Atomic_Brain

Yes, Laserblast is more fun than ten Star Wars, and was made for a fraction of the cost of that bloated, self-important corporate behemoth. This lovably awful film actually works because of all the elements conspiring to bring it to life. In a sense, everything is wrong with this movie, but it is just that angle which makes it so entertaining. Like Night of the Ghouls, Manos, the Hands of Fate or The Atomic Brain, Laserblast is so incredibly wrong it becomes instantly "right." Although the film has been compared to everything from Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde to the Death Wish films, it more resembles a male version of Carrie, in that a troubled teen uses "magical" powers to defeat his enemies.

Kim Milford is seriously bizarre as our leading man Billy Duncan, but in this case, a film like Laserblast actually needs a weird leading man. Cheryl Smith is hilarious in a thankless role as Billy's girlfriend, who looks seriously confused about her place in the scenario. There is also a mysterious government man, whose role is never clearly explained, and a couple of bumbling cops, obligatory for this kind of drive-in romp. Keenan Wynn is terrific as a crazed ex-military man, and Roddy McDowall is strong as a concerned doctor - both of these "star names" worked one day each on their scenes, and the results are exceptional.

F/X work throughout is perfect in a B-Movie way. The model spaceship is way cool, but the titular laser-gun is in some ways the star of the show - a hilariously ugly assemblage of various junk store parts, well in keeping with the no-budget flavor of this fun film. As Billy waves this top-heavy prop around in some sort of convulsive trance, you cannot but help think of it as some sort of fanciful phallic symbol, representing both Billy's sexual awakening, and moral downfall.

Dave Allen's animated aliens are incredible, adorable creatures, and every scene with them raises Laserblast to instant cult classic level. Steve Neill's over-the-top makeup for Billy is also perfect, in that it is so outrageous, it greatly magnifies the dreamy "pulp fiction" spirit of the piece; Billy "possessed" looks like a cross between The Incredible Hulk and Bruce Campbell on a bad day! There's also lots of exploding cars, beautifully filmed and repeated in almost fetishistic fashion - a 70s drive-in staple, done well here.

The plot itself is thin as gossamer, and the plot-holes too numerous to mention, but that is just fine for this kind of weird escapist fantasy which - ideally - shouldn't make too much sense. On the downside, the score by Joel Goldsmith and Richard Band is horrible, amatuer synthesizer garbage - spending another penny on a real music score would have made Laserblast a perfect drive-in legend! Also, Eddie Deezen is one of the most irritating actors on the planet - every time he comes on screen, you may get a rash.

But you have to take the good with the bad with these B-movies, and the good (and weird) far outweighs the bad. As stupid as Laserblast is as "serious" science fiction, it is sheer joy as pure escapist entertainment - and I hope we all went to the movies in the 1970s to just have fun? You have to thank Star Wars in a way, because that obese franchise did give birth to so many wonderful rip-offs and knock-offs, such as Laserblast, The Humanoid, Star Crash, Message From Space, Yor: Hunter from the Future, Starship Invasions, Galaxy of Terror, and all those Italian Star Wars clones with the interchangeable names.

PS: This terrific blast from the past also reminded me of Equinox, for some reason - another drive-in legend.