Planet of the Vampires

(1965) Directed by Mario Bava; Written by Ib Melchior, Alberto Bevilacqua, Callisto Cosulich, Mario Bava, Antonio Roman, Rafael J. Salvia, and Louis M. Heyward (English version); Screen Story by Ib Melchior Based on the short story “One Night of 21 Hours”: by Renato Pestriniero; Starring: Barry Sullivan, Norma Bengell, Ángel Aranda, Evi Marandi, Franco Andrei and Federico Boiso; Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Rating: ***½

“Do you know what that mysterious planet in Terrore nello Spazio was made of? … A couple of plastic rocks – and I mean ‘two’: one and one! – that were left over from some mythological picture made at Cinecittà. To assist the illusion, I had to fill the set with fog!” – Mario Bava 

“I'll tell you this, if there are any intelligent creatures on this planet... they're our enemies.” – Captain Mark Markary (Barry Sullivan)

Mario Bava had a knack for making low-budget movies look much more expensive than they really were. Undoubtedly, his prior experience as a cinematographer informed his directorial decisions, regarding the film’s appearance with a critical eye. Planet of the Vampires (aka: Terrore nello Spazio), a co-production with American International Films, is no exception, with imagery that could have been in a multi-million-dollar Hollywood production, instead of a movie made for a scant $200,000. Reflecting the international flavor of the production, Planet of the Vampires* boasted an international cast, including American actor Barry Sullivan,** his Brazilian co-star Norma Bengell, Spanish actor Ángel Aranda, and a host of Italian performers. The title (imposed by American International) is a misnomer, since there are no vampires in the film. As many have pointed out, a more accurate title would have been Planet of the Zombies, although in all fairness, either title indicates the sci-fi/horror hybrid that we’re about to see. 

* Fun Fact #1: Before it was known as Planet of the Vampires (or its Italian moniker, Terrore nello Spazio), the film’s title went through multiple iterations, including: Planet of Terror, The Shadow World (Bava’s preferred title), The Haunted World, The Outlaw Planet, The Warlords of the Outlaw Planet, and The Warlords of Planet 7. 

** Fun Fact #2: Mario Bava was reportedly unhappy with AIP’s insistence on casting 53-year-old Barry Sullivan, whom he considered too old for the lead role.

Two spaceships, the Argos and Galliot, answer a distress call from an alien planet. After Captain Markary (Barry Sullivan) loses contact with the Galliot, he and his crew land on the fog-shrouded planet.* But from the moment Markary and his team touch down on the barren, mist-covered wasteland, there seems to be a malevolent intelligence guiding their actions, prompting fear, anger and belligerence between the astronauts. The crew members manage to rein in their impulses long enough to investigate the condition of the Galliot and its occupants, only to discover that their counterparts are dead, including Markary’s brother. The corpses are buried, but to Argos crew’s horror they begin to reanimate, propelled by an unseen force. Before too long, the Argos crew begin to experience the fate of their sister ship, with confusion, violence, and death. Looking for answers, Markary launches an investigation of a nearby ancient alien spacecraft. They explore the derelict spaceship, discovering its fossilized pilot within, along with a voice recording from countless centuries ago.** Markary soon learns about the invisible alien intelligence that first lured the abandoned ship, along with the Gallion – a dying race known as the Aurans. Living on a different plane of existence, they embed their consciousness in the living or dead. Led by Markary, the dwindling crew of the Argos attempt to fend off their zombie comrades and Aurans long enough to escape the planet. 

* Fun Fact #3: The landing scene was shot in an aquarium filled with water. Colored chemicals were added to the water to simulate dust clouds. 

** Fun Fact #4: Bava and crew cobbled together many of the set pieces from found objects. One piece of “alien” equipment in the derelict spacecraft was the taillight from a 1956 Clipper (Packard). 

Over the ensuing decades, there’s been debate ad nauseam about how Planet of the Vampires inspired Alien,* but little agreement about how much was lifted from the original film. After years of dancing around the subject, Alien scribe Dan O’Bannon later confessed that the derelict spacecraft and its skeletal pilot provided the idea for the latter film’s “space jockey” sequence. Director Ridley Scott, on the other hand, adamantly denied he ever saw Bava’s film. Whatever extent was copied or who allegedly saw what, it’s safe to say that Planet of the Vampires’ DNA is in Alien. But that doesn’t necessarily imply that Alien is a “rip-off,” if we look at the history of movies (especially genre films) as a continuum, consciously and unconsciously recycling specific themes and imagery. Both Planet of the Vampires and Alien differ significantly enough in most respects to ensure that seeing one doesn’t guarantee you’ve already watched the other. 

* Fun Fact #5: While there’s much open to debate, there is one indisputable link between the two films. The 20-inch model ship (used for both Argos and Galliot) was fabricated for the shoot by effects maestro Carlo Rambaldi, also responsible for constructing the xenomorph for Alien (1979). 

Although few would attest that Planet of the Vampires is a paragon of performances, plotting, or story, few would deny it’s a great looking film. The costume design for the Argos crew is particularly memorable, with their black, high-collared uniforms that exude a cold, authoritarian appearance. The spacecraft are filled with cavernous gothic spaces – impractical where room would be at a premium, but effective from an artistic standpoint (if you think of the Argos and Galliot as flying castles, not scientifically accurate spaceship designs). Likewise, the surface of the planet takes on an unworldly aura, with its tentacle-shaped rock formations on the surface of the planet appear to have been alive at one time. The pervasive unsettling atmosphere running throughout the film reaches its apex in a scene when the reanimated corpses of several crew members rise from their graves, covered in ghostly plastic shrouds. 

The restored print is lovely to behold, with its saturated colors and noirish shadows (red and green gels create an eerie, atmospheric look). It’s easy to appreciate Mario Bava’s eye for aesthetics and endless ingenuity, making Planet of the Vampires look like an expensive production, despite using mostly in-camera effects. It’s unfortunate that the same attention wasn’t applied to other aspects of the production. Considering the number of screenwriters associated with the movie, the film is noticeably thin in the characterization and dialogue. Characters exist to move the plot along, but accomplish little else, with few standouts in the performances. Barry Sullivan looks suitably authoritative as the commander, however, and co-star Norma Bengell manages to bring glamour and gravitas to her somewhat underwritten role. Ultimately, I admire the film more than love it, but in the same breath can’t deny its impact on the genre. Faults be damned, it just looks cool, and few have done it as well as Mario Bava. Planet of the Vampires is a master class on doing more with less, and one of the most notable Italian sci-fi films of all time. 

 

Sources for this article: Radiance Blu-ray commentary by Tim Lucas; “Mario Bava’s Chthulucene - Terrore nello Spazio (Planet of the Vampires) from H.P. Lovecraft to Donna Haraway,” by Alessandro Brunazzo, Science Fiction Film and Television (Volume 16, Issues1-2, 2023)