Drive in Sci-Fi: Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun (1969)

A relative late for our usual period, a 1569 piece. And the times show, we get to see a colourful space agency building and the machines they use seem more advanced. Two scientists enter that building, and one of them manages to scan some sort of document with his fake eye. Seems to be a spy.
The next day we are in a conference that tells the world that the sun probe has noticed that there is another planet on the other side of the sun, a new planet. nowadays its known as Planet X or nibiru. though Planet X doesn't count any more, as it wouldn't be the 10th planet. the information about it seems to fit Nibiru perfectly though. Only proves the idea is far from new.
Meanwhile, somone kills the spy. looks like the brittish counter intelligence works well. This movie seems to want to b both a spy movie and a scie-fi movie. but so far it manages to tie both together. supposedly the spy wanted to know about the space findings.
One of the astronaut argues with his wife whether hes sterile. his wife things the radiation in space made him infertile when the doctors says its ok. Infact he finds contraceptics she use so hes the right one. he beats her for it. I guess the 50s way has prevailed all the way up to 1969. The astronauts, one real astronaut from america, and one astrophysicist who hasnt been in space then trains to take the flight and investigate the newly found planet. It takes 3 weeks to get to the planets by rocket, so its much closer than mars. That is illogical for the planet should be twice the distance from the sun. That means 2 AU, because earth is around 1 AU from sun. Mars is 1.5 AU from the sun on average, making it a bit closer. Therefore the real journey should take around 8 months, not 3 weeks. (assuming the movie use technology of its time, the time has beeen shortened to few months with nowaday robot expeditions.
They launch, fly there and without much problem is approaching the planet. They see clouds, atmosphere. after a quick survey they decide to land on the planet. They have a special shuttle for that. The looks of ships, while obviously fake, seems like they did their homework on that front. However they do crash-land. They meet some humans in weird masks who says they are air-sea rescue and gets them out.
the one that isnt in a bad condition is sent to interrogation room. He is interrogated about turning back to earth. they come to a conclusion that they turned back and not went to the planet while the astronaut thinks that they landed on the new planet. we are not explained what really happe and the astronauts are put back into their lives without decontamination or whatever. but there are tiny things that are different. cars drive on the other side of the road, the house is slightly different. However noone believes him, they jsut think he is disoriented after the flight. Then he notices that the writing is all from right to left, mirrored. Looks like the different side of sun has the writing backwards and pretty much everything backwards. Even clocks go to the other side. looks like we are on the other planet after all. They sedate him and get him isolated because he starts to get aggressive because of this all.
Thy decide to test his theory. They show a text before a mirror and tell him to read it. it works. then they put him on a drug that makes him go on some trip that reminds him of everything we saw in the movie. the scene was unnecessary but this was the late 60s and hippies were taking over already. Eventually he manages to convince them and then they let him go back to "his earth". He returns, tells him the story but they dont acknowledge, and they intentionally crash-land him so he would die. we are to assume the other earthlings do the same. in the end, killing the truth for good. the explosion makes damage thatl ook like after nuclear bomb.
He apperently survives and grows to be of old age, but noone believes him so he jut rambles in his mind the story over and over again. In final desperation he crashes himself into a mirror.

Story: 7/10. pretty decent story in this one, wasnt expecting.
Acting: 7/10. above average acting and pretty good from main actors.
Sound: 6/10. pretty pleasant soundtrack in this one. i was happy after the regular bad music.
Sci factor: 5/10. they made man flaws in this, but in general it wasnt that bad. at least they got the rockets right.
Lasting Appeal: 7/10. this is a story to remember. a mirrored planet on the other side of the sun.
Overall rating: 6.