FORBIDDEN WORLD (1982)

3 stars

88 Films. UHD+Blu ray. Out now

FORBIDDEN WORLD is one of those low budget movies from producer Roger Corman that riff on other bigger better movies. Though that’s not to say this isn’t enjoyable.

Mike Colby (Jesse Vint) and his chatty robot SAM-104, have been sent to the remote plant of Xarbia – there a research team has created what turns out to be a deadly new life form which they give the moniker Subject 20. The scientist types were looking into making a protein that would help with the food crisis facing the galaxy. Unfortunately for them their mutant changes rapidly and has killed off all the lab animals.

Colby is to investigate – though he seems more interested in the female contingent on the base, than he does in solving the problem! Of course it isn’t long before Subject 20 is killing off the researchers in suitably bloody fashion. And that is kind of it in terms of plot…

If you like your thrills cheap then you will have fun with this derivative science fiction – it is gloriously gory, with rudimentary creature effects and plenty of casual nudity — who doesn’t take a shower together to discuss strategy to beat an alien threat. Look for lifted effects shots from BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS (1980, which director Allan Holzman had been editor on), plus recycled sets from GALAXY OF TERROR ( 1981, which was art directed by James Cameron no less).

Apparently Holzman had wanted to do a version of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA – which you know wasn’t going to happen when working for Roger Corman! Originally shot as MUTANT, this was edited down to 77 minutes for theatrical release. This includes both this and the longer 82 minutes original.

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Three audio commentaries: with Kim Newman and Sean Hogan (Theatrical Version); with Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth (Theatrical Version); with Allan Holzman and Nathaniel Thompson (Director’s cut)

Two interviews with Allan Holzman, plus interviews with Roger Corman and with John Carl Buechler

Newer Horizons: A video essay by Mike Foster

The Making of Forbidden World – Making Of Documentary

Plus the usual Image Gallery, trailers and TV spots and Radio spot.

ARCADE (1993)

3 stars

88 Films. Blu Ray. Out Now

ARCADE, from the Charlie Band stable, is a low budget teen sci fi that probably looked dated when it came out – so over 30 years later it is likely to only appeal to fans of the early use of CGI.

Alex (a cute Megan Ward) is the usual troubled teen, probably because her mum committed suicide. She meets up with her buddies (including a young Seth Green as Stilts) at a local video arcade, to see a new virtual reality game called Arcade. Showing off this new tech is Difford (John de Lancie, possibly best known as Q from STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION). Alongside the large booth like installation, they are also giving away the home version for the youngsters to take home and test out.

Of course, all is not as it seems, and when Alex’s boyfriend Greg (Bryan Dattilo) tries out the game, he disappears. She is convinced he has been somehow swallowed up by the software and is now trapped inside it. When others in her circle of friends are also sucked in, her nerdy friend Nick (Peter Billingsley) is convinced Alex will have to enter the environs of the game to rescue them.

Taken from a story by Charles Band, this was an early outing for David S. Goyer, who went on to pen such blockbusters as 2008’s THE DARK KNIGHT and 2013’s MAN OF STEEL among many others. The CGI isn’t what you would call state of the art – and apparently much of it had to be redone, after the film was initially completed, as Disney got wind of the fact that is was similar to their much more expensive TRON and threatened to sue. The movie looks okay on the Blu Ray in the 4×3 ratio, if not exactly outstanding, due to the source that had to be used.

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Three audio commentaries: with Director Charles Band & Actress Megan Ward; with Associate Producer Daniel Schweiger; by Film Journalists Dave Wain and Matty Budrewicz

Interviews with: Actor John de Lancie; Actor Jonathan Fuller; Associate Producer Daniel Schweiger; Cinematographer George Mooradian; with Composer Alan Howarth

Original Videozone

Remastered Original Trailer and Proof of Concept Trailer with Commentary by Daniel Schweiger

Plus rigid slipcase with new artwork by Joel Robinson and double sided poster

SELF DRIVER

3 stars

GrimmVision. Digital. 11th May

D (Nathanael Chadwick) is a rideshare driver for an Uber-like company. He is barely making ends meet. He sits in his car, which has seen better days, subsisting on takeaway meals. His landlord calls – which he ignores – and his wife phones, wanting a break, as she is at home with their baby. Add to this their internet isn’t working – as he hasn’t paid the bill. He is kind of desperate. With the sort of customers he has to drive around, things look bleak.

