Customer Reviews

Galaxy Of Terror: Roger Corman's Cult Classics [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I saw this when first released at the theater. It was a great terror movie. The tension runs throughout the movie as a group tries to escape a planet that prays upon their fears. One scene with a giant caterpillar and a scantilly clad lady was rather erotic. A good movie for fans of movies like Hellraiser and Phantasm. Erin Moran and Robert Englund even do a decent job of acting. This is not something to take to serious, but to sit down and watch with a big bowl of popcorn some afternoon or evening. It certainly doesn't deserved to be put in the MST3K archive. Considering the time it was made and its budget I think it holds up pretty well. Look at how few SciFi movies that were made in the early 1980s have survived.

P.S. This is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. Not sure it's Blu-ray worthy but I did get the DVD version. Since this is a B movie I recommend you get it if you like it as it may go out of print.

.....I am going to rate this movie 4 stars. I was just a young lad of about 10 when I saw this film at the local movie house. I was a voracious fan of science fiction and was eager to see this one.

Despite being only 10, I recognized this movie for what it was; a B-movie version that SORT-OF resembled Ridley Scott's "Alien", but with a totally different plot. Maybe this could be considered a cross between "Alien" and "Poltergeist".

Regardless of the film's inspiration, it does display above-average production values for being a low-budget film. The special effects are actually quite decent (for the early '80s) and the set design is very good. The acting is definitely not top-notch, but there are some memorable scenes that pull you in. Besides the actors listed in the product description, look for some decent performances from Bernard Beherens (the Star Wars NPR radio dramas as "Obi-Wan Kenobi") and Grace Zabriskie (The Big Easy, Twin Peaks).

The story itself is quite original (I can't help but feel that "Poltergeist" borrowed from this one - it KNOWS what scares you) and you can easily get caught up in the film's eerie ambience. But, perhaps what is most intriguing is that this is a film brought to us by the legendary Roger Corman; king of the B-movies. Corman had also released "Battle Beyond the Stars" earlier that same year, but this film is far superior to it. BBTS was a meat and potatoes sci-fi film (think "Star Wars" crossed with "The Magnificent Seven") whereas "Galaxy of Terror" had deep psychological undertones and a much more sophisticated plot.

Anywho, at the time this review was written, there is a used DVD copy going for $2400.00. Give me a feakin' break! Who in their right mind is gonna pay that much money for a MOVIE?!?!?!? I realize that copies of this film on DVD are rare to non-existant, but with today's economy, you would have to be a fool or an oscenely wealthy person (maybe you're an AIG executive!) to spend that kind of money on a DVD. One day soon, someone will approve this movie for a mass-release and the going rate will be about $15.00. Get real. Shame on you for asking that kind of money for a MOVIE!

To sum up, this movie is worth a look if you're able to handle B-movies; and this one is pretty darn enjoyable! Just have the patience to wait until it is given a proper release (and don't spend $2400.00 for it!) Me, if it's ever properly released, I'll definitely buy it - even if just for sentimental reasons.

********** UPDATE !!! **********

This movie is finally getting a proper DVD treatement with lots of extras including cast and crew commentaries and behind-the-scenes shorts! The release date is July 20th. This film will definitely bring back memories!!!!

It's about time I finally got to see this film clearly. I used to have a VHS tape of this that I had purchased from a video rental store that had gone under(courtesy of the evil Blockbuster Video). As you can imagine, the quality of this tape left alot to be desired, but at least I got to see that "hard to find" film cult fans had spoken of.
Honestly, I love this movie to death, I really do, and I'm not afraid to admit it. What I love so much about watching low budget Sci-Fi goofiness like this is A). The schlock value is just too much fun to resist, and B). I'm very interested in seeing how a low budget film maker(Corman especially) can stretch a dollar. Ironically, the average Avatar goer will hate this for those very same reasons(schlocky and cheap), but there's so much more to a movie than it's special effects, believe it or not. While there is definitely alot of hokiness and cheapness here, I marvel at just how well it does look considering it was only made for around a million dollars!! Unfortunately most folks don't view it in those terms. Besides, Avatar didn't have a chick raped to death by a giant maggot(and they would just CGI it if it did).
Though totally Sci-Fi in it's imagery and concept, Galaxy Of Horror is indeed a horror film in the way it plays out.
A astronaut rescue team is sent to a distant planet to investigate the fate of a ship on a previous expedition. Once there, our astronauts(a fun cast for B movie lovers) discover the other crew had all been killed, and decide to go exploring. The surface of the planet is similar to the planet in Alien-windy, foggy, dark, and looking like a junkyard. Our team finds a large pyramid, but there's no Dick Clark to be found. Instead, once trapped in the pyramid, each crew members' fears come to life and attack them. These "subconscious fears" all seem to be slimy monsters or tentacles of some sort. None of them are seen for very long, and all look rather cheap(in a fun way), and all try to dispatch the astronauts in fairly gruesome fashion. It's not an all out Fulci gorefest or anything, but Mac and Me it's not. There's an explanation to all this madness, but you're just gonna have to see the movie to find out what it is. It's kinda cool actually.
Now this is the kind of film you should be watching at 3 in the morning with your favorite food on hand(Cornuts and Guinness for me, thank you). It's got everything that Star Wars doesn't-boobs, maggots, gruesome deaths, Ray Walston, bloodsucking tentacles, and crystal throwing stars to name a few.
The DVD comes with a retrospective Making Of... documentary, and this is a highlight of the disc. I highly recommend watching it even if you don't like the film, you may just get a deeper appreciation for it. Like I said before, it's amazing to see how well this film turned out because of the tight schedule and even tighter budget. And Robert Englund's closing anecdote is absolutely hilarious!
Boy am I glad I purchased this one, now I can toss that awful VHS tape.

I know this wasn't a great movie, but is has developed a cult following over the years. What I don't understand, is that this movie is in DVD in countrys like Itlaly and England. So, why not here in the States??

The last time I saw this movie, it was on an old VHS tape. As you can imagine the quality was awful. I am dying to see all the scenes in a more polished version that a DVD offers. Now it would be silly to think it would go through the digital enhancement one would like. That's too expensive for such a film as this, but it would make some company some money to do this. Hopefully they will soon.

As for the movie itself. I enjoyed it for what it was. A decent horror/sc-fi flick for it's time. I wish people would stop comparing it to Alien. All Sci-fi creature movies are alway compared to it...let movies stand on there one. This one does, it has a legendary scene with a blond girl and huge slimy creature. Alien never had that!!! And who could forget Erin Moran(good old innocent Joanie from Happy Days) get squished like a bug. Fun stuff.Look out for Freddy Krueger's Robert Englund in the cast. James Cameron got his start here too. There is quite a lot to this film and it's history so for God's sake...somebody buy the rights and put it out on DVD already!!!

I saw GALAXY OF TERROR when it was first released in the 1980s. It was my favorite of the "top three" ALIEN ripoffs (the other two being FORBIDDEN WORLD and HORROR PLANET, aka INSEMINOID).

GALAXY OF TERROR is a weird film. Its sci-fi mysticism is more STAR WARS than ALIEN, but the sets are certainly "inspired" by ALIEN's H.R. Giger, albeit a poor man's Giger. (This IS a Roger Corman film.)

Others have explained the plot. Astronauts go on a rescue mission to a hostile planet, whereupon they meet strange deaths. Actress Taaffe O'Connell's nude rape scene by a giant, slimy maggot has become something of a cult event.

But what really sets this film apart from many DVD releases is its excellent "making of" documentary. Normally, I hate these things. They're usually just extended commercials (sometimes infomercials) shot when the film was made, to play on cable TV. Everyone just rehashes the plot, and offers obligatory praise (so you don't really know what they're thinking).

But GALAXY OF TERROR's "making of" documentary was shot in 2010 -- 29 years after the film was released. Many of these people are semi-retired, they have nothing to lose, so they can be trusted to tell the truth. Rather then prattling obligatory praise, they sound sincere, and offer interesting stories.

Roger Corman is interviewed, as are MANY of the actors (including Taaffe O'Connell), crew, and New World studio personnel. James Cameron (TITANIC, AVATAR) worked on GALAXY OF TERROR. He's not interviewed, but others discuss his work on the film.

This documentary (63 minutes long, according to the Internet Movie Database) is as interesting as the film itself, and that's rare.

The only fault with this DVD: when I hit the Display button on my DVD player, it won't reveal how long the film or documentary are, or how much time has elapsed. That's why I had to go to the Internet Movie Database to check the documentary's time.

