Forbidden World

Forbidden World isn't exactly a stellar film, but it sure is an entertaining one! This shameless Alien rip-off is packed to the brim with gore and nudity and never pretends to be more than just an hour and seventeen minutes of pure escapism.

For a low-budget movie, the research station set doesn't look bad at all. There might not be much more than a few corridors, some sleeping quarters, a sauna (yes, a sauna, guess why) and a laboratory, but it's quite an atmospheric place. Also, the practical effects are rather good, with bloody corpses that ooze slime from every pore and a shape-shifting monster (bearing more than a passing resemblance to Alien's Xenomorph) to admire. The catchy synth soundtrack is also worth mentioning.

If you're looking for a serious sci-fi horror movie, steer well clear of this film, but if you're in the mood for a bit of trashy fun, you could do a lot worse than Forbidden World!

Look. Don't expect top notch quality here. This is your typical straight to VHS shlock. I used to eat this kind of film up as a kid on Cinemax. To be honest, this type of filmmaking is hard to come by these days. The VHS/Rental store era was a special time. Shame that this isn't a thing anymore, and streaming sites are more concerned with ensuring top quality (or close to it) film fare. Do yourself a favor. If you come across these old Roger Corman productions, watch it. It may be tough sometimes, but the payoff is worth it.

The story concerns the efforts of Mike and his sidekick, SAM-104, an android(or robot, if you will) and their investigation of an experiment gone wrong on planet Xarbia. A group of scientists stationed on this planet are conducting experiments involving gene splicing in order to come up with a solution for a "galactic food crisis", that will supply the hungry masses(hey, it's a big galaxy out there!) Their solution? "Meet Subject 20..." Only Subject 20 is not in an inviting mood, as we are about to find out... What is the secret being kept from Mike by the scientists? What is Subject 20? How many times will Mike "get some"? (Couldn't resist!) To find out, see the film... If you are looking for cheese or horrible acting, see the latest films that take place in a galaxy far, far away. But if you are looking for a film where most of the actors seem to be having a great time with their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks(and Mike's planted in other places), not worrying about the pressures of a gazzillion dollar budget that still yields garbage, see this film. And yes, I do love this film. Enough to own multiple copies.... Did I mention that this film has two very sexy(June Chadwick and Dawn Dunlap) female scientists in it, hey, that ups the score right there! :)

Yet another cheap 'n cheesy early 80's "Alien" rip-off produced by Roger "King of the B's" Corman! This given alone is more than enough reason to proceed with caution and keep your expectations to a minimum. Then, during the opening credits sequence, your first impressions are most likely to seep to an even deeper level, as the first five minutes are a headache-inducing and utterly pointless compilation of confusing and hectic images that make no sense at all. But please do your best to struggle yourself through this crappy opening, because "Forbidden World" does eventually get interesting and worthwhile. Well, in all honesty … it's crap from start to finish! But hey, at least it's tremendously entertaining crap! We're in the darkest regions of outer space, somewhere in a distant future, but there's no menace of aliens this time. The cool-looking monster on the VHS cover is mankind's own little mistake-creation, spawned on a spaceship where the crew was actually trying to discover new types of food sources. Now they're up against a continuously growing monster that somehow understands English, yet dramatically misinterprets the meaning of the verb "co-exist". Lone space ranger Mike Colby (Jesse Vint) is called to the rescue, but he doesn't really contribute anything, except having sex with the female crew members on board. What a guy! Another scientist member of the expedition eventually comes up with an admittedly creative (but totally ludicrous) plan to destroy the monster. Naturally, I can't reveal anything about the denouement, but rest assured it's 100% original and hilarious. The cinematography is dreadfully dark and unclear, presumably to camouflage the ultra-cheap and tacky set pieces and make-up effects. The monster is very cool, though, and the killings are amusingly gross and bloody. The aforementioned "co-exist" scene truly priceless and any horror fan with a slight sense of humor will LOVE that moment. Alan Holzman didn't have any experience directing movies back in 1982, but he does a fairly adequate job and admirably prevents his cast from going over the top. Following good old Roger Corman traditions, there's some great sleaze and nudity to enjoy and also the dialogs are imbecilic but fun. Highly recommended in case you can tolerate B-movie cheapness.

FORBIDDEN WORLD shows us what Ridley Scott's ALIEN could have been, if only it had included: #1- A robot named Sam! #2- STAR WARS-like space dogfights! #3- Blazing hot, female space scientists! In dangerously tight pants and high heels! #4- A wacky, chain-smoking mad scientist in a perpetually bloody lab coat! #5- A maniacally mutating metamorph, spreading goo and strawberry jam! #6- Idiot victims! #7- Blazing hot, female scientists who decide that their clothing is far too confining! Except for sunglasses! #8- Monster attacks intercut with love scenes! #9- Blazing hot, female scientists brushing each other's hair! In a super-mod shower! #10- Heaps of pulsating glop! #11- Meatball surgery! #12- Sizzling hot, female scientists in mini-bathrobes!

Yes, if only ALIEN had used cool gimmicks like this, then it would have been..., well, this movie!

EXTRA POINTS FOR: #1- Slimy, dripping practical effects! #2- Tracy Baxter's (Dawn Dunlap) incessant screaming! No, really! Once she gets going, she wails on and on like a tea kettle on the boil!...