Dark Universe

Wow. I knew exactly what I was getting into. I love bad horror/sci-fi movies (well, definitely not ALL of them..) but this sucked. A few amusing bits of bad acting stand out amidst a backdrop of low, LOW budget "action." I guess there's a couple decent bits of nudity, and having the monster be named "Steve" is kinda funny. The lack of special effects at the film's start was nearly unbearable. The sad thing is I've seen stuff that's a hundred times worse. MST could've worked wonders.....

An astronaut gets infected by space spores and turns into one of the stupidest looking creatures I have ever seen.His spaceship crashes in a Florida swamp and the monster quickly begins killing people.There are some hilarious moments in this piece of utter garbage like the attack of armadillo or a worm bursting out of some idiot's neck.There is a decent amount of gore,but the film lacks any scares and features almost no nudity.The plot is bland and the final showdown with an alien is so utterly ridiculous that it defies description.I have seen plenty of awful Z-grade horror flicks in my time and "Dark Universe" is among the worst.It truly reeks.2 out of 10.

Dark Universe (1993)

* (out of 4)

Silly direct-to-video release about a space shuttle on its way back to Earth but it runs into an issue and crashes in the Everglades. The one astronaut on board turns into a murderous monster and it's just in time for a reporter, a swamp guide and others to come wondering out there. DARK UNIVERSE is a really, really bad movie but thankfully there are some pretty campy moments that make it worth watching for those who enjoy sitting through awful movies. If you're looking for any type of story, acting, directing or heartbreaking