This Roger Corman-produced sci-fi/horror schlockfest from 1981 apparently has a cult following, and now I know why.
First, get a load of the cast: Devil's Reject Sid Haig and Freddy Kruger himself, Robert Englund. Then add a slumming Ray Walston (My Favorite Martian, Mr. Hand from Fast Times at Ridgemont High) and Joanie - pre loving Chachie, Erin Moran. Throw in a faux Tom Skeritt and a cantankerous ersatz Ripley from Alien and you're all set to rip off some blockbusters.
But not so fast. Sure, the first 10 minutes of this film are so cringe-inducing you'll want to turn it off. Sure, it steals blatantly from Alien and Star Wars (and later Empire Strikes Back and Forbidden Planet.) And sure, some of the acting is so bad from Erin Moran and Grace Zabriskie (trying for half Ripley and half Han Solo but failing miserably) that you can't wait for their characters to die. But, if you hang in there, you get a nice little reward.
The film starts with this old sage woman, who looks like Grand-MaMa from The Addams Family, talking to this mysterious Master, who is informed that a ship, the Remus - as in Uncle - has not been heard from. A crew is sent to investigate, their ship is pulled to the planet via some unknown force (I used the word force there on purpose), they start to investigate, people start dying, and you can guess where it should go from there.
However, there's a twist to this little pseudo-Alien ripoff. Things are not as they seem on Planet Morganthus, and the crew will find themselves not just stalked by slimy aliens but at the center of a very warped game.
And if Galaxy of Terror steals liberally from Alien, it also foreshadows Aliens. Why?
Because a guy you may have heard of who directed Aliens was the production designer on this film. James Cameron's fingerprints are all over Galaxy of Terror. The set design and the special effects in particular will remind you of Aliens.
And speaking of the effects, gore lovers will get their fill in Galaxy of Terror. Dismemberment, disemboweling, burnt faces, wriggling maggots - a little something for everyone. And three of the death scenes are of the kind that make horror fans stand up and cheer: One for originality, one for killing off an annoying character in a spectacular way, and one that is primarily responsible for the film's cult status and its original X rating. I won't spoil it, but it has to do with a hot blonde and a very gross creature. You'll just have to see it.
As for performances, Haig and Englund are acceptable, Walston is fine but looks like he's mad that he's in the movie most of the time, Zabriskie is pitiful and Moran is clearly uncomfortable being such a long way from the set of Happy Days. Her lines are throwaway and her character, Alluma, who is a Deanna Troi from Next Generation type, is useless.
The version I watched was on Netflix streaming and was a terrible transfer, presumably made from a VHS since it was in standard 4:3 screen ratio. A Blu-ray version exists, but the cruddy, grindhouse look of the streamer sort of added to the experience for me. It clocks in at a quick 81 minutes, and you know how we love short movies here at Fright Film Spectacular. It may have taken me longer to write the review than to watch the film.
Finally, I purposefully did not post the trailer because it gives too much away. But if you just have to watch it to see if you're interested, close your eyes anytime you see Sid Haig or a naked woman. You don't want those moments ruined when you watch the actual movie. Which you should do.
3 out of 5 stars.
