After graduating from the American Film Institute, Allan Holzman got a job as an editor for New World Pictures. Working with B-movie kingpin Roger Corman, Holzman edited Candy Stripe Nurses, Crazy Mama, and Checkered Flag or Crash. Holzman wanted to direct despite having a terrible stutter, and he managed to convince Corman to give him a shot. Corman originally suggested making Lawrence of Arabia in space but instead asked Holzman to rip off Alien to save money. Galaxy of Terror had finished shooting, and Corman was impressed with the set, so he kept it for this project. Holzman hired his girlfriend Susan Justin for the soundtrack, and future Charles Band regular John Carl Buechler handled the effects. The film was originally going to be called Mutant, but Corman decided to change the title at the last minute. Finally, the movie hit theaters in May 1982 as Forbidden World.
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Synopsis
While drifting through space, Officer Mike Colby (Jesse Vint) learns of a new assignment from his robot SAM-104 (Don Olivera). Their mission is to investigate a research facility in Xarbia, where an experimental lifeform got loose and attacked the staff. Colby meets the survivors, including research head Gordon Hauser (Linden Chiles) and his assistant Barbara Glaser (June Chadwick). The creature wrapped itself in a cocoon after killing some of the research team, so Colby wants to kill it. However, Hauser tells him not to terminate the creature and remains secretive about what happened, much to everyone’s dismay. One day, lab technician Jimmy Swift (Michael Bowen) gets killed by the beast, and it sabotages their communication equipment. As more people get picked off, Colby learns more about the experiment and its method of consuming people. With the body count rising, who will be able to survive this forbidden world?
Review
Compared to Corman’s other space movies around this time, Forbidden World is one of the oddest. The tone is all over the place, where sometimes it feels intentionally funny and other times unintentionally amusing. Granted, this is partly due to Corman not being happy with the more comedic moments and having those trimmed out. While the direction is relatively basic, Holzman keeps the pacing tight and shows plenty of potential for a first-time director. Jesse Vint is decent as the smooth leading man, bedding both women and creating a love triangle. June Chadwick and Dawn Dunlap are knock-outs who bare it all on more than one occasion. Character actor Fox Harris hams it up as the eccentric Dr. Cal Timbergen, who ends up helping defeat the monster. Linden Chiles comes off a bit wooden, but he makes for a good foil for Vint.
Susan Justin’s score helps this movie stand out, adding an off-kilter, punk rock vibe to the proceedings. Admittedly, it can be slightly overbearing at times, but it’s weird enough to stick with you after the movie. The creature’s design is relatively basic, but it works in its simplicity, essentially looking like a giant slug with teeth. In addition to Buechler, effects artist Mark Shostrom (The Beastmaster, Evil Dead 2, From Beyond) contributed to the film. They manage to create some gruesome set pieces, such as the creature’s death and the crew being half dissolved. At 77 minutes long, the movie goes by quickly, though there’s some padding to get it to feature-length. While it’s the least well-known of Corman’s space movies, it’s still a fun watch for genre enthusiasts. Overall, Forbidden World is a sleazy rip-off of a better film, but that makes it more enjoyable.
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