Another low rent science fiction from the Robert Emenegger/Allan Sandler team. This one was produced by Anne Spielberg and features Camille Mitchell instead of her dad Cameron, who appeared in other films from the same team. It's actually one of the better Emenegger sci-fi movies I've seen, purely because the campy, low budget nature of the production somehow works in the film's favour for a change.
The plot is a simple one which is quite reminiscent of modern-day horror fare: a group of strangers are captured by psychedelic aliens and experimented upon. A lot of the running time consists of their attempts to escape with the threat of medical surgery and worse hanging over them. In this respect it's a bit like a sci-fi version of a SAW film or maybe CUBE, although of course the script is nowhere near as intelligent.
The film features a leading role for action man Martin Kove, best known for his turn as the bad guy in THE KARATE KID. The special effects are unforgettable, particularly those 'glitter ball' alien costumes which reminded me of some of the trashy Italian gems that were being made during the same period. LABORATORY is a bad film for sure but somehow it keeps you watching and feels quite compelling in places.
