Planet of the Vampires

You can look at my history and see that I love low-budget horror movies with the best of them, but I just couldn't stand this movie! I need an interesting story! I kept telling myself to keep watching it and maybe it will get my interest, but....it never did. Is there anybody out there that wants to explain to me why they liked it? It had all the elements of a good movie (to me), but failed on so many levels....You can't like them all, I guess. "Angry Red Planet" was great. "Rocket Ship XM" was great. But I really did not like this movie. Maybe I built it up to much. I would always walk past it at the video store and wonder about it. Then I saw Mario Bava's name on it and I told my wife we had to watch it. She was out of the room after a half hour, but those types of movies are not to her taste. I love the genre, but, man...I really was so bored!

The spaceships Argos commanded by Captain Mark Markary (Barry Sullivan) and her sister Galliot commanded by Captain Sallas (Massimo Righi) travel to the mysterious planet Aura to investigate a strange transmission of a distress signal. The spaceships are protected by the meteor rejector instrument but on the arrival, the gravity increases and the automatic controls go haywire and the Galliot crashes on the surface of Aura. Then the crew-members in Argos go crazy and attack each other in a first moment. Soon Captain Mark finds that most of the crew from Argos is dead after fighting against each other. When the dead members resurrect, Captain Mark, communications officer Sanya (Norma Bengell) and engineer Wess (Ángel Aranda) discover that parasite bodiless aliens have entrapped them with the transmission expecting to flee from their dying world. What will be their attitude? "Terrore nello spazio", a.k.a. "Planet of the Vampires", despite the low- budget, is an original, stylish and with a surprising plot point. The conclusion shows a great surprise to the viewer. This movie was certainly the major influence to at least Ridley Scott's "Alien" and "Prometheus" that have similar storyline. It was said that the set was a Tower of Babel, with international cast using their own native language (Barry Sullivan, English; Norma Bengell, Portuguese; Ángel Aranda, Spanish; and Evi Marandi, English). My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): "O Planeta dos Vampiros" ("The Planet of the Vampires")

Mario Bava does it again. The crystal colours, eerie atmosphere and evocative visuals are downright dazzling and haunting in this low-budget Italian Sci-fi outing. Never have I been disappointed in these technical aspects while experiencing the master at work. Many have mentioned it and the influences / similarities to Ridley Scott's 'Alien (1979)' ultimately sticks out. Even with that in mind it does share some ideas with the body snatcher theme, but it was a cleverly done concept done in a slow grinding, but extremely engaging style. The pacing is slow, but the flashy imagery and smoothly placed camera-work was hypnotic that it helped time flow by. My only real gripe was that the script was on the stilted side, but other than that it was one of those subtlety breezy mood pieces. More often the deaths happen off-screen and it's mostly free of action, to really only hit in the dying stages in some rapid set-pieces, but it's the dreary ending that's a strike of genius. Bava's crisp direction lets the otherworldly Gothic vibe take hold and while the sterile set designs look cheap it manages to be effective in its unusually stylish looks (add in seeping fog) and this invokes brooding unease and alienation. The surrounding sound effects and music score are creepily orchestrated. As for the special effects/make-up FX for such a low-cost production, they were well executed and ideally used. The acting can be rather rough in a staged sense with a dependable Barry Sullivan heading the way. Some of the characters were hard to tell apart though. A marvellously old-fashion, but influentially chilling space expedition.

I saw this film in it's 1965 American release, and at the time I was not overly impressed. It was obviously made on a low budget, the dialog dubbing is bad (although far superior to some other Italian imports I have seen), the acting alternates between wooden (Barry Sullivan) and outrageously overdone (i.e., "gravity effects", the reaction of the actor who smashes the "meteor deflector", numerous fear reaction shots of crew members). Time has proven that it has become a trend setter for numerous subsequent sci-fi films (most notably Ridley Scott's "Alien" (1979)). I recently viewed it again 37 years after it's release, and the similarities to "Alien" are unmistakable. The attentions of the crews of both films are attracted by mysterious radio signals originating from an unexplored world. The horseshoe shape of the ships in POTV resembles that of the wrecked alien spacecraft in "Alien". There are similar shots of the ship's landing gear in both films. Both crews find ancient wrecked spacecraft and skeletal remains of giant aliens on the planets they land upon. There is an unknown predatory alien presence in both films. Lots of gore footage exists in both films too, although POTV unarguably started this trend (alas, is there any recent sci-fi film that does not fall to this temptation?).I cannot believe that all these similarities are coincidental, and I suspect that Dan O'Bannon must have been heavily influenced by POTV, whether he realized it or not. The use of lighting and color are also noteworthy. POTV still looks good today due to colorful exterior scenes (forgive the somewhat clumsy use of composite shots of the crew in a few scenes set against an obviously miniature landscape). Please also forgive the overzealous use of the zoom lens, which had just been developed at the time. One big demerit in set design comes from a scene inside the wrecked alien spacecraft. A prominently-featured prop appears to be the taillight lens from a 1957 Packard, complete with the backup light lens below it. It is positioned vertically in the shot, and perhaps the set designer was hoping that Italian audiences would not recognize it. Another detractor is the almost unlimited amount of area inside the ships. No ceilings are visible, and the various compartments look as big as football fields when compared to realistic spacecraft design criteria. I found this to be an entertaining if somewhat flawed film, certainly more enjoyable than it was when I first watched it in 1965. It deserves a vote of 6/10.

