Capricorn One (1978)

A mission gone wrong is dangerous, but the lie told to cover it up can be deadlier still. Peter Hyams' "Capricorn One," which he wrote and directed, has built a loyal following since its 1978 release thanks to endless airings on cable and home video, and its provocative "what if" premise still packs a punch, even if it's not always believable. James Brolin, Sam Waterston and O.J. Simpson play three astronauts pulled out of their spacecraft moments before launch on the first manned mission to Mars. With the ship's life-support system found to be faulty, NASA's mission director (Hal Holbrook) pressures them, with threats against their families, into faking the landing on a secret TV set rather than let the program face humiliation. But when their empty capsule burns up on reentry, the astronauts realize they're now supposed to be dead, and they escape into the desert, fighting to survive long enough to expose the truth. Elliott Gould co-stars as a reporter determined to crack the conspiracy, and Hyams ramps up the tension with a thrilling aerial chase featuring Telly Savalas as a cantankerous crop-duster pilot who comes to Gould's aid. Brenda Vaccaro and Karen Black co-star, and Jerry Goldsmith supplies the score.