Mario Bava's Planet of the Vampires is one of the films credited as being a major influence on Ridley Scott's Alien (1979), and it's easy to see why: there are numerous scenes and elements that are very similar to those in Scott's movie (albeit with a distinct '60s Euro sci-fi flavour). Bava's movie isn't on a par with Alien in terms of overall quality-the movie suffers a little from its low budget and it treads water for a long while-but its sense of style and originality still makes it a lot of fun for those who enjoy retro sci-fi/horror.
The film starts as the crew of the spaceship Argos (a horseshoe shaped craft, much like the alien spaceship in Alien) approach the planet Aura having receiving a strange transmission (as in Alien). They land on the foggy surface of the planet (as in Alien) and are immediately gripped by a compulsion to attack each other. After this spate of craziness passes, the crew walk to their sister ship, the Galliot, which also landed on the planet, and find the crew dead. Further investigation of the surrounding area reveals the wreck of an alien ship (as in Alien) where they discover the giant skeletons of its extraterrestrial crew (as in Alien). Eventually, it transpires that the space signal intercepted by the Argos was sent by a dying race that seeks to inhabit any visitors unfortunate to land on their planet (parasitic creatures - Alien anyone?).
For all of their similarities, Bava's film couldn't be much more different to Alien in terms of style: whereas Scott's film aimed for a gritty sense of realism, Bava's is much more rooted in pulp sci-fi comics, with the strangely spacious spaceship Argus, its crew's snazzy uniforms (the collars and hoods are hilarious), lots of high tech equipment with flashing diodes, a bright colour palette, and strong use of light and shadow. The film also predates George Romero's Night of the Living Dead with the reanimated crew of the Galliot more akin to modern day zombies than vampires.
After quite a bit of filler, the surviving members of the Argus finally escape Aura, the film ending with a twist worthy of an episode of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone.
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for the tasty female crew members of the Argus, sexy redhead Sanya (Norma Bengell) and blonde hottie Tiona (Evi Marandi).
