Galaxy Of Terror

Galaxy of Terror (1981)

Runtime: 81 minutes

Directed by: Bruce D. Clark

Starring: Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston, Zalman King, Sid Haig (RIP)

From: New World Pictures

I was originally going to post this last night but I got tied up with things. The review was posted on Letterboxd about this time 24 hours ago:

RIP Sid Haig

It was not the original plan to watch this movie this early evening; however, coming across the announcement today that he passed away on Saturday meant that I better check out something of his. I did not want to go with something I've already seen (even if it may be something that deserves a better review) and a movie I suspect would be terrible would not be fitting. Instead, here is one of the many low-budget Alien ripoffs that could have been good but instead was average.

A motley crew is forced to go on a rescue mission to try and find survivors of a crashed ship on a desolate planet; what they find is something that forces them to confront their darkest, deepest fears. On paper that sounds fine and this movie does have low-budget charm in its sets, effects, and wacky 80's synth score. Unfortunately, in execution this isn't great. There is gore and unintentionally hilarious moments, but this is a mission where the pilot is a mentally unstable woman and one of the crewman is a wuss who acts frightened and yells due to sheer terror even more often than that sentient trashcan known as PewDiePie... honestly, why is this bigoted troll/pile of feces popular or even considered entertaining?

Anyhow, there is also a rather gross scene involving another woman member of the crew and in this day and age, some will be offended by it being a plot point. A shame it wasn't better with its positives and it having quite the B-movie cast in Haig, Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston, Zalman King, Robert Englund, and Grace Zabriskie. Sid has the most memorable moment (that wasn't gross) and it involves the zaniness of him having giant crystal throwing stars and he uses them often as a weapon. But personally, Forbidden World is a more entertaining Alien clone from Roger Corman that has a better story, is funnier and the sleazy moments are goofy instead of off-putting. Also, I am glad that Sid found his most success late in life thanks to Rob Zombie and it allowed him to do many more B-movies and made people like me be willing to check out a random flick from the past just because he was in it. A shame that he is now gone.