BUY MOVIE POSTERS HERE
Movies reviews:
Planet of the Vampires (Mario Bava, 1965)
Pop quiz, hotshot. You and your buddies are all dressed in slinky black leather duds on a spaceship set to crash land on a spooky looking planet. What do you do-what do you do? Perhaps the crew of the ships, Argos and Galliot, should have considered this when they landed on the . . . Planet of the Vampires. But then, had they done that there would be no reason for the movie, much less this DVD . . . right? Right.
To be honest, this DVD, starring Barry Sullivan in his wrinkly best, was a pleasant surprise for a first-time viewer like me. The DVD's cover art is an intriguing interpretation to the film itself. Still, the cover art doesn't compare with the beauty of the visuals within the film that, thanks to the quality of the print, lend themselves to the desolate, abandoned mood of the film. I haven't seen disturbing colors and images like that since I worked as a house painter with all those wonderfully intoxicating chemicals and such. Ah, those were the days.
Hmm? Oh yes, the DVD-sorry.
The sound and picture quality of this gem are very good, to say the least. The image condition is impressive; the subtle colors of the mysterious planet (along with the slinky black uniforms the crew wears) are translated well for the home viewer. While the film is dubbed from its original Italian, it is done well and most viewers will hardly take notice. I might have noticed sooner, but I was crunching popcorn rather loudly at the time.
Be sure to pop the corn early for this DVD, because you don't want to miss the preview. The key to this DVD is its winning inclusion of the original theatrical trailer. This teaser gives you a wonderful idea of just what to expect with this film. Plus, it gives you a chance to become acquainted and attached to many of characters that will soon be dead.
Oops! Was that out loud? Sorry.
Basically, here's the bottom line: this DVD doesn't offer a lot of amenities, but it is well worth the money. The cover art is just spooky and campy enough to be enjoyable. The widescreen image and sound quality (Dolby Noise Reduction) are great, given the age of this film. As for extras, there are subtitles available (French and Spanish) and the original theatrical trailer.
So, you can go out and get this DVD and feel good about yourself, or you can just sit there feeling sorry for yourself and continue reading. Yeah, ok. So you can do both. Fine be that way, see if I care. Just check out the DVD, ok? (Sheesh)
© 2003 Caddo Man Productions
Michael A. Sheyahshe-Lell