Well what can I say ? this was made in 1981 .... it features Erin Moran ( Joanie from Happy days ) and it also has Rober englund playing a small part . the ONLY reason to see this movie is ONE) to see Erin Moran get constricted until she pops ( and I mean POP! ) and for the massive amounts of Blood and gore ...... and the movie was also somewhat prophetic in that Robert Englund has to fight himself , and the evil self looks like none other than FREDDIE!!!!!! then there's the fact that MR. Titanic Terminator James Cameron is the executive Prod. for this flick ( if you doubt me get it and watch the Credits . SO .... if you're looking for a brainless but fun Horror flick ... this is it .... but if you're looking for an artsy space "Film" ..... keep going .

I ordered Galaxy of Terror and Forbidden World together and I have to say I loved them both but I loved this one a little more. The great thing about Galaxy are the cast, the special effects, and thed story. Who wouldn't want to see a film about a crew of highly skilled astronauts being killed by their own worst fears plus a scene in which one lady astronaut is raped to death by a giant maggot. Another great scene was Quuhog's death by throwing crystals. I thought the special effects for that one shard traveling up his arm were amazing. Special features include a booklet, a feature commentary with actress Taafe O'Connell, Allan Apone, David DeCoteau, and Alec Gillis, and a 5 part, 1 hour making of... documantary. The DVD is completed with a reversible cover, one side with the Galaxy of Terror poster and the other side with the Mind Warp: An Infinity of Terror poster. Both covers have nothing to do with the actual film but are still really cool. Thank you Shout! Factory! 5 stars.

"Galaxy of Terror" aka "Mind Warp: An Infinity of Terror"
Roger Corman produced, Bruce D. Clark directed; sci-fi/terror. 1981 New World Productions.
2010 remaster; DVD/BD release.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

The term galaxy, as much as it's a better title, only fits this movie in that it was set in outer space, planet "Xerxes," I believe it was. Mind warp, as dumb a title as that is, actually fits here. I guess it doesn't matter, the artwork is reversible. A ship and its crew embark for this planet to attempt to discover what happened to a prior crew, who all disappeared without a trace. One by one, obsessed with the terrors of their own minds, they bite it: each death at the hands of their own worst fears. Turns out that a member of the crew is not who he seems.

The cast includes a pre-"Nightmare on Elm Street" Robert Englund; a pre-"House of 1,000 Corpses" Sid Haig; a pre-"Twin Peaks" Grace Zabriskie; a post-"My Favorite Martian" Ray Walston, and Erin Moran (you know, Joanie of "Happy Days"). Production designer was James Cameron. Made in the wake of "Alien" as an attempt to cash in, I sat through it feeling Mario Bava's "Planet of the Vampires," from 1965. Planet/Bava are not mentioned in the special features, but there is a brief mention in the booklet. This is no "Planet of the Vampires," but the spirit is the same. Extras include a pretty good talking-head documentary.

Claim to fame: Infamous maggot-love scene.

As B - Horror Movies/ Sci Fi flics go, this is the masterpiece! Forget about the stupid "poster" cover. It has nothing to do with the movie. Most of the actors are good solid "b- level" movie actors - not unknowns. Behind the camera are many big name hollywood types - they got their start in this movie, and it shows! It looks much better than some "A" level horror/sci fi. Good sound & score. Great, bloody practical effects. More monsters than you can shake a stick at. Some reviews seem to think the plot doesn't make sense. I had no problem with it at all. As a matter of fact, the plot is the best point. I saw this movie when it first came out ( it was called "Mind Warp" - fittingly so - it will warp your mind!). It was the "B-movie answer" to "Alien", which was one studio's answer to "Star wars". But as cheap and simple as this movie is, I think the plot ideas are better than alien or star wars. In "Alien", the monsters are just like biological machines. The kill, eat, and use you to reproduce. They have no thoughts or feelings or purpose - just blind instinct. The "monsters" in Galaxy of Terror do have a purpose - an amazing one at that. In "Star wars", you can't be a jedi unless you were born to it. I detest the idea of "royalty" - that some people are "born better" than other people. Its a disgusting and hateful idea. It completely soured me on stars wars. In Galaxy of Terror, the plot tries to answer the question: "If everyone could develop "magical" or "god like" "jedi" powers, what exactly would it take to bring those powers out of you?" The answer is obviously pretty scary!!! Lots of extras. You get to see a lot of James Cameron at a very early stage in his career.

This was a classic Corman creation and a hit at our "B" movie night with friends.