Galaxy of Terror Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

Galaxy of Terror Blu-ray Movie Review

Or, Galaxy of Repetitiveness and Clunky 1970s Technology.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 17, 2010

Why did they all have to die?

In some ways, Galaxy of Terror seems sort of like the B-movie antithesis of Forbidden World. Never mind that both are outer space/monster/Sci-Fi/Horror/gore pictures that share a few set decorations; Galaxy of Terror seems to be aiming for a slightly more intellectually robust raison d'être, but it gets so stuffy and boring that it falls apart almost as badly as Forbidden World, that film little more than a series of gore and breast shots with no real meaning behind them. Galaxy of Terror is a slower-moving, less graphic B-movie variant, taking an obviously higher road but along the way finding such a choppy structure and pacing that even those moviegoers hoping for a bit more thematic oomph will be longing for some of Forbidden World's money shots. It seems like a waste of resources to not go full-out on a movie like this; yes there's gore and a few naked bodies, but the movie's so repetitive that it loses far too much steam in between action scenes. It's a peculiar film for sure, one that never finds a groove but does bring to the table an interesting premise while also looking rather good for a low budget shocker.

No, that's a head, not a scratching post.

The Quest, a highly-advanced spacecraft, is dispatched to the planet Morganthus where another vessel, the Remus, has presumably disappeared, its crew long since out of contact. The orders have come down from "The Planet Master," a powerful humanoid being with a glowing red head. The Quest and her crew of ten quickly arrive at the planet through the use of a warp drive system; they crash onto the surface, seemingly by some external force. They soon enough discover the remnants of the Remus but also begin piecing together the deadly mystery that hangs over the planet. As the crew of the Quest explores Morganthus, they discover a force greater than anything they've ever known, a force that pits them against their darkest innermost fears. Can they face down that which frightens them the most, or will the planet's terrifying powers prove too much for the intrepid crew of The Quest to bear?

There's that plot summary and then there's the real one. It goes something like this: some people crash on a planet and wander around. They wander around some more, and for good measure, wander around some more, almost always in the same dark blue hazy locales. Occasionally, one of the nondescript characters is killed. That's pretty much it. Another major flaw here, besides the repetitive structure, is the almost complete absence of worthwhile character development. Galaxy of Terror pretty much tosses its characters into the movie and doesn't do a whole lot with them; they babble on about this and that, show off whatever skill it is they possess or whatever job it is they do on the ship, but they're really little more than a recognizable face in a small crowd. It's impossible to care when one gets killed, is separated from the group, is raped by a giant worm, or is the last to survive. Admittedly, that's B-movie filmmaking; characters (and story, for that matter) play second fiddle to the violence and nudity, but then again, Galaxy of Terror comes up pretty short in both those categories, particularly when watched back-to-back as the second half of a double feature with Forbidden World. It just seems like Galaxy's attempt at some semblance of legitimacy -- despite a decent enough idea about battling one's own inner fears -- hurts it as bad as Forbidden World's complete lack thereof.

And now for where Galaxy of Terror really works: James Cameron's name in the credits. OK, so that's an obvious milking point; kind of like ads for Bad Taste that tout Peter "LotR" Jackson as its director. Fair enough, and in this case, Cameron's work really is one of the film's strong suits. Galaxy of Terror has "budget" written all over it, but it never looks excessively cheap; some set pieces don't react well to bullets, er, to touch when they bend and shake and look like they're about to fall apart, but as they appear on-film and in the background, they lend to the entire production a sturdier and more expensive feel than the movie deserves. Cameron's fingerprints are readily apparent throughout; those familiar with Aliens may very well note some similarities in the corridor designs in Galaxy of Terror and those seen inside the colony on LV-426, for instance. These set pieces, however, are of the era-typical design whereby 1970s/early 1980s television monitors and clunky keyboards are the technological devices powering highly advanced spacecraft. What was it about moviemaking and television shows of the era that assumed that technology (and hair and clothing styles, for that matter) would stagnate? There are a few possible answers, the first being the absence of forward thinking (not likely considering some of the greats of Science Fiction proved that theory wrong on several levels); the second budget and technological constraints; and the third the fact that greater advancements in technology beget a wider berth of future possibilities that couldn't be imagined without some intermediary invention to pave the way for the envisioning of something even greater. With something like Galaxy of Terror, there's probably a bit of all three playing a part in what now, almost thirty years removed from its release, looks laughably bad in comparison to even the technology of today, let alone some distant future where space travel and warp drive are realities. It would seem that older pictures like Galaxy of Terror are more about what the technology does, whereas today's films -- Minority Report is a great example -- are about not only what the technology does but also how it looks doing it.

