Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		2.5

Inseminoid Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 29, 2020

Note: This version of this film is available as part of Bloody Terror: The Shocking Cinema of Norman J Warren, 1976-1987.

It might be an interesting bi-continental quiz to ask film fans in the United Kingdom if they recognize the name Herschell Gordon Lewis, while at the same time asking film fans in the United States if they recognize the name Norman John Warren. My hunch (and it’s only a hunch) is that Lewis might fare a bit better than Warren (meaning at least in part that British cineastes might be more globally aware than Americans), but that said, the two men are at least passingly comparable in that each offered exploitation outings that tended to feature both scantily clad (and sometimes naked) women and horror elements in about equal measure. Arrow released the massive The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast* a few years ago which aggregated a bunch of Lewis’ films (there are other compilations available, including The Lost Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis* and Shock and Gore: The Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis*), and now Powerhouse Films’ Indicator imprint has aggregated a quintet of Warren films to whet fans’ appetites. As with some of Lewis’ efforts, the Warren films are often low budget affairs, but they arguably tend to be a cut above (no gore pun intended) some of Lewis’ films in terms of general production values and even performance acumen. All five films in this set have either already received Blu-ray releases in the United States, or are about to as this review goes live (in the case of Inseminoid), but Powerhouse's website lists this set as offering debuts of the films on Blu-ray for the United Kingdom market.

* Note: The links points to United States releases since there are reviews for some of those which some readers might be interested in perusing, though there are UK releases of both The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast and Shock and Gore: The Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis.

Those who have been reading the reviews of the various films in the Norman J. Warren set “in order” may wonder which film Inseminoid is reminiscent of, since, as has already been documented in the Satan's Slave Blu-ray review, Prey Blu-ray review and Terror Blu-ray review, Warren and his creative team seemed particularly adept at “lifting” certain elements from other, arguably much better known, films. In this case, it’s the Alien franchise that is at least passingly referenced (and some less charitable types might feel is overtly stolen from), though, as has been the case in some of the other Warren films in this set, there are additional elements that are somewhat reminiscent of other properties, in this case a “demon child” aspect that might obviously recall Rosemary's Baby, though perhaps in a different way than Warren’s Satan’s Slave did.

Rather interestingly, and perhaps saliently, Inseminoid boasts one of the legendary Shaw Brothers as a producer (though there’s absolutely none of traditional Shaw Brothers content here), and perhaps due to that, this film seems to have had a relatively more resplendent budget than many of Warren’s films. That leads to above average (if still kind of cheesy looking) special effects, and a probably more noted cast than is typically in a Warren film, including Judy Geeson as Sandy, an astronaut who has a very close encounter with an insect-like alien, leading to all sorts of havoc being wreaked, including defensive maneuvers that may strike some as not so subliminally misogynistic. Also in the cast are Stephanie Beacham and Victoria Tennant.

As this review is being published, the U.S. release of Inseminoid is the sole entry from this set that doesn't yet have an official review.

Inseminoid Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Inseminoid is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Powerhouse Films' Indicator imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Powerhouse Films provided only check discs for the purposes of this review, with no supporting documentation, so I'm not privy to any verbiage that might be included in an insert booklet, but their website has the same generic "2K restoration, newly supervised and approved by director Norman J Warren" listed under its breakdown for every film in this set. This is a very appealing looking transfer for the most part, though grain can be quite thick in the effects sequences (as in the opening quasi-montage). That said, while heavy at times, grain resolves surprisingly well in the many very dark scenes in the cave environment, some of them which are moodily fog or mist enshrouded as well. Those scenes are dark almost by default, and while shadow detail isn't always perfectly optimal, there's often very nice depth to the image and some of the Argento-esque lighting choices like some very deeply vivid red hues pop extremely well. Several brief interstitials of the planet or explorers can be bathed in blue or pink, something that can perhaps work against fine detail levels, but which continue this presentation's generally very nicely suffused look. Almost all of the material "up top" (i.e., not in the caves where much of the film takes place) looks really nicely warm, with excellent general and fine detail levels. There is occasional crush in some dark scenes, and there's one short sequence starting at circa 54:25 that look just a bit rougher than the bulk of the presentation. My score is 4.25.

Inseminoid Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Inseminoid features an LPCM Mono track that is decently robust, offering good support for another electronic score (this one featuring lots of brass patches and an occasional clarinet sound). Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout, and some of the sound effects work is properly reverberent. There's good delineation in the many scenes where some characters are speaking through communication devices in spacesuits and others are speaking "live".

Inseminoid Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Norman J. Warren and Gary White


• The BEHP Interview Part Two (1080p; 1:09:20) continues the British Entertainment History Project interview conducted by Martin Sheffield in 2018 which was begun as one of the supplements on Prey .


• Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films Interview (1080p; 1:01:50) is a 2011 interview with Norman J. Warren.


• Subterranean Universe (720p; 44:46) is an archival making of featurette.


• Alien Encounter (1080p; 6:02) is an interview with Trevor Thomas.


• Electronic Approach (720p; 13:10) is another appealing piece featuring composer John Scott.


• Trailers and TV Spot

  Theatrical Trailer #1 (1080p; 2:13)

  
  

  Theatrical Trailer #2 (1080p; 1:47)

  
  

  Theatrical Trailer #3 (1080p; 1:02)

  
  

  French Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:28)

  
  

  Horror Planet Teaser Trailer (1080p; 00:31)

  
  

  TV Spot (1080p; 00:31)

• Image Gallery (1080p)

Powerhouse provided only check discs for purposes of this review, but from their listing on their website this looks like another typically very handsomely packaged release which includes a slipbox and insert booklets.

Inseminoid Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Inseminoid is one of Warren's more interesting efforts from a stylistic standpoint (some of the lighting choices here are as Argento-esque as anything he did in the reportedly Suspiria inspired Terror), but the film simply can't help but seem like a retread of Alien. Technical merits are solid and the supplementary package outstanding for those considering a purchase.