"Bava's film (along with It! The Terror from Beyond Space, 1958) was a direct influence on Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien. But where Scott's film tried to mask its humble drive-in origins, Planet of the Vampires revels in its origins. The film literally feels like a pulp magazine cover come to garish life..."
-DEREK HILL, MGM
ya know what grinds my gears? if you were to watch STAR TREK: The Original Series on Netflix, you will find that every shot of the ship or out the ships window has been replaced with modern CGI. I think the best parts of any old sci-fi movie is being able to tell exactly how they got the shots they needed practically, and when you go back and hide all the seems years later its a bit of a slap in the face to the OG Fans. This movie makes no attempt to hide it seams at all, and that might be why it works so well.
In the near future the two spaceships Argos and Galliot are sent to investigate the mysterious planet Aura. As the Galliot lands on the planet her crew suddenly go berserk and attack each other. The strange event passes, but the crew soon discovers the crashed Argos - and learns that her crew died fighting each other! Investigating further, the explorers come to realize the existence of a race of bodiless aliens that seek to escape from their dying world.
THIS
MOVIE
KICKS
ASS
Bava was unable to utilize optical, so all of the film's extensive visual effects work were done "in camera". Miniatures and forced perspective visuals are used throughout, with much colored fog adding atmosphere but also obscuring the sheer cheapness of the sets. Bava explained: "Do you know what that unknown planet was made of? A couple of plastic rocks — yes, two: one and one! left over from a mythological movie made at Cinecittà! To assist the illusion, I filled the set with smoke." the two plastic rocks were multiplied in several shots by mirrors and multiple exposures, and the planet's exterior sequences were filmed on an empty stage obscured by mist. Based on that description you may think this whole movie looks liquid shit, but ill be damned if this isn't one of the most beautiful movie i have seen in a while. its got the hypnotic SUSPIRIA color pallet, Bava as always is an amazing director, and it has most of the classic Giallo hallmarks you already know and love.
this shit just rules yall, plain and simple
11/10
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