Review: Galaxy of Terror (1981)
The poster for this film should be hanging in the Whitney, or Tate Modern for that matter. It's truly a work of art. Like most Corman titles there's always a scantily clad female in the clutches of some strange creature.
Roger Corman is a cinematic genius in many ways. To some he’s produced absolute celluloid drivel, and to others the best hammy camp cult classics a movie goer ever hopes to see.
Without him there would be no Tarantino or Rodriguez, let alone Kevin Smith or Rob Zombie. These directors grew up on a diet of his films in the salad days, where they shone at midnight shows or drive-ins. The movies he produces are brash, trashy and flashy – like great big pair of heaving breasts covered in glitter.
As a kid, I’d sneak into his films and marvel at his production skills. Sure, the acting was over the top at times, and the woman were always equipped with a luscious double D-cup, that often spilleth over. He effectively wrote the book on B-movies and cult-schlock classics; genres that later created the genre of the video nasty.
Galaxy Of Terror was such a film. A cult classic and a necessary addition to any horror aficionado’s library. Also released under the title Mind Warp, it was shlock rip-off of sci-fi films – particularly Alien. This was the film that helped Erin Moran shed her Happy Days Joanie Cunningham goodie-goodie image. Starring horror staple Sid Haig, Robert “Freddie Krueger” Englund and David Lynch-regular Grace Zabriskie. The film also credited a then unknown James Cameron as Production designer before his days for Titanic and Avatar. What’s not to love?
A stranded astronaut is killed on a dust bowl planet named Morganthus, all the while mighty mystics, playing a game of new-age chess, instruct a military troop to visit Planet Deathtrap. They’re led by a captain more apt to a mental ward than a military operation. The team sets out to look for survivors, while dealing with their own personal and professional issues. (Think Gilligan’s Island without ultra-hot Ginger and with bigger jugs.)
Greater forces are at work on the planet, and the group, captured by the force of the planet, come to a pyramid-like structure where they are forced to confront all of their deepest fears without any means of escape from Scary Space Mountain. FYI, Taaffe’s Character has a phobia of creepy crawlies.
Released in 1981, hot on the heels of the of Alien phenomenon, GoT received a huge amount of controversy for a particular scene – one that will forever burn a permanent image into your mind. Yep, it’s the infamous bit that set Taaffe O’Connell on course to forever be a trailblazer in celluloid inter-species erotica. The infamous Worm Rape scene. This scene has even spawned a website paying homage to the notorious scene where pervs round the world make works of art out of their interpretations of the clip.
The MPAA slapped the filmmakers with an X-Rating upon certification but with editing allowed the film an R-rating in US theaters. Some theatres refused to screen the film because of this scene, and it never saw a release in some countries.
Trust me – seeing this video was NASTY. When I was a kid, this scene moved me so much, I was later suspended from catholic school for reennacting it in the school yard, with Father Montoya playing the worm. Anyway, that’s a different story – maybe more appropriate for the psychologist’s couch.
Yet I could never get Taaffee’s forced moans down pat, as I can’t imagine being aroused by a horny maggot slathering me in jizz. Well, not without buying me dinner first. It’s a great film even in spite of its B-movie status, relying heavily on man-made SFX which are in some ways more effective than modern CGI. I for one wish movies would go back to those heady days of hands-on film-making. That time that has definitely gone by.
Galaxy of Terror was long out of print for many years and was highly collectible, particularly if you came across a VHS copy with the scene still intact. Yet not to worry Shout! Factory have given Galaxy Of Terror a new lease of life with a release on both DVD and Blu-Ray. So those of you into inter-species erotica can get an HD eyeful, in all its Technicolor Gory (I meant to type that).
Henry Hate is screaming at someone or something till they pass out
I’ve got the ILC Pictures 2002 DVD release, which is a crappy bare bones, wanky screen shot covered disc but at the time was an essential purchase! Who’d have thought it would get a blu-ray release?! Not me! I remember all those years ago, staring at this awesome art work in my local shop. It was back when videos were only just becoming big so my shop had about 30 titles available – notable ones being the original ‘Friday The 13th’ and ‘Predator’, both of which I had already seen (ok, I got sent to bed once the axe slammed into Annie’s head during ‘F13′).
Anyhow, I just had to see it, so at the age of around 10 my Dad rented it for all of us one Saturday night. I made it through the whole movie but it scared the shit out of me! Even though it was my only viewing I remembered it years later because certain parts stayed with me (ironically not the worm rape scene as I imagine I didn’t have a fucking clue what was happening!) This is why I tracked it down on DVD. Any horror fan must own this classic ‘Alien’ rip off!