launching of

Sputnik Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for t ...

Premise

American

secret agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

s John and Tanya are sent to the USSR after British agents relay information on a Russian plot to bomb America. The duo discover that the Soviets intend launching an

ICBM An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...

sneak attack against the United States on the night that they arrive. The Russians are using information gathered by

to plan the attack, and as the American spies' attempt to sabotage one rocket fails, they are shot. Back in the United States, as the missile closes in, a radio reporter stays on the air to assist those threatened in this emergency as American defense missiles prove too slow to defend the country. The reporter's wife knows this will be his death sentence. As

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

is hit and 3 million are killed, a general bemoans the lack of a functioning ICBM

missile defense Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), ...

system. The efforts to strengthen the US defense system were unsuccessful owing to limited funding and effort. The US retaliation is expected to be minimal as the Russian defenses have been properly funded and maintained. The end title begs the audience not to let this be the end.

Cast

*John McKay as John Manston *Monica Davis as Tanya/Tannah *Daniel Kern *Edward Czerniuk *Phillip St. George as General Walker *

Art Metrano Arthur Metrano (September 22, 1936 – September 8, 2021) was an American actor. He was noted for his role as Lt./Capt./Cmdt. Mauser in '' Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment'' and '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training''. Career Metrano's ...

as Truck Driver

Reception

''The Albany Herald'' stated the movie is so melodramatic and with such hilariously bad dialogue that it has developed a cult following while ''The Meridian Record-Journal'' found that it was among the worst movies produced. In ''Apocalypse Then'' the movie was found to be full of cheapness and histrionics, and despite being a sincere attempt, the movie is padded and some of the special effects are literally cartoons. ''

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and f ...

'' found the movie of interest only as an example of US

paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...

over

Communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

in the 1950s.

In popular culture

It featured on a 1986 episode of ''

Canned Film Festival The ''Canned Film Festival'' is a comedy-based motion picture television series that was nationally syndicated during the late night hours in the United States for a single season in the summer of 1986. With only a one-letter difference in the ...

'' and a 1990 episode of ''

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...

'' (the latter which included the first use of the "stinger").

Home media

It was included as part of the Sci Fi Invasion DVD set released by Mill Creek Entertainment and the ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' Volume XXVII set.MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: VOLUME XXVII (DVD), Film Threat
/ref>

References

External links

* {{IMDb title , id=0055380, title=Rocket Attack U.S.A.
Rotten Tomatoes

''Rocket Attack USA'' is also available on Internet Archive

Said MST3K episode on ShoutFactoryTV
1960s science fiction films 1960s spy films 1960 films American black-and-white films American independent films American spy films Cold War spy films Films about nuclear war and weapons American propaganda films 1960s exploitation films American exploitation films 1960s English-language films 1960s American films