Flashback: PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (1965)
After crash-landing on a mysterious planet, a team of astronauts inexplicably begin to turn on each other. Soon, they discover the horrifying force that’s influencing them. There’s at least one scene in this Italian production that looks like an influence on 1979’s ALIEN. I can’t tell you about the coolest part of the film, because it would spoil it for you.
“For PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES Mario Bava turned his visual sense to a new genre, the space opera. Bava’s stunning Gothic variation weaves a weird tale of flying saucers, ray guns and zombies that looks like no other space movie ever filmed.” - Glenn Erickson, DVD Talk
“PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES is a great case study for genres in transition: while some of its scenes are as cheesy as a bad children’s TV show, others are surprisingly grim and gorgeous, and clear precursors to future masterpieces like ALIEN and THE THING. There is no singular “a-ha” moment that pivots PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES from mediocrity into something special, and part of the pleasure in watching it is identifying your own path of conversion. Mario Bava’s sets are among the weirdest and coolest ever produced, and critics have spent years dissecting his influence on Scott, Jodorowsky, Argento and Carpenter (in addition to science fiction, Bava pioneered the slasher genre). PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES is corny and pulpy, but it’s also a must-see for fans of classic cult cinema.” - Spencer, Blood Good Horror
Joe Dante on PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES
Alien / Planet of the Vampires - Cinematic and Contextual Comparison
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