Mario Bava has directed some of the best and most important films of all time; Black Sunday, Blood and Black Lace and Bay of Blood to name a few; but often overlooked is this little gem from 1965. He didn't need to, as by this point he already had several classics under his belt; but Bava has really proved his worth as an ingenious and creative director with this film. With just a small budget, some below average actors and a few sets; Mario Bava has succeeded in creating a great sense of claustrophobia in a very atmospheric little horror flick.
The film plays out like an episode of Star Trek, with two teams of astronauts landing on an alien planet that is inhabited by hostile beings. Upon their landing, several members of the crew members of the first ship go insane, but don't do any damage thanks to the quick thinking of their captain. The second crew aren't so lucky...
Planet of the Vampires is a very campy film, most of which is brought on by the acting and cheap looking effects, but it does have several plus points, one of which is it's great atmosphere. As Bava would later go on to do in the horror classic; Baron Blood, he uses smoke and small spaces to create a sense of tension and build the film's atmosphere. Also like in Baron Blood; this creates a brooding sense of dread and anticipation, and this is something that would later be done in the classic sci-fi horror movie; Alien. Also of note is the abandoned alien spaceship in this movie, and another abandoned alien spaceship in Alien. I think Mario Bava can take some credit for the inspiration of that film.
As previously mentioned, the acting in this film is very flat and uninspiring. This is the movie's main flaw; the effects aren't brilliant, but that can be forgiven due to the low budget and the time that this movie was made. Aside from the acting; there's little to fault Planet of the Vampires on, when you take into account the sort of movie it is. There is no doubt that Mario Bava did everything he could with this movie, bearing in mind his budgetary restrictions and overall it is a testament to his directorial talents. Planet of the Vampires is therefore, very much recommended!
The film plays out like an episode of Star Trek, with two teams of astronauts landing on an alien planet that is inhabited by hostile beings. Upon their landing, several members of the crew members of the first ship go insane, but don't do any damage thanks to the quick thinking of their captain. The second crew aren't so lucky...
Planet of the Vampires is a very campy film, most of which is brought on by the acting and cheap looking effects, but it does have several plus points, one of which is it's great atmosphere. As Bava would later go on to do in the horror classic; Baron Blood, he uses smoke and small spaces to create a sense of tension and build the film's atmosphere. Also like in Baron Blood; this creates a brooding sense of dread and anticipation, and this is something that would later be done in the classic sci-fi horror movie; Alien. Also of note is the abandoned alien spaceship in this movie, and another abandoned alien spaceship in Alien. I think Mario Bava can take some credit for the inspiration of that film.
As previously mentioned, the acting in this film is very flat and uninspiring. This is the movie's main flaw; the effects aren't brilliant, but that can be forgiven due to the low budget and the time that this movie was made. Aside from the acting; there's little to fault Planet of the Vampires on, when you take into account the sort of movie it is. There is no doubt that Mario Bava did everything he could with this movie, bearing in mind his budgetary restrictions and overall it is a testament to his directorial talents. Planet of the Vampires is therefore, very much recommended!