Then he has Nic (Adam Goldhammer) as a passenger – who tells him about the new app he is involved with. They need drivers like D and it pays way over the odds for this kind of work (potentially thousands). He is at first sceptical, but needs must, even if it all sounds a bit sketchy and has very restrictive rules – which must be followed. He must always do what the app tells him to do. No matter what. He must never talk to the customers. He can’t turn down any job or you are done for the night and if you quit in the middle of a job you lose all your money. Sounds perfectly legit!

Of course as he picks up various passengers he begins to realise he is being led down a dark path and if he doesn’t follow those rules to the letter he gets immediate deductions on his earnings…

Chadwick is fine in the central role and writer/director Michael Pierro manages to build a level of tension and maintain interest within the confines of the car, with strong use of close up shots. Ultimately however, it doesn’t add up to much and the ending is kind of odd. Apart from asking the question of how far you are willing to go when you are desperate, I am not sure it is actually saying much.

Steve Kirkham

SOLDIER (1998)

3 stars

Arrow Video. Limited Edition 4K. 27th April

Arrow brings us a 4K release of a film that did so poorly at the US box office when it originally came out in the cinema that it went straight to video in most other territories. I have to say I quite enjoyed it for what it was — a western in science fiction clothing.

Kurt Russell is the strong silent type, with his best Clint Eastwood imitation, as Todd 3465, an elite military man trained from an early age to basically be a killing machine. We know this as the film starts in 1996, with many youngsters being put through rigorous hoops to become these deadly fighters. Russell’s son Wyatt plays the younger Todd in some these scenes — he now appears alongside his Dad in Apple TV’s MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS.

It is now 2036 and the future of this elite unit is now in question as Colonel Mekum (Jason Isaacs) introduces his new force of genetically engineered warriors. Isaacs really needs a larger moustache than he is sporting so he can twirl it with evil panache.

Of course a demonstration is in order with Caine 607 (Jason Scott Lee) taking on several of the old guard – until Todd gouges the newbies eye out whilst they are fighting up some chains hanging from the ceiling. When Todd falls, he is assumed dead and is swept up with the other defeated men and finds himself dumped onto a waste disposal planet. He eventually finds the community that is eking out an existence there (including Sean Pertwee and Connie Nielsen) and they take him in to their fold. However he doesn’t fit in and he is banished – that is until Mekum and his men turn up and Todd has to help defend the under siege populace.

Both Issacs and Pertwee had appeared in director Paul W.S. Anderson’s previous film EVENT HORIZON. This was before Anderson started to make the numerous RESIDENT EVIL movies and in some ways SOLDIER prepared him for those action based horror movies. The script is by David Webb Peoples – though he didn’t have write many lines for Russell’s character. He was also responsible for the now considered classic BLADE RUNNER (1982). This movie is set in the same universe as that Harrison Ford vehicle. There are plenty of thrills and fighting to keep this moving and great production design plus a suitably snarling, stony faced performance from Russell throughout.

The release has a brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films approved by director Paul W.S. Anderson

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Archival audio commentary by director Paul W.S. Anderson, co-producer Jeremy Bolt and actor Jason Isaacs

Interviews with actor James Black; assistant director Dennis Maguire; associate producer Fred Fontana; production designer David L. Snyder; with visual effects supervisors Craig Barron and Van Ling and miniature supervisor Michael Joyce; with Danny Stewart, author of Soldier: From Script to Screen

VFX Before and After, a brand new behind-the-scenes look at how the film’s special effects were created with visual effects supervisor Craig Barron

We Don’t Need Another Hero, a brand new retrospective on the film with film historian Heath Holland

Archival electronic press kit; On-set interviews with cast and crew; Trailers

Plus. Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Orlando Arocena and collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic Priscilla Page

INNERSPACE (1987)

4 stars

Arrow Video. Limited Edition UHD and Limited Edition Blu ray. 27th April

Dennis Quaid plays Lt. Tuck Pendleton, a hot shot test pilot with a bad attitude. He joins a top secret mission and is placed into a submarine like pod to be shrunk down to minuscule size and injected into a rabbit. But when the laboratory is attacked by rivals that want to steal the tech, head scientist Ozzie Wexler (John Hora) manages to escape with the syringe containing the tiny vessel. As an aside Hora was cast after a suggestion from Steven Spielberg – he was actually a cinematographer by trade, and had worked on several of director Joe Dante’s films.