In the film PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, there is an undeniable creeping dread, a very real sense of terror, in every scene. Despite the obvious lack of money, Bava wrung some eerie, disturbing imagery out of his sf schlock piece. Considering this is an Italian production of the mid-60s, director Bava infuses some real originality into his story, taking a 1950s crew of square-jawed astronauts and forcing them to confront the future of horror: a horde of gore-streaked zombies, an omnipresent supernatural force invading the crew's minds, and a nihilistic ending. What is great about POTV stems from Bava, his dynamic camera, and his framing. The marooned spacecraft atop a craggy hillside, approached by rescuing astronauts, looks like a haunted house against the black-clouded sky of the planet. When the living dead begin stalking the pitted, fiery surface of the planet, intent on killing the astronauts, Bava effectively uses the new horror icons of fear: not of fear, but of zombiefication, of characters who could be us, once just human, but now horribly returned as mutilated living corpses set to kill friends and family. PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES is exciting, arresting in places, and nuanced in small ways even by the actors involved, all of them physically fit with numerous fight scenes. Sullivan and Bengall aren't creating their characters, but they react realistically as human beings in an increasingly hopeless situation. The final scenes, of the astronauts attempt to escape the planet, set upon by the living dead, have a psychological edge to go along with the action, as these noble travelers overcome their fear of the planet, of the zombies, and the horrible prospect of becoming zombies themselves, in order to end the hungering menace all around them. These scenes predate the best of George Romero's DEAD films or any John Carpenter flick, where a group of survivors are whittled down to just a few, and then to one, by a wave of seemingly unstoppable supernatural force. It should be noted that "vampires" refer to parasites, not classic monsters, and truly this is more of a "zombie" film than a "vampire" movie. The film Bava made is gory and violent for 1965 when it was released, and as interesting as it was then, it's just as interesting now to see how POTV influenced later horror-film greats, not only in theory but in execution. And it's still better than 95 percent of the recent Hollywood sf-horror films of the past decade, bar none.

Mario Bava's reputation as an innovative and original genre movie maker seems to be growing with every year that passes. Most of his output has been unfairly overlooked, and is often difficult to get hold of, but as his work becomes more available, it will become increasingly obvious that he was an important and influential director. 'Planet Of The Vampires' is a case in point. It's flaws are obvious (so-so acting, poor dubbing, a handful of silly lines in the script), but these are easily overlooked by the amazing atmospheric look of the film. Bava managed to achieve some astonishingly effective visuals on an obviously small budget. Stylish, creepy, cool and fascinating. Others have pointed out the similarities to Ridley Scott's 'Alien', and while I also agree with credit where credit's due, don't just watch this movie for that reason alone. Only a small part of it is related. Both movies are SF/horror classics in my opinion, and both stand alone. 'Planet Of The Vampires' will hopefully one day be recognized for the wonderful achievement that it is. Every science fiction fan should make sure they see this one! A forgotten gem.

While some aspects of this movie are far from great (especially when you first watch it), the longer you watch the more interesting and worthwhile the movie becomes. Yeah, the sets are pure 1960s Italian--sort of like a cross between FORBIDDEN PLANET and BARBARELLA--but it still looked pretty good (though odd). And, if you ignore the silly outfits the crew wore and the odd look of the film, you will be more than entertained. That's because the basic plot was far better than the stupid title (in the USA "PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES"). That's because there were no vampires in the film whatsoever!!!!! It was a zombie movie, of sorts, where an evil race of intelligent beings use their fantastic powers to one-by-one kill off the crew of two space ships and then put their consciousness into their dead bodies. This didn't seem all that stupid or silly, either, as they did a good job of making it all seem possible (in a sci-fi way) and the mood was creepy throughout. However, the best aspect of the film, by far, was the end. While I won't say how the movie ends (it would spoil it), I love how the movie only gets better at the end and it shows great imagination. This movie would appeal greatly to lovers of sci-fi or anyone willing to give an Italian-made movie a try.

