I, too, caught this one on a Late Late Movie airing. What a hidden gem! The production value may be about what you'd expect from low budget early 70's Science Fiction, but it hardly detracts from the great writing and direction. It kept amazing me with the way it could deliver some of the best lines with such a wry subtleness that really impressed me. The metaphysical discussion at the end was classic and Pinback's past was also brilliantly done. The ending was a bit cheesy, but alien beachballs, campy explosions, and an absurdly sized ship model aside, this movie is genius.