On the run and being chased by the Terminator-like Mr Igoe (Vernon Wells), Ozzie ends up injecting Pendleton and the mini sub into neurotic, hypochondriac supermarket worker Jack Putter (a perfectly cast, manic Martin Short, an actor never known for underplaying his part). It isn’t till later that our pilot realises he is not inside a bunny but a human after trying to contact the lab. Connecting up to the optic nerve he can see what Jack is seeing and also manages to talk to him via his inner ear.

With limited oxygen, Tuck must find a way to get out – his only option is to get Jack to help him and also to bring Tuck’s reporter ex-girlfriend Lydia (Meg Ryan) up to speed as she has had dealings with “the Cowboy” (Robert Picardo – who was a Dante regular) who has connections with arms dealer Victor Scrimshaw (Kevin McCarthy), the one behind the lab attack.

Incident piles on incident as the plot gets more convoluted as it unfolds – however, Dante has crafted a fun and enjoyable variation on FANTASTIC VOYAGE that leans into the comedic possibilities. This is part comedy, part action thriller, rom com, science fiction and ultimately a buddy movie. Quaid and Short play off each other well – Dante had them be on set for each other’s scenes, despite them not actually meeting in the film itself, which gives a credibility to their interactions.

Being a Dante film this of course has cameo appearances – from Dick Miller early on as a cab driver, to Rance Howard (Ron’s dad) and Chuck Jones, legendary animator. The director himself even pops up in a blink and you’ll miss him scene in the laboratory.

The release features a brand new restoration from the 35mm negative which was approved by the director.

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Two audio commentaries: a new one by film critic Drew McWeeny; an archive one with director Joe Dante, producer Michael Finnell, visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren and actors Kevin McCarthy and Robert Picardo

The Making of Innerspace, a brand new hour-long documentary

Behind the Scenes with Joe Dante and Behind the Scenes at ILM, both with previously unseen footage

Original storyboards; Continuity and Behind the Scenes Polaroids; Production stills gallery; Posters and Promo stills gallery; Theatrical trailer

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller; Double-sided fold-out poster featuring two original artwork options; Collectors’ perfect-bound booklet.

PHASE IV (1974)

3 stars

88 Films. Limited edition UHD + Blu Ray. 20th April

When I first saw PHASE IV back in the day, I remember it being quite dull. Unfortunately, unlike a fine wine, it hasn’t improved with age! It isn’t helped by the opening, which is very long and comes across like you are back at school – as it explains that some kind of astronomical event has meant that ants are now working together, across species, and pose a danger to mankind. Still, the micro footage of ants by Ken Middleham, is rather impressive.

Two scientists, Ernest Hubbs (Nigel Davenport) and James Lesko (Michael Murphy) are in their dome packed with equipment, in the Arizona desert (though the exteriors were shot mainly in Kenya). They are there to study the ants and find out what they are up to. Most people have left the area – except one family, who end up outside the boffins research facility and are killed when Hubbs release some yellow gunk to prevent the insects from attacking. Going outside in their hazmat suits, they rescue young Kendra (Lynne Frederick – who had worked previously with Davenport on NO BLADE OF GRASS (1970)). Lesko, a communications expert, manages to work out how the ants are able to “talk” to each other… and it soon becomes a battle of wills as the tiny terrors infiltrate the dome.

It is not hard to see why this failed at the box office, as it is all a bit po-faced and fails to lean into what is basically a B movie premise – man vs ant! This was the only feature directed by acclaimed graphic designer Saul Bass, who was best known for his stylish and iconic title sequences for films like ANATOMY OF A MURDER, NORTH BY NORTHWEST (both 1959) and PSYCHO (1960), among many others. This means the movie is great to look at, even if the script by Mayo Simon is lacking. This originally had a more trippy ending (here as one of the extras), which was excised by Paramount just before release.

