ZOMBIES IN SPACE: MARIO BAVA'S PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES!! (1965)

PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (1965) d. Mario Bava (Italy/Spain)

A forgotten classic that blends the cosmic terror of space exploration with the eerie atmosphere of a Gothic haunted house, Mario Bava’s groundbreaking 1965 sci-fi/horror film Planet of the Vampires presents a visually striking and deeply unsettling narrative whose influence reverberates throughout the genre, notably 1979’s smash Alien.

Set on a desolate alien planet, Planet of the Vampires follows a crew of astronauts as they struggle to survive after responding to a mysterious distress signal. As they explore the barren landscape, a supernatural, otherworldly force begins to take control of their minds and bodies.

Using limited resources to create a grand sense of scale, Bava generates a relentless atmosphere of dread, isolation, and paranoia via his signature moody lighting amidst Giorgio Giovannini’s breathtakingly eerie set designs. Add in the enthusiastic performances from Barry Sullivan, Norma Bengall, Ivan Rassimov, and Evi Marandi, all draped in Gabriele Mayer’s stunning sleek leather costumes, the result is a sci-fi/horror flick like no other!

Join AC and his brilliant panel of sci-fi enthusiasts (Darren Callahan, Craig J. Clark, Troy Howarth, Stan Hyde, Alan Tromp) as they discuss this neglected masterpiece and its place in Bava’s wider filmography. Don’t forget your meteor deflectors! 

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DARREN CALLAHAN is an award-winning writer, director, and composer who has written drama, fiction, and non-fiction for many major outlets, mostly focused on the horror genre. He has also released nearly 100 records, from pop to noise to ambient to film soundtracks.  His website is darrencallahan.com and his IMDB is http://www.imdb.me/darrencallahan. 

CRAIG J. CLARK watches a lot of movies. He started watching them in New Jersey, where he was born and raised, and continues to watch them in Indiana. He is a frequent contributor to Crooked Marquee (https://crookedmarquee.com/author/craig-j-clark/) and writes the monthly Full Moon Features column for Werewolf News (https://werewolf-news.com/category/full-moon-features/). He is not a werewolf himself (or so he says)

TROY HOWARTH is a Rondo Award-nominated writer who specializes in European Cult cinema. His books include The Haunted World of Mario Bava, Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films, So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films, among others. He has also contributed audio commentaries, audio essays, and liner notes to over one hundred DVD and Blu-ray releases from the U.S., the U.K., and Germany. He resides in Pennsylvania.

STAN HYDE teaches, examines, and consults on international film programs for students (International Baccaluareate's Film Course), as well as writing about model making, film history, and some fiction. He is winner of the Mangled Sky-Scraper Award for helping bring G-FEST, the annual Godzilla Convention in Chicago, to life since 1995, and is a 2021 Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame recipient for his work with science fiction conventions, clubs, and fanzines.

ALAN TROMP is a golden age Monster Kid, who has published articles in Filmfax, Twilight Zone Magazine, and We Belong Dead publications in the UK. He was scriptwriter for the shot-on-video nightmare, The Soul Eaters
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