DVD Review Roundup - Forbidden World, Deathsport & Battletruck Dbl Feature
DVD Review Roundup - Forbidden World, Deathsport & Battletruck Dbl Feature
The Thing meets Galaxena… while driving an armored car!
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While it may be hard to believe that there are still a few unturned Roger Corman stones lying around, Shout Factory found a few of his classics not yet on DVD and rectified the situation.
I had not seen any of the movies outlined below and I enjoyed them, so I am grateful for that — but from a more practical standpoint I have to give kudos as well for the fantastic job they did of restoring the prints, re-mastering the audio, and tracking filmmakers and actors down for new interviews and commentaries. The commentaries especially are treasure troves of wisdom with often candid perspective (hindsight is, after all, 20/20).
My favorite of the bunch is definitely Forbidden World, which is a 1982 science fiction film and a totally sleazy, unabashed rip-off of Ridley Scott's Alien. But as special effects man John Carl Buechler says in one of the b-t-s interviews, "Yes, but it is the BEST sleazy Alien rip-off, ever!" Originally titled Mutant, there is a copy of that version (Allan Holzman's director's cut) in the DVD set as well (I haven't watched that one yet; only the theatrical version — but I understand Holzman meant for the movie to be a comedy).
The cast includes B-actors Jesse Vint, Dawn Dunlap, June Chadwick, Linden Chiles, Fox Harris, Raymond Oliver, Scott Paulin, Michael Bowen and Don Olivera, and follows their exploits (sexual, and otherwise) on a doomed spaceship which is inhabited by an angry mutant creature who was accidentally created in the lab. The infamous lab scene (in which actual animal corpses were purchased from the local pound and strewn about) is pretty effective, as is the super-quick edits, red-light effects, and the strange electronica/classical music soundtrack.
Forbidden World feels like a very naughty version of a 50s low-budget monster movie (think: The Thing meets Galaxena). For horror fans, there is plenty of blood and brain-sucking brutality while for sci-fi fans there is just enough scientific gobbledygook-jargon to go around.
FORBIDDEN WORLD Bonus Features:
- New Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) Transfer From The Interpositive Film Elements Of The Theatrical Cut
- The Unrated Directors Cut (4:3 - Full Frame)
- Audio Commentary With Director Allan Holzman On The Directors Cut
- Interview With Producer Roger Corman
- Interviews With Cast And Crew Including Director Allan Holzman, Composer Susan Justin, And Actor Jesse Vint
- A Look At The Special Effects Of Forbidden World With John Carl Buechler, Robert Skotak, Tony Randel And R. Christopher Biggs
- Poster And Stills Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer
ALSO: Deathsport / Battletruck Double Feature
While both of these movies do feature hot wheels as the driving force of their plots, and they are both produced by Roger Corman, they feel quite a bit different. Deathsport is a light and silly obvious followup to Deathrace 2000, while Battletruck is a bit darker and feels more like a Mad Max Road Warrior replica. Both futuristic films are an exploitation fan's dirty, dusty, dry dream.
Battletruck (1982): After the Oil Wars, gasoline has become a precious commodity. On his marauding search to commandeer all of the oil in existence to feed his massive, heavily armored battletruck, Colonel Straker (James Wainwright) ravages a peaceful commune. A mysterious man on a motorcycle (Michael Beck, The Warriors) comes to the aid of these peaceful people to help protect them and take down Straker, with the help of his runaway daughter. Also released under the alternate title Warlords Of The Twenty-First Century, BattleTruck costars Bruno Lawrence ( The Quiet Earth), Annie McEnroe ( Beetle Juice, Wall Street) and John Ratzenberger ( Cheers, Toy Story). The films cinematographer, Chris Menges, went on to shoot The Killing Fields, The Mission and The Reader.
BATTLETRUCK Bonus Features:
- Audio Commentary With Director Harley Cokliss (which is really interesting! His memory for detail is amazing, and much-appreciated), plus Trailers.
Deathsport (1978): One thousand years in the future, following the Great Neutron Wars, the world is divided into desert wastes and isolated city-states. Lord Zirpola captures the notorious Desert Ranger Kaz (David Carradine) to fight to the death in his game, Deathsport. Now Kaz must face his past and fight to save himself and his city from the war that Lord Zirpola is about to wage. Costarring with Carradine is B-movie starlet Claudia Jennings (Great Texas Dynamite Chase, Gator Bait), Jesse Vint (Forbidden World, Macon County Line) and Richard Lynch (The Sword And The Sorcerer, Bad Dreams).
DEATHSPORT Bonus Features:
- Audio Commentary With Co-director Allan Arkush and Editor Larry Bock
- Original Theatrical Trailers
- Still Gallery
- Trailer and TV Spots
Deathsport is a pretty shoddy flick, even by Corman standards — but I did find Battletruck (aka Warlords of the 21st Century) mildly entertaining. It's got a real New Zealand feel to it (quite unlike a Corman film, actually) and the evil Colonel Straker's big, black truck is furious and fast (there's even a little homage to Spielberg's 70s road rage suspenser Duel towards the end, which is fun).
I say proceed with caution on the Battletruck / Deathsport DVD, but check your brain at the door and enjoy Forbidden World / Mutant.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson