I remember reading about the Bavas a lot in Fangoria but I never saw them while they were prolific. I’ve caught up on a few of the important giallos on the Criterion Channel but Radiance putting out Planet of the Vampires seemed like a good chance to catch up. It definitely feels of a piece with the American science-fiction of the pre 2001 era, the milieu in which they were competing.
A space shuttle answers a distress call on a planet, only to find that the aliens is inhabiting the dead bodies of other failed rescuers. It follows the Forbidden Planet formula of spending more time talking about the sci-fi than demonstrating it. But, with no animation, Mario Bava pulled it all off on the set.
The 4K looks great. The open windows of the control room shows deep space above. They did build a ship set with evocative lighting in the halls. The planet is like a Star Trek: The Original Series set, but also holds up well with red light and fog combined with shadow and the set backdrop. The ship makes a deep silhouette on the surface at night.
Bonus features explain Italian horror and Bava specifically for newbs like me. They highlight the simple ways the studio set transforms into an ominous planet, and even predates Alien in some aspects.
Lamberto Bava talks about working with his father on the film, from the mundane details of assistant directing to building the sets at Cinicetta. Joe Dante and Josh Olson give brief highlights in their Trailers From Hell pieces and author Tim Lucas gives a commentary track. The 17 min Super 8 cut is actually more effective. Planet of the Vampires is essentially a short padded to 90 minutes.
This one came with the full packaging, so it’s easy to admire the cover art of the astronauts in their black leather uniforms. Inside along with the essay and photo booklet are some fun postcards of all the international posters with alternate titles too.