From the Vault: Queen of Blood

So I present to you, From the Depths of the Vault...

Queen of Blood. (1966)

When you read the synopsis it seems like the movie might be kind of sweet.

"It's the year 1990 and scientists receive a distress call from an alien spaceship that has crash-landed on Mars. Dr Farraday (Rathbone) decides to send a team of astronauts, including Allan Brenner (Saxon) and Paul Grant (Hopper), on a rescue mission. On the planet, they discover just one survivor. This green-skinned alien is brought aboard, but when one man is attacked and drained of his blood, the survivors are soon racing home, before they too become victim to the bloodsucker."

Lets see here...

1. Space
2. Aliens
3. Vampires
4. Denis Hopper
5. Basil Rathbone

I think everyone has encountered Hopper at some point and its really cool to see a young Hopper in this role. John Saxon also has a sizeable role in the movie. Most people will recognize him from his role as Roper in the CLASSIC Enter the Dragon. Honestly, I picked the movie out because it has Basil Rathbone who I know from his spot on performance as Sherlock Holmes. And really, hes probably miscast here but hes just so respectable that you dont really mind.

Straight up, I think this movie was pretty poor. I thought the acting was flat, the scenes seemed oddly paced, and it dragged. The whole "Queen of Blood" part of the movie took a lone time to even enter the movie and it was probably the best part. The special effects are dated of course but they fit the whole atmosphere of the movie I think. The real shortcoming of the movie is the total lack of tension. There really isnt the sense of dread of whats coming next or doubt that everything is going to be ok.

The plot on paper is very interesting though and somehow familiar yet when it unfolds its seems totally new. And when I went to pull up the trailer off YouTube and it becomes clear why.

watchthemagicpumpkin: Anyone else catch how blatantly the makers of Alien ripped this thing off 13 years later?

Yeah, it is the Alien plot in essence. No wonder. People in space encounter shipwreck, shipwreck houses antagonistic alien presence, terror ensures. Thats the part of the movie that works, it just takes way too long to get there. However, the ending is great and totally sets up a sequel which I might talk about in another R+R.

And I dont know what they are talking about, the Queen of Blood wasnt hideous. She was fine. Damn fine. Me and Jim Kirk would be fighting over that green ass. The just took a fine czech girl and painted her green. So shes green and fine? Im cool with that.