Rating: 
Summary: Passable science fiction thriller
Review: Half-decent science fiction thriller is worth checking out mainly for its eerie atmosphere and good production design. The story, centering around a group of astronauts investigating weird happenings on a remote planet, is basically okay, but a bit dry and choppy at times. Not many extras, but the print is bright and colorful, and looks great on DVD. However, you might want to rent this one first. And is it me, or does the excellent artwork on the DVD box (a strong suit of the MGM "Midnite Movies" series) look like it was drawn by the great Steve Ditko, in his 1960s heyday?
Rating: 
Summary: The Planet of Vampires is BORING!
Review: I bought this dvd by mistake, thinking it was another classic sci-fi movie I'd seen. The acting is mediocre, the special effects are lousy and it's not very interesting a movie nor is it scary. A better choice would be "It - The Terror FRom Beyond Space". I'm glad to see MGM putting out these Midnite Movies series. There are some good ones, and some bad ones.
Rating: 
Summary: MARIO BAVA - Genius
Review: I could have reviewed virtualy any of MARIO BAVA's films and heaped praise upon them, but I have a great fondness for PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, a film I first saw when I was around 11 years old. So many images created a lasting impression on me back then - the fog shrouded planet sets, the slick leather costumes, the image of Captain Sallis' ravaged chest as he is revealed to be an animated corpse. Most notably though was the stirring of dead astronauts as they clamber from their make-shift graves.
Like all of BAVA's best, PLANET doesn't go fo the cheap scare with gimmicky shots and bombastic music. The whole ambience of the film creates a feeling of encroaching dread and you just know the crew of the ARGOS is in deep trouble from the word go.
The DVD transfer captures the colour of this film beautifully, but the lack of an anamorphic feature was slightly disappointing. Wholly recommended for a spooy night in though, and PLEASE bring DANGER: DIABOLIK out on disc soon!
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional 60's horror/sci-fi film
Review: I just saw this wonderful gem recently and LOVED it! It's tons of fun, very moody and atmospheric. I'd put it on par with Forbidden Planet in terms of entertainment value. Any fan of Alien will immediately notice much of Ridley Scott's film borrowed much of it's look from Planet Of The Vampires. This movie is definitely worth the price.
Rating: 
Summary: Original Alien owes a lot to Planet of the Vampires
Review: I know that the DVD is not out yet as of this writing. I am reviewing the VHS version. If you are a fan of the original ALIEN, like James Cameron and I are, you will love this movie. Not so much for the plot, but for the many things in it that will remind you of the ALIEN and ALIENS movies that came later. Here are just some of the similarities: 1) They are answering a signal that has been sent from the planet, 2) Helmets setting on consoles like they were in ALIEN, 3) A somewhat cheesy landing sequence like ALIEN, 4) The planet surface will remind you of the one in ALIENS, 5) The round hatch is similar to the 3 openings on the green, horseshoe shaped ship from both ALIEN & ALIENS, 6) In order to keep production costs down, the two ships that visit the planet are identical both inside & out. This way, the same interior/exterior sets could be used for both ships. A distant shot of the identical ship will also remind one of the horseshoe shaped ship. And, On one visit to a derelict ship, they come across huge, skeletal figures which will remind one of the skeleton in the horseshoe shaped ship. There are more things like these, but I will let you discover them yourself. The music score is similar to the one in FORBIDDEN PLANET, with lots of electronic sounds, rather than real instruments. However, an electric guitar is obvious in this score. Barry Sullivan, the American lead, obviously speaks his own lines. However, if the Italian actor's voices were dubbed in, this is one of the best looping jobs in a movie that I have ever seen! The voice of the doctor Carron (not sure of spelling) sounds just like Paul Frees. Frees was a frequent voice in the Rock/Bullwinkle cartoons and he was also a news reporter in THE WAR OF THE WORLDS movie. You can also see him a little in a scientist role in the original THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. I am not sure if Frees is the voice, but it is a dead ringer for his. Despite the plot holes, this is sure worth the price that Amazon is asking for the CD, even if it does not have any special features. I am ordering the CD version right now. Enjoy it and always watch the skies! rjb
Rating:
Summary: Terrore Nello Spazio!!!!