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Audio Commentary by Genre Cinema Experts Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth

Ant Allegory – Author Deborah Allison on Phase IV

Another World – Artist Graham Humphreys on Saul Bass and Phase IV

Original Saul Bass Ending

Theatrical Trailer

SPACEBALLS (1987)

4 stars

Arrow Video. Limited Edition 4K UHD. Out Now

You’ve got to love Mel Brooks and his mickey takes on different types of movies, like westerns with the classic BLAZING SADDLES (1974).

With SPACEBALLS he turns to skewering the STAR WARS outings. Like all his comedies it is inevitably hit and miss, by turns hilarious and often very silly, but always entertaining. It has a great cast – Bill Pullman plays Lone Starr, our Hans Solo substitute, along with his trusty man sized dog-like Barf (John Candy). Daphne Zuniga is Princess Vespa, Joan Rivers voices the gold robot Dot Matrix (that names dates the movie), Mel Brooks himself is in dual roles as President Skroob and also Yogurt (I am sure you can work who that is supposed to be). Best of all is Rick Moranis as Dark Helmet who can’t breathe in his huge metal headgear.

The plot is kind of irrelevant and is only there to service the jokes – basically on the planet Druidia, Princess Vespa was going to be married off to yawning Prince Valium, but escapes with her sidekick Dot Matrix. President Skroob wants Dark Helmet to capture the Princess as they need to steal the air from Druidia. Riding to the rescue is Lone Starr and Barf. Along the way we get the hilarious Pizza the Hutt, Yogurt displaying all the Spaceballs merchandising in a clever dig at the amount of product that STAR WARS had created – and lets face it who wouldn’t want Spaceballs, the Toilet Paper. John Hurt also pops up in a fun bit riffing on ALIEN.

Speaking of the merch, apparently George Lucas loved the script and was happy for the parody to go ahead with only one proviso – no products of any kind would be made. Look out for the Millennium Falcon cameo near the end.

In one sequence reference is made by Yogurt to a sequel – Spaceballs: The Search for More Money. After nearly forty years a follow up is currently in post production with a release set for the anniversary in 2027! May the Schwartz Be With You…

EXTRAS

Audio commentary by writer/producer/director/actor Mel Brooks

Spaceballs: The Documentary, an in-depth look at the making of the film; Farce Yourself! Spaceballs and the Skroobing of Sci-fi, a featurette in which Mel Brooks looks back on the making of the film; In Conversation: Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan, a conversation between the two writers about the film’s genesis; John Candy: Comic Spirit, a retrospective look at the life and career of the late comedian

Archival behind-the-scenes featurette; Storyboard-to-film comparison; Film Flubs, a humorous look at the film’s goofs and continuity errors; Watch Spaceballs in Ludicrous Speed; Mawgese and Dinkese alien soundtrack extracts

Exhibitor trailer, with introduction by Mel Brooks; Theatrical and teaser trailer; Spaceballs: The Behind-the-Movie Photos; Spaceballs: The Costume Gallery; Spaceballs: The Art Gallery; Image gallery

Plus reversible sleeve featuring two choices of original artwork; Double-sided foldout poster and four postcard-sized artcards

WORLDBREAKER (2025)

3 stars

Signature Entertainment. Prime video exclusive. 7th March

In WORLDBREAKER deadly creatures have overrun the world having emerged from a “stitch” – a fissure in the earth. Since the initial attack more of these derivatively designed, spider-like monsters, which they call Breakers, have been thrown up from other cracks and much of civilisation has been destroyed. Humankind has fought back, initially mainly the men took up arms – whilst bullets slow them down, a sword slicing their heads off proves to be the most effective solution. However, if you are scratched or their blood gets on your skin you turn into a zombie like hybrid, which then fight with the alien denizen. Men are especially susceptible to turning, so it is now up to the women to become the fighters.

Luke Evans plays a father, who had fought in the initial battles but is now injured, making it hard for him to walk without a stick. His wife (Milla Jovovich) is now a commander in the troops. Desperate to protect their teenage daughter Willa (Billie Boullet), he escapes with her, whilst his other half is trying to save humanity.

They manage to get to a remote island and eke out an existence, whilst they can see the conflict on the mainland. We join them a year later, when Dad has grown an impressive beard and is training his offspring in both sword and survival skills that she may need in the future.

