Cast:
Barry Sullivan (Captain Mark Markary), Norma Bengell (Sanya), Ángel Aranda (Wess Wescant), Evi Marandi (Tiona), Franco Andrei (Garr; 'Bert'), Federico Boido (Harry Gash), Stelio Candelli (Mud; 'Brad'), Alberto Cevenini (Wan Markary; 'Toby'), Mario Morales (Eldon), Ivan Rassimov (Dervy; 'Carter'), Massimo Righi (Captain Nordeg; 'Sallis'), and Fernando Villeña (Dr. Karan) Directed by Mario Bava (#792 - Black Sabbath, #2468 - Black Sunday)
Review:
Mario Bava loved to do whatever movies he wanted, so why not go with horror along with some sci-fi? He ran the gamut in genre films, whether that was the sword-and-sandal spectacles, sci-fi with The Day the Sky Exploded [1958], and so on. The original basis for the film was the 1960 short story "One Night of 21 Hours" (as written by Renato Pestriniero) that Bava found in an anthology collection. A variety of writers started the initial screenplay with Antonio Román and Rafael J. Salvia (which was then translated to English) that saw a subsequent re-tooling from Ib Melchior (with an apparent desire to play up the atmosphere, as he checked out Black Sunday). Alberto Bevilacqua and Callisto Cosulich then worked on fine-tuning the script. For the English version, Melchior and Louis M. Hayward were credited. It should be noted that the wide variety of cast member nationalities (an American in Sullivan, a Brazilian in Bengell, an Italian in Marandi, for example), they simply just said their lines in their native language (as such, various people did dubbing for the film). As financed by Italian, Spanish, and American interests (none other than American International Pictures), the movie was the type to pair with Die, Monster, Die! (1965), albeit with quite the provocative title. The original Italian title (Terrore hello spazio) translates to "Terror in Space" while the U.K. saw it released as "The Demon Planet". It wasn't a hearty success with audiences at the time, although Bava would keep plugging away (mainly in horror), with his next being Kill, Baby, Kill (1966). Gradually over the years, the movie was cited as an important influence in sci-fi movies, ranging from Alien (screenwriter Dan O'Bannon eventually admitted to stealing the giant skeleton from Bava's film) to later films such as Mission to Mars (2001) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2021).
Through a collection of techniques ranging from fog, mirrors, forced perspective, and miniatures (as seen in images such as this) to basically cover for a movie that is all over the place in characterization, but it sure has a hell of a punch when it gets finished. It's a pulpy movie that rides its strange set and environment of rocks and fog for a bewildering experience that actually does carry what could've easily just been a smorgasbord of cheap tricks and sterile surroundings (particularly with the variety of people that come and go with not exactly much fanfare for a film that involves disembodied aliens possessing people). But with Bava and his outlook in mind, there is just something with the way that he makes it all look and feel for an unnerving and dazzling maneuvering of images for 88 minutes in an eerie land with vinyl-looking costumes that remind one of insects to go along with a look upon fear and the unknown. Sure, Sullivan is basically the one highlight among the cast for his staid nature when compared to the other doomed counterparts, but things stay together in wavering tension long enough to make the quibbles that hinder dreary movies (similar ships that are easy to forget about, for one). It's the kind of gloomy hokum that you can't help but smile at the creativity rather than chuckle at. The ending is a pretty damn good one, since it isn't enough to try and dangle the idea of sacrifice and deception on people's face, nope, you get an exquisite tease that lends to some imagination (of course, one rejected idea involved them basically becoming "Adam and Eve", so wrap your head around that). Having an ending that challenges the usual song and dance in going home is a worthy one when looking for some macabre enjoyment. Planet of the Vampires is a strange, offbeat movie worth checking out at least once for its curious qualities from Bava and company that may very well be more than meets the eye.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
Closing out November 7 by going to hell with Inferno (1980)!
