Transformations Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Transformations Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 20, 2016

“Alien 3” is largely credited as the definitive AIDS allegory buried within a sci-fi tale, but 1988’s “Transformations” beat it to the punch by a few years. A Charles Band production, directed by Jay Kamen, the feature isn’t a subtle creation, liberally mixing sex and death to secure a horror event with real-world inspiration, delivering a tale of viral menace that’s perfectly in step with a paranoid decade. “Transformations” is an obviously budget-minded effort with limited resources to work with, but to Kamen’s credit, he delivers an adequate punch with this ridiculous movie, happily serving up exploitation elements while trying to keep control of the narrative, which doesn’t always follow through on initial promises of alien terror.

In the future, rogue smuggler Wolf (Rex Smith) is traveling through the galaxy, about to complete his latest mission. Entering hypersleep for a short time, Wolf is awakened by what he thinks is the birthday gift of a prostitute (Pamela Prati), but turns out to be a hideous alien. Left satisfied but baffled after their bedroom antics, Wolf has little time to process the experience, with his ship making an emergency landing on Hephaestos IV, a prison mining colony housing the worst of the worst. Placed in the care of Miranda (Lisa Langlois), the local doctor and a lifelong resident, Wolf processes his new surroundings, hoping to make a quick exit. Warden Kane (Donald Hodson) isn’t ready to let Wolf go, while Miranda develops feelings for her patient, hoping he can take her with him. However, before a takeoff can be organized, Wolf is hit by what appears to be a terrible skin disease, spreading his infection to all the humans and aliens he seduces on the planet. Trouble also arrives with Antonia (Cec Verrell), Stephens (Michael Hennessy), and Calihan (Christopher Neame), three prisoners looking to steal Wolf’s ship for a prison escape.

It’s actually a minor miracle that Kamen could do anything with “Transformations,” which looks just about as cheap as a movie can get, with recycled sets and futuristic touches that seem borrowed from a local PBS station’s control room. Special effects are actually lifted from the Roger Corman library, which manages to give the film a little breathing room, but there’s no consistency with spaceships or planet environments, with the producers randomly using whatever they needed to fill the transitions. Actually, for no-budget fans, there are some amusing visual gaps to spot, while Corman fanatics should have fun picking out what productions “Transformations” is pinching from to create a passable space opera.

It’s not a major motion picture, but “Transformations” noticeably fights creative disaster, which is a nice change of pace for this style of entertainment. Kamen does what he can with the raw ingredients, dealing with a stiff lead actor in Smith, who doesn’t seems particularly interested in communicating Wolf’s vulnerabilities, instead making him a cold, predatory lady killer with little redemptive qualities, forcing Langlois (who’s far more appealing) to carry the film’s sampling of tragedy. Kamen inches the effort away from becoming another “Alien” clone, moving it into more of a “Beauty and the Beast” tribute, laboring to secure the characters’ romantic intentions. The supporting cast isn’t helpful, but there’s a bright spot in Patrick Macnee, who portrays a priest especially sensitive to evil, recognizing Wolf’s plight from previous experiences. He’s the dollop of British professionalism “Transformations” needs to emerge with a dented sense of regality, slipping right back into crude theatrics once the countdown to escape begins.

There’s so much silliness to “Transformations,” and the picture isn’t kind to basic logic requirements, finding Wolf conveniently inattentive to the initial monster transformation occurring during sex, while the character also doesn’t seem particularly bothered by his own rotting, pus-dripping wounds, carrying on with various women as he deteriorates in front of everyone. Of course, the alien plague is basically the spread of AIDS, but “Transformation” doesn’t linger on anything long enough to encourage bad taste, instead using the disease as inspiration for a sci-fi chiller, replacing agony with stupidity, buttressed by plenty of goopy make-up effects, topless women, and mild action.

Transformations Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For a no-budget, largely forgotten chiller, "Transformations" is impressively handled on Blu-ray. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is bright and fresh, securing a terrific level of detail that permits viewers to study the feature's limited scope, recycling of sets, make-up achievements, and general thespian reaction. Textures are satisfactory overall, with specific attention to goopy alien particulars and costuming. Colors are bold and secure, with clean primaries that accentuate the sets, while ample skintones are natural and welcoming. Grain is managed to satisfaction, providing a filmic viewing experience. Delineation is crisp and communicative. Source is unnervingly clean, with no overt damage points. Recycled Corman footage is inherently ratty and, at the 51:00 mark, freezes three times, emphasizing how little care went into the final edit of the effort.

Transformations Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD sound mix delivers a crisp viewing event for "Transformations," leading with the excitable score, which arrives with enjoyable instrumentation and support, capturing the adventurous mood of the picture. Dialogue exchanges are direct and true, without distortion, only limited by sloppy dubbing (which is easily detected throughout). Atmospherics are acceptable for this style of entertainment, offering echoed environments and community bustle, while sound effects are nicely sharp and monstrous.

Transformations Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Jay Kamen.

• Interview (10:32, HD) with Lisa Langlois is a brief examination of production problems, with the actress still amazed that director Kamen was treated so poorly by the crew and select members of the cast, professing her admiration for the beleaguered helmer. A short career overview is also included, with Langlois sharing thoughts on "Class of 1984" and "Happy Birthday to Me," while promising a return to acting, counting on support from social media.

• Interview (9:35, HD) with Kamen is an animated conversation with the director, who recalls the immediate struggles of making "Transformations" in Rome, without an English-speaking crew and any type of workable budget. Kamen seems amazed that the feature is still around in 2016, detailing his struggles with Smith (who wouldn't cooperate or even read the script) and the weirdness of the final cut, which isn't his own. Kamen's a wonderfully entertaining interviewee with plenty to share about "Transformations," with his frustrations evolving into amusing anecdotes and riveting first-time filmmaker horror stories.

• A Trailer has not been included.

Transformations Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kamen, who never directed another feature film, doesn't weave magic with "Transformations," but there's effort, with the production working up a sweat to make a single hallway look like a maze and Smith heroic. Although basic rubber appliances can only reach so far, the helmer keeps alien encounters icky, while metamorphosis sequences are enjoyably low-fi, mostly achieved through edits. "Transformations" certainly isn't a good movie (it's way too scattered and unfinished to be considered quality), it manages to be enjoyable with lowered expectations, with a steady pace and short run time (the production pads the picture like crazy) to help ease the viewing experience, while salacious details are always engaging. Perhaps the endeavor is best reserved for those with unique patience for cheesy cinema, with this tale of an intergalactic viral outbreak hanging on to coherency and stability by its fingertips.