CORMAN'S MIND-BUSTING HORROR IN DEEP SPACE!

Shout! Factory has unleashed an invasion of Roger Corman Cult Classic titles this month, many appearing on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time and loaded with all-new bonus features. Corman built his career directing 50 films and producing over 350 on the foundation of truly independent filmmaking, sidestepping the restrictions of Hollywood's studio system to promote the creative talents of many leading directors, actors and writers. Making the most out of low-budget sensational films spanning a wide array of action-packed, titilating genres and concepts, Corman and his legacy of talented proteges made an indelible mark on filmmaking history of the latter 20th century and continue blazing trails today.

The latest library of Roger Corman Cult Classics include six new DVD/Blu-ray titles which fans of indie cinema and rare releases will definitely want to add to their collection.

In 1981, Roger Corman gave Hell a new forwarding address in space with the sci-fi mindbending GALAXY OF TERROR, in which crew members of the Quest are sent to a remote planet on a rescue mission, only to find themselves the targets of their most dreaded fears. Following in the box office wake of mega-hit ALIEN and highly inspired by it, the true monsters lurk in the minds of these rescuers until they find themselves victims of the mysterious Master and his psychological warfare on trespassers.

Captain Trantor (Grace Zabriskie) leads her ill-fated crew — including Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Robert Englund, Zalman King, Ray Walston, Taafee O'Connell and Sid Haig — into the dark, alien depths of a giant pyramid where strange psychic forces begin preying on their minds. One by one, the crew are killed by physical manifestations of their own worst nightmares until only Cabren (Albert) remains to confront the Master playing this deadly game with their lives. The film's bizarre creatures and Cabren's dead crewmates return for one last mental attack but he fends them off to challenge the Master for his own survival, and ultimately the game begins anew.

After the success of BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, Corman's highly profitable STAR WARS ripoff, the producer then barged in on ALIEN's box office territory but commissioned a script which derived its horror more from Freudian psychology than brain-sucking space bugs. Or at least that was the approach which justified the sexual overtones of a female being raped to death by a giant maggot. Let's face it, GALAXY OF TERROR is notorious in film history for two things: O'Connell's nude rape/death scene and James Cameron's production design/second unit direction. The first asset surpassed expectations for Corman's trademark exploitational style in this over-the-top collision of sex and symbolism. Nevertheless, sex and violence taken to such a ridiculous extremes proved a salacious draw for male sci-fi/horror fans, guaranteeing the film's sale overseas to expand Corman's profits of an otherwise hoaky sci-fi homage.

In contrast, James Cameron's creative additions afford the film its longevity of interest to cinemaphiles today, as many of his design choices and visual trickery employed to achieve his visions of grandeur elevate its production value far beyond its meager budget. Indeed, fans of his 1986 action-horror hit ALIENS will see countless previews of his visual and technical styles throughout GALAXY OF TERROR. Cameron soon graduated to directing the Corman studio sequel PIRANHA II (from which he was soon fired) before launching his stellar career path with THE TERMINATOR, ALIENS and not one but two of the top-grossing films of all time. This film also boosted the burgeoning career of Robert Englund, who within two years gained mainstream notoriety on the TV mini-series V soon followed by his iconic debut as Freddy Krueger in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET.

GALAXY OF TERROR enjoys a relative wealth of new bonus features, thanks to Shout! Factory's devotion to saluting and honoring the Roger Corman Cult Classics for their part in indie filmmaking history. The main attraction here is a six-part documentary Tales from the Lumber Yard: The Making of GALAXY OF TERROR, that title referring to the former property owner where Corman set up his studio but used the lumber signage to hide his ventures from prying eyes. This hour-long featurette reunites many of the available filmmakers, cast and crew to share their experiences and discuss rare behind-the-scenes footage and stills from production. Individual chapters offer first-hand insights into the story's origins, casting of actors, set design, mechanical and makeup effects, a spotlight on James Cameron's production design influence, and a look back at the film's legacy in the cult cinema and the participants' careers. An extensive photo gallery shows off truly rare production sketches and storyboards, background plates, and on-set candid shots plus lobby cards and posters for the film. TV spots and the theatrical trailer lead off a small collection of other New World title trailers, plus the disc offers a .PDF file of the original screenplay for die-hard fans' enjoyment. Audio setup also includes audio commentary by actress Taafee O'Connell, makeup and effects artists Allan Apone and Alec Gillis, and moderator David DeCoteau who all share very fond memories of their experience.

Overall this DVD/Blu-ray release celebrates a more notorious film than a memorable one, though it's hard to argue against the value of bonus materials created to augment this bizarre 80-minute shocker. The rather confusing psychology of Marc Siegler and director Bruce Clark's script muddies up the horror plot and detracts from Corman's exploitative (and usually profitiable) ambitions. This film is both more and less like a Roger Corman film than others newly released and ultimately fares less well in both categories, so FilmEdge rates GALAXY OF TERROR: 2.5 STARS, mostly for the added rare bonus materials which will elevate this disc to must-own status for Corman devotees.

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