Galaxy of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout! Factory brings Galaxy of Terror to Blu-ray with a surprisingly strong 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Granted, it's not in the same league as glossy and shiny big-budget fare, but for a relatively inexpensive genre picture, there's plenty to like about Shout!'s Blu-ray presentation. Excess print damage is kept to a minimum, but there is a fair bit of grain and background noise present over the entire picture. Additionally, minor blocking and occasional banding find their way into the image, but never at a distracting level. Detail is rather strong throughout; close-ups of instrument panels reveal easily-read lettering, while uniform patches and faces sport fair texturing. The image is disappointingly flat, but that's not surprising considering the movie's age and budget. Colors are fairly reproduced, perhaps a bit dim but seemingly accurate to the source. Black levels are generally strong, never becoming too overpowering of on-screen details, while flesh tones retain normal shading throughout. Galaxy of Terror isn't going to win transfer of the year honors, but it's a strong presentation when judged on its own merits.

Galaxy of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Galaxy of Terror features a pretty low-rent lossless soundtrack; the DTS-HD MA 2.0 presentation gets the job done on a basic level but goes no further, no doubt thanks to the film's budget and not Shout!'s efforts. This one sports aggressive volume at reference levels, maybe in an effort to hide the absence of a more spacious presentation, but the fact remains that rarely does the track stretch its legs and move away from the center speaker. There's a cramped, confined feel to the entire thing; dialogue is harsh and unbalanced, while sound effects are generated at a thunderous level but lack anything resembling clarity and realism. Sound effects are also absent balance; alarms, beeps, rocket engines, and gun blasts all seem to emante from the center channel at the same volume. Galaxy of Terror doesn't sound good by any means, but this is still probably pretty close to the best presentation possible.

Galaxy of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Galaxy of Terror debuts on Blu-ray with a supplemental section that's dominated by a lengthy six-part documentary entitled Tales From the Lumber Yard: The Making of 'Galaxy of Terror' (1080p, 1:02:54). This is a fascinating piece that begins with Roger Corman speaking on the state of the low-budget film industry in the 1970s. It moves on to examine Galaxy of Terror's story and themes and the history of the production, including the casting process, what the actors brought to their roles, shooting locations and set construction, James Cameron's work on the film, creature and special effects design, the work that goes on in post-production, and the picture's legacy. Frankly, this documentary proves more engaging than the movie itself and is alone worth the price of admission. Next is an audio commentary track with Actress Taaffe O'Connell, Makeup Artist Allan Apone, Prosthetics Fabricator Alec Gillis, and Production Assistant David DeCoteau. DeCoteau serves as moderator and leads an impressive track that's lively and informative; the participants cover a broad range of information while doing so in a lighthearted tone and a fast pace that altogether make this commentary well worth a listen. The disc also includes a pop-up trivia track, five photo galleries -- Behind the Scenes, Background Plates, Storyboards & Sketches, Lobby Cards & Posters, and Scrapbook Pictures -- and the film's original screenplay in PDF format, accessible through computers with Blu-ray drives. Also included in the Blu-ray case is a 12-page, full-color booklet that features the essay "Marooned on the Planet of Horrors" and reversible cover art.

Galaxy of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For a movie called Galaxy of Terror, there really aren't all that many scares; the scariest part of the movie is just how painfully repetitive it is. There's not much here beyond a fairly random collection of characters getting knocked off as they wander around, and even though the movie tries to explore some deeper and darker psychological elements, it just never works quite as well as it should. Galaxy of Terror isn't quite gory enough to satisfy hardcore genre fans, and it's not smart enough to be more than B-level schlock. Galaxy of Terror is a strange little production that's best remembered for its worm-on-girl rape scene and surprisingly diverse collection of name actors, including Ray Walston, Robert Englund, Sid Haig, and Taaffe O'Connell. Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release delivers a strong 1080p transfer and a hefty selection of extras, but like Forbidden World, the disc is absent a superior soundtrack. No matter; fans definitely need to pick this one up, and for everyone else that's brave enough to check out Forbidden World, this makes for a nice companion piece as part of a trashy Sci Fi/Horror double feature. Recommended.