The years of waiting are over. The terror has begun.
Working my way backwards through the illustrious career of director Norman J. Warren, I settled in for a second evening of low-budget thrills from across the pond. Instead of Bloody New Year’s muddled tale of demonic possession, however, I found a well-paced and well-constructed sci-fi shocker.
During a spirited bout of extraterrestrial archaeology, a group of astronaut-scientists discovers an ancient tomb, along with puzzling carvings and some unusual crystals. Before they can unravel much of the mystery, however, a timeless and indescribable evil awakens, an evil with the ability to control the minds of the feeble humans. One by one the crew is consumed until only a handful of unaffected souls remain. Then, in a surprisingly artistic scene given the low budget and subject matter, the monster artificially impregnates a female member of the crew, destroying her sanity in the process.
Suddenly, what was conventional sci-fi horror takes on aspects of a bizarre slasher, with the maddened mom-to-be roaming the dank caverns surrounding the scientific outpost, calling out to her prospective victims in a voice laced with madness, and employing picks, knives, and teeth to terrible effect. In a film that clearly didn’t have much in the way of surplus funds, such a narrative allows for an impressively harrowing scenario without the need to rely on costly special effects. That Judy Geeson’s performance as the enraged alien incubator is quite unnerving only adds to the fun, and keeps us wondering how the crew can possibly survive…and what’s going to happen when that unborn alien spawn makes its way into the world.
by Thomas Scalzo | Source: Embassy Home Entertainment VHS
13 Jan 2009 9:23 PM | Submit Comment