Spiffy little sci-fi horror flick regarding two ships' crews coming in contact with an alien force that had been sending them signals from their Planet Aura. Something is willing the crew members, once they land on Aura, to turn on each other. The crew of the space ship Argos are able to gather their wits about them refusing to truly harm themselves by ceasing the evil yearning for the carnage to continue. The space ship Galliot's crew are not so fortunate. Captain Mark Markary(Barry Sullivan)and Doctor Sanya(Norma Bengell)will have to find out what is causing the disturbances on Aura as one crew member, Eldon, comes up missing while another, Bert is attacked by something that leaves a nasty mark on his face. Mark and Sanya will discover a damaged and ancient alien ship with the skeletal remains of giant beings exposed at it's entrance proving that perhaps their spirits are indeed to blame for the terror caused to the crew of Argos. Meanwhile, science officer Wess(Ángel Aranda)is trying to rig a combination of wires in order for the Argos to blast off. Soon, Mark and his crew find that these alien spirits invade the human hosts of those dead or willing/weak enough to let go. We see, in an eerie sequence, where the dead crew members awaken from their metallic crypts on the planet ripping away the body bags with one goal in mind..blasting off from this infernal planet for greener pastures. They trick Mark, by using his brother's invaded body, to get inside the Argos and retrieve their "Meteor Rejector"..a vital tool for the ship's being able to take off from the Planet. Mark and company plan to explode the Galliot(whose entire crew killed each other in the major scuffle due to their minds being invaded by the beings on the moment they landed;and they are now possessed completely by the alien spirits)with atomic bombs, retrieving the Meteor Rejector, and getting the hell away the moment they re-board the Argos..but, will they be able to return safely without being killed and their bodies' being invaded? If one were to judge the film by the rather hokey space-ship sets or the crew's campy jargon..their banter describing the devices which operate certain ship's functions is quite funny to listen to..one would be hard-pressed in believing this was a Mario Bava film. BUT(and this is a huge BUT), when the crew lands on Aura, we see who the man behind the camera is. The alien world is quite otherworldly, with bizarrely shaped mountainous rock formations, fog that moves as if vividly guided by a living wave, and the planet's atmosphere colored in vibrant reds and greens(including at times the fog)..it's quite a spooky place with unusual sounds and music layered in the soundtrack. The rocky formations nearby the ship have a way of providing a good hiding place for any human body captured by the alien force , with that shrouding fog ever so engulfing the screen, to jump out and attack. You also have the creepy scene near the old alien ship with the monstrous huge skeletal remains which are cleverly designed for ultimate use in creating an idea in our minds as to what they once were. Inside the ship itself is quite ominous as well with these long halls and weird shaped cones as lights..we really see the artist Bava is at creating such imaginative stylish touches that awaken awe and wonder. If one can get past some of the hokier aspects and realize that the premise, even if the general idea is lifted from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", is quite a good one, then there's so much to enjoy. The ending is especially a down-beat delight..quite a unique little twist that works.

Mario Bava's Planet of the Vampires is one of the films credited as being a major influence on Ridley Scott's Alien (1979), and it's easy to see why: there are numerous scenes and elements that are very similar to those in Scott's movie (albeit with a distinct '60s Euro sci-fi flavour). Bava's movie isn't on a par with Alien in terms of overall quality-the movie suffers a little from its low budget and it treads water for a long while-but its sense of style and originality still makes it a lot of fun for those who enjoy retro sci-fi/horror. The film starts as the crew of the spaceship Argos (a horseshoe shaped craft, much like the alien spaceship in Alien) approach the planet Aura having receiving a strange transmission (as in Alien). They land on the foggy surface of the planet (as in Alien) and are immediately gripped by a compulsion to attack each other. After this spate of craziness passes, the crew walk to their sister ship, the Galliot, which also landed on the planet, and find the crew dead. Further investigation of the surrounding area reveals the wreck of an alien ship (as in Alien) where they discover the giant skeletons of its extraterrestrial crew (as in Alien). Eventually, it transpires that the space signal intercepted by the Argos was sent by a dying race that seeks to inhabit any visitors unfortunate to land on their planet (parasitic creatures - Alien anyone?). For all of their similarities, Bava's film couldn't be much more different to Alien in terms of style: whereas Scott's film aimed for a gritty sense of realism, Bava's is much more rooted in pulp sci-fi comics, with the strangely spacious spaceship Argus, its crew's snazzy uniforms (the collars and hoods are hilarious), lots of high tech equipment with flashing diodes, a bright colour palette, and strong use of light and shadow. The film also predates George Romero's Night of the Living Dead with the reanimated crew of the Galliot more akin to modern day zombies than vampires. After quite a bit of filler, the surviving members of the Argus finally escape Aura, the film ending with a twist worthy of an episode of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. 6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for the tasty female crew members of the Argus, sexy redhead Sanya (Norma Bengell) and blonde hottie Tiona (Evi Marandi).

I enjoyed this movie in spite of the bad acting, bad dubbing, and some incredibly inane plot goofs. My favorite silliness: A woman astronaut touches a device that shocks her. After watching this, the man accompanying her immediately touches the same device and acts completely surprised when it shocks the crap out of him. What a dumbass! I couldn't stop laughing. Still, Bava does a great job with eerie fog enshrouded landscapes and there are some really wonderful visual sequences. This movie also has a plot that hasn't been done to death. It unfolds as a story and not just as a sequence of monsters and special effects. Not for everyone, but fans of horror/sci-fi who are forgiving of the silly mistakes of low-budget movies would likely enjoy this movie.