#1981Films

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Galaxy of Terror (1981)

The more I heard about Galaxy of Terror, the more apprehensive I was about this Roger Corman production. I decided to take a chance and was impressed. It’s undoubtedly a knockoff of Alien but it’s successful and original where it counts. Despite some eyebrow-raising choices made by the director throughout, this is an unsettling, frightening, and good horror film.

The spaceship Quest blasts off on a rescue mission to the desolate world of Morganthus. No immediate survivors are discovered but that’s the least unusual thing about this trip. The crew discovers that a strange entity exists on Morganthus, a creature that brings their greatest fears to life.

The picture plays like a cross between A Nightmare on Elm Street (despite the film preceding it by three years) and Alien, complete with a planet that looks almost indistinguishable from LV-228, a ship whose design was made to recall the Nostromo, scenes of terror as the crew members are isolated and picked off one by one, and even Robert Englund as one of the crew members of the ship. Some of the developments at the very end of the film, even when they bring something completely unique to this plot still feel reminiscent of Alien. I'm making these comparisons favorably. The Nightmare on Elm Street films are at their best when Freddy Krueger morphs into all kinds of sick creatures and butchers his prey in creative ways. There’s plenty of that here.

I categorize Galaxy of Terror as genuinely good, but if you told me you thought it was merely “so bad it’s good” I wouldn’t fight you too hard. There are problems with this story. A character disappears towards the conclusion (are we supposed to believe that he’s dead? It doesn’t seem so) and some of the characters are thin (Sid Haig as Quuhod and Bernard Behrens as Commander Ilvar). This story needed to be run through the ringers just one more time to cut out some of the extraneous story elements.

The most interesting aspect is the nightmarish creatures that attack the Quest's crew and the different ways people’s fears manifest. It’s all pretty creative, ranging from multi-legged abominations to evil twins, hallucinations, and reanimated corpses. Jump scares are often cheap ways to make the audience think the film is scary. Here, you're often startled, but not in a frustrating way because you know the scare was coming. It’s difficult to explain because that makes it sound like the movie is being predictable. It is in the sense that you know in which order the people are going to die, but that’s not what I’m talking about. What I mean is that you’ll get a glimpse of a monster sneaking up on someone and you know it’ll get there any second, you just don’t know the exact moment so it comes up and scares you because it’s a surprise, but screaming is also a way for you to relieve the tension you’ve been feeling.

If you’ve heard of this film, it’s probably because of a particular scene including Taaffe O’Connell as Officer Dameia. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you've heard what happens and you think it's just a cheap, tasteless scene, it isn't. It’s quite a well-done sequence because it's exactly as nightmarish and disturbing as it should be. The special effects are convincing but what's more unsettling is Dameia's reaction to what happens to her. I wouldn’t show the scene to my parents and can understand if you would get offended, but considering the way some of the victims of Morganthus meet their fate, I don’t think it’s out of place or needlessly exploitative.

The interesting premise, likable (if sometimes underdeveloped) characters, and terrific special effects are the reason to see Galaxy of Terror. The title makes you think you're in for something and doesn't do the final product justice. It’s trashy but truly frightening. You'll always be curious to see what comes next. It's certainly memorable and I know I look forward to seeing it again - but probably by myself. (On DVD, November 27, 2015)

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Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior surpasses the original in every way. It takes its protagonist and asks "now that he's lost his humanity, where does this world that's devolving into absolute madness take him?" the answer is "to one of the most viscerally satisfying action movies ever made".

Nuclear war has devastated the planet and in Australia, the survivors struggle to cling to sanity. Having lost his family, Max (Mel Gibson) roams the wasteland, caring for little other than his dog, his next meal, and the fuel he needs to keep moving. When he stumbles upon what must be the last reasonable people on the continent, he proposes a bargain. Max will help them escape from Lord Humungous (Kjell Nilsson) and his gang of sadistic motorists, in exchange for supplies.

When there are car crashes and chases in The Road Warrior, they look and feel real. Something about seeing two vehicles smash into each other, bits flying all over the place without fireballs and overblown pyrotechnics satisfies a primal itch inside you. It's like the difference between a boxing match and a couple of actors pretending to throw punches for the camera; there's no comparison.

This is a movie that makes you wonder "How did they do that?" over and over. The funny thing is, you know. How did they manage to make that scene where a vehicle crashes and a man goes literally flying out of his seat and toppling head over heels into the air look so good? By doing it.

In a way, it feels more genuine than most action movies because many questions and characters are left unaddressed. Most survivors we meet are given neither names nor backstories but their mannerisms, appearance, or actions make them memorable. The stakes and objectives are clear. The obstacles are ominous. You find yourself caring about the unnamed amazon lady or the paraplegic mechanic. Perhaps because you know how dangerous the scenario is in-universe and in real life.

At the center is a hero you want to see grow. Max is a good guy that's been broken. The world has beaten him down and he's become hard and cold. Without him, the settlers stand no chance, no civilized person does when the rest of the world has reverted to barbarism. He's the hero they need... if he would only care. Roving gangs of thugs get what they want through force. Guns are rare, nearly non-existent. People use crossbows, swords, flails made out of junk and pipes as clubs. The world Max once protected is gone, as is his humanity.

Everything is cobbled together and it works. The film's budgetary restrictions works in its favor. It doesn't go for flashy, it goes for visceral, relying on bare-bones, tangible thrills and primal gut-punches. I don't know if the quality of The Road Warrior could ever be recreated.

