In 1986, Charles Band had a concept for a film called Shoot to Kill, a science-fiction/western mix. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t made after Empire Pictures went bankrupt years later, but Band carried it over to Full Moon. In the early 90s, Band shot several movies in Romania, including Subspecies, Mandroid, Trancers 4 and 5, and Lurking Fear. Seeing the potential, Band and cinematographer turned producer Vlad Paunescu established Castel Film Productions due to the inexpensive costs. For their first project, Band decided to resurrect the Shoot to Kill idea and hired comic book writer Peter David. Initially, Jeff Burr was set to direct before being replaced by Sam Irvin, who previously worked as Brian DePalma’s assistant. With a reported budget of $2.5 million, this was going to be one of Full Moon’s most ambitious films. While intended for a theatrical release, Oblivion hit video store shelves in late 1994.
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Synopsis
In 3031, on a remote planet, the alien outlaw Red Eye (Andrew Divoff) invades the Old West-style town of Oblivion. He challenges the town marshal, Zed Stone (Mike Genovese), to a duel, only to cheat and kill Stone. Red Eye and his goons – Lash (Musetta Vander), Bork (Irwin Keyes), and Wormhole (Frank Roman) – take over the town. Elsewhere, the marshal’s son Zack (Richard Joseph Paul) rescues a native named Buteo (Jimmie F. Skaggs) from a giant scorpion. Unfortunately, Zack learns of his father’s death from the local undertaker, Mr. Gaunt (Carel Struycken), and attends the funeral. Despite the outcries from the townsfolk, Zack abhors violence due to being an empath and refuses to confront Red Eye. However, when Red Eye and his gang kidnap Buteo, Zack decides to face his fears and rescue him. It’s high noon in outer space as cowboys and aliens go toe-to-toe in Oblivion!
Review
Oblivion is a fun genre mash-up showing what Full Moon could do with a sizable budget. For one, the cast is to die for, with names like Andrew Divoff, Meg Foster, Isaac Hayes, and Julie Newmar. Divoff, in particular, is having the time of his life playing the notorious reptilian outlaw Red Eye. Another highlight is George Takei as a drunken inventor who spouts off Star Trek quotes and is quite belligerent. There’s also Musetta Vander, who steals the show as Red Eye’s right-hand lady, Lash, who chews through the scenery. Admittedly, Richard Joseph Paul is a bit weak as the hero, but he does come through toward the end. Additionally, Jackie Swanson and Jimmie F. Skaggs come off as somewhat bland, though Skaggs at least has more to do. This is a movie where the villains are far more interesting than the heroes.
Many of the costumes and sets may look cheap, but by Full Moon standards, this is a big-budget blockbuster. The blending of Old West and modern-day technology is a nice melding that helps it stand out from other westerns. Sam Irvin manages to stage some exciting action sequences, and Peter David’s script is filled with great gags. One joke that stands out is when Zack gives an emotional speech at his father’s funeral during bingo night. There’s also some excellent stop-motion animation from the late David Allen, which is always a treat. It’s a shame this movie didn’t get a theatrical release because I could’ve seen it doing relatively well. Sure, it doesn’t stack up to 1994’s The Lion King or Forrest Gump, but it’s better than The Flintstones. Overall, Oblivion is a flawed but entertaining genre mash-up from Full Moon’s heyday.
Buy Oblivion on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AGm9LN.
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