Then something happens which that could endanger their very lives.

This is a small scale post apocalypse movie mainly focussing on the dad and his daughter – Evans and Boullet play their roles well. Jovovich is kind of wasted in her part. Unfortunately after the initial third of the story, things start to drag, as we get scenes of her training and her father telling stories of a mythical warrior who killed hundreds of the Breakers, trying to inspire her and keep her focussed on what she needs to learn. Things slow down too much as the story unfolds. It all gets a bit too domestic. Though it does rev up at the end. The location in Ireland is well used. As for the ending – it’s one of those “are they really going to go there”…

Steve Kirkham

OBEX (2025)

3 stars

Lightbulb Film Distribution. Blu Ray and Digital. 9th March

It is 1987. Conor Marsh (Albert Birney) lives alone with his dog and is effectively a shut in. He watches his tower of TVs. To earn a living he sits at his computer and recreates photos of people by typing out dots and dashes on his computer and printing them out on his printer. He then addresses the envelope and leaves it outside his house to be picked up for mailing. This is how he spends his day it seems. Isolated. He advertises in computer magazines (remember those?) and earns five bucks for each pic he creates.

A friend, Mary (Callie Hernandez), delivers his food shopping for him, but he only interacts with her through the door.

Then he spots an advert for OBEX. A breakthrough in interactive gaming that supposedly puts you inside the game. All he has to do is submit a tape about himself and they will use their state of the art tech and insert him into the software. He sends off his submission and carries on with his mundane life. Constantly watching TV or doing karaoke whilst in bed.

Then the game arrives and he pops the disc into his Mac – but it’s not very good. Disappointed he ejects the 3.5 inch floppy. However, soon after odd things start to happen. His printer spews out the repeated words ‘Remove Your Skin’ late at night. And a symbol of a videotape at the bottom and ‘I’m Inside’.

About halfway through things flip and he appears to be in the game for real. His dog goes missing and he goes to find the canine, meets Mary who gives him the supplies he will need to go to the castle to rescue his pet. He must travel across Obex on his quest…

Birney, who directed this weird movie and co-wrote the script with Pete Ohs, was also one of the directors and co-writers on STRAWBERRY MANSION, a film I really liked. However I struggled with this arty, black and white outing and wondered who this film was aimed at. It seems to be going out of its way to be obtuse. At times surreal and often quite silly this was clearly made on a low budget. It is certainly imaginative and has ambition – and if nothing else, it’s different.

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS on Blu Ray

Audio Commentary with Albert Birney & Pete Ohs; 7 Deleted Scenes; 3 Short Films; Recording the Score; BTS Stills Gallery; Trailer

REDUX REDUX

4 stars

Blue Finch Film Releasing. Digital. 23rd February

The film opens dramatically with Irene Kelly (Michaela McManus) standing over a man strapped to a chair being burnt alive. She remains unmoved as he screams. Cut to her being strangled by a man – she manages to get free and shoots him. She then finds a box with wrist tags with numbers on.

Later in a diner she is peering at the cook in the kitchen in the back. She follows him home. Creeping in, she confronts the sleeping man, gun in hand. ‘Where’s her body? Number 12’ – He ends up shot. Another box with tags.

Another day in the diner. She shoots the same man. In the restaurant!

What is going on you ask? A mystery that unfolds as the film progresses.

Irene has a machine – which looks like a large metal coffin – which she can use to travel between parallel universes. In each one she jumps to – which are the same with minor differences – she tracks down the man who kidnapped and killed her daughter. She is desperately looking for one where her daughter is still alive. Instead she ends up killing the man who did it. Over and over. It has become an obsession.

Along the way she rescues wayward teen Mia (Stella Marcus) and, reluctantly at first, takes her along with her, with the young feisty girl becoming something of a surrogate for her missing offspring.

REDUX REDUX is an intriguing and enthralling variation on the multiverse movies. Michaela McManus is very good in the central role and well supported by Stella Marcus. Granted this is one of those films that’s best not to analyse too much and instead just go along for the cracking ride. Compellingly directed by directors Kevin and Matthew McManus, working from their script. Star Michaela is their sister. Proceedings are enhanced by the great music score Paul Koch.

Steve Kirkham