Review: I like this film alot. Planet of the Vampires has some cool sci-fi(for it's time)futuristic dialog and gadgets. In one scene a female character actually SCANS a document with a scanner next to a computer monitor, and THIS IS IN 1965!!!! Also this was a year before Star Trek came out, so you can't accuse of copycat. It's similar to Star Trek but much darker and sinister. The colors are really cool but when I seen it in black and white when I was a kid on "Monster Movie Matinee" I thought it was more eerie. They have neat weapons and cool black leather suits. At one point the captain and a hot chick Italian actress find a derelict ship with some ancient giant skeletons in it. By the way this movie has tons o titles but I think the original Italian one is Terrore Nello Spazio, which means Terror in Space. Even though this is always accredited as totally Italian, Barry Sullivan the star is American, I believe and the film company is American International. I would recommend this to anyone who likes older sci-fi.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly smart.
Review: I rented this DVD only out of curiosity because I had heard of this often overlooked sci-fi entry made by Mario Bava. To be honest, given its' B-movie status, I was expecting a rather one dimensional gore-fest.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Even at this early point in his career, one can see how talented a director Bava is.
Clearly shot on a low budget, like Roger Corman, Brava, by using some very clever camera approaches and wonderfully creative sets (its' quite obvious the makers of the Alien films used this along with other 1950s' B-movies as sources)constructs a film that is both intelligent and engaging.
An interplanetary crew from Earth, answering a distress signal from another planet, land and get more than they bargained for. Very smart, underplayed and scary.
At times I felt I was watching an episode of a well done Star Trek entry.
Very well done. Worth the rental.
Rating:
Summary: Creature Double Feature Has Come Back!
Review: I stayed up late one night to watch this, 10:oo which was very late for me as a kid. I remember the scene of the vampires rising out of their graves that scared me so much. When Alien came out this movie came to mind. The special effects are as good as Star Trek , but the movie has a very original story and an ending right out of The Twilight Zone. Seeing it on dvd is like seeing it for the first time- the print is flawless and its in widescreen. This movie is simply beautiful.Although its not part of the official Mario Bavo collection by Anchor Bay buying this edition is just as good and cheaper.
Rating:
Summary: A Neglected But Highly Influential Film
Review: I've been a fan of Planet of the Vampires for almost 23 years now. As a child I used to watch it with religous fervor any time it was broadcast on television. Over the years Planet...has been treated rather poorly on both VHS (SP and EP Mode) and laserdisc. The results betrayed the true genius of Bava's magic. Such neglect is not found on MGM's fantastic bare-bones DVD. I have never seen Planet of the Vampires look better. I'm not sure how this low budget oddity will fare with "sophisticated" viewers but I would rank this as one of Bava's best. The dialogue is dumb as dirt but the scenery and eerie tension of the film rise above it's low budget constraints. Scenes like the dead rising from their space graves, tearing off the plastic body bags that encase their decaying bodies and the exposure of a dead crewman's skinless chest gave me troubled sleep for many nights as a youngster. I imagine some newcomers will find this film silly but keep in mind Planet...was made in 1965 and has had an amazing influence on (just to name a few) Alien, Night of the Living Dead, and Event Horizon. I'd like to extend my thanks for those involved in putting together this wonderfully priced DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice Color but Utterly Silly
Review: If overall score was based on the cinematography or transfer of the movie to DVD this would rate high. But the story is utterly silly. Silly too is the acting (it is clear only one actor here speaks English). It is sad when actors need money so badly that they will do something like this. If you buy this it won't be long before you put it on an internet auction advertised as "viewed once."
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