The chases are faster, the crashes are bigger, the stunts are more impressive, the characters are more memorable and the story tighter. The stunts and crashes are spectacular. They're devastating, with bodies and car parts flying all over the place You'll constantly be screaming "Oh!" out loud, particularly during the incredible climax: An Intense 13-minute highway chase that keeps you guessing throughout. Everything is up for grabs and the film never pulls its punches. It's an edge of your seat ending. You don't need to see the first one to enjoy The Road Warrior (though you should to fully appreciate the escalation). Mad Max 2 is a bolt of lightning in a bottle. It's a visceral action flick that re-energizes you, and a personal favorite of mine. (On Blu-ray, April 19, 2015)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior surpasses the original in every way. It's an actual "true" sequel too, not just a rehash of the first story. It asks "now that Max has lost his humanity, where does this world that's devolving into absolute madness take him?"

Nuclear war has devastated the planet and in Australia, the survivors struggle to cling to sanity. "Mad" Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) has become a marauder, caring for little other than his dog, his next meal, and the fuel he needs to get there. When the former police officer stumbles upon what must be the last reasonable people on the continent, he reluctantly agrees to help them escape from the Lord Humungous (Kjell Nilsson) and his gang of sadistic motorists.

When you watch a great film over and over, you begin to notice things. In an early scene, a scouting vehicle belonging to the Pumpers is attacked by Humongous' forces. The man is tortured while the woman is raped. Most often, scenes like this are unnecessary. Every post-apocalyptic film since Mad Max has one of these moments. This time, it's different. When the attack begins, we've already seen a decent amount of chases and deaths. So far, it's been fun. Outlandish characters shoot at each other with crossbows, vehicles are beautifully demolished. Our hero barely sweats when faced with danger. When you see this attack, it all becomes clear. It isn't that Max is so cool that he spits In the face of death, It's that this world has broken him. He used to inspire hope. Look at him now. Even when the vilest acts are committed in front of him, he remains unaffected. The hero has fallen. There's a lot of subtlety in the scene and it's done largely without dialogue.

This movie is all about redemption, about a hero faced with a choice. Either embrace the madness like those following Lord Humungous or cling onto what dignity humanity has left and try to rebuild. On one side, the leather-donned barbarians, whose chests, arms, and even buttocks exposed. They loot, steal, rape, torture, and murder without care. These nomads' next target is the settlers and their technology. The nobles in white robes care for the infirm while the marauders laugh whenever blood is spilled. They reject dignity. When we meet Max, he's somewhere in the middle. If he can find the humanity within himself and help those in need, he might banish his demons in the process.

This film does something no other action movie with cars does: it ignores the pyrotechnics. What normally happens to cars who flip? They burst into flames. When someone shoots a gas tank? It explodes. Not here. In The Road Warrior, the crashes are real. There's a primeval satisfaction in seeing two vehicles smash into each other and being able to see all the bits fly. It's the difference between a boxing match and a badly edited fight scene where no punches actually connect. There's no comparison. Once you see The Road Warrior and its jaw-dropping stunts, no Hollywood trickery will ever do the trick again.

The chases are faster, the crashes bigger, the stunts more impressive, the characters more memorable and the story tightly written. You'll constantly be screaming "Oh!" out loud, particularly during the incredible climax: an intense 13-minute chase that keeps you guessing throughout. Everything is up for grabs and the punches are never held back. It's so good you don't need to see the first one to enjoy it (Though you should to appreciate the series' evolution). Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is a bolt of lightning in a bottle. It's a visceral action flick that re-energizes you, and a personal favorite of mine. (On Blu-ray, June 3, 2015)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Outland (1981)

I gave Outland as much of a chance as I could, to no avail. This movie is boring. I could barely keep my eyes open while it played, and this was at 20:30!

In the future, a mining outpost has been set up on Jupiter’s moon Io. Several incidents while mining titanium have called into question the safety and security of the facility. When federal marshal William O’Niel (Sean Connery) uncovers corruption, those in charge warn him not to speak up.

My biggest disappointment comes from the science fiction setting, which is wasted by the film. I’m not saying the miners needed to uncover the Monolith from 2010: The Year we Make Contact but there’s no reason for this picture to be set in deep space. It just raises your expectations that something exciting will happen.

Even if you get over this letdown, there's little to keep you invested in the story. The few action scenes are contrived and inserted only to jog the audience awake. When O’Niel discovers what's been causing the unsettling accidents on Io, he rushes down and tries to grab the guy responsible as he’s walking through crowded corridors that will slow the marshall down while providing his prey his dozens of escape routes. Why? You have the evidence on camera. Just wait until the culprit goes back to his living quarters and arrest him there. It’s not like he'll be able to jump out of a window when he hears you knocking – there’s no air outside!

I had problems with Outland from the very start when O’Niel’s wife (Kika Markham) suddenly leaves with their son for Earth. Not because of all the scary stuff happening on Io, because she doesn't feel they can raise the boy properly unless he's on the homeworld. Maybe you should've thought of that BEFORE hoping on the rocket. It's a nitpick but in a movie as unstimulating as this one, it stood out to me.

After Outland ended, I was genuinely concerned. I wondered if I was sick or something. How could I feel so exhausted? I thought I’d take a chance and see if I could make it through another movie. Not only was I able to, it jolted me awake and I didn't crave my bed at all once it was done. The culprit wasn't some virus, it was Outland.

No amount of explosive decompression could overcome the contrived plot of Outland. It’s a world where people have travelled as far as Jupiter but emails or video messages through space is impossible. I could see this story working in theory (I’ve heard people call it a location-swapped remake of High Noon, which is set in the old west) but it didn't this time. (On VHS, March 3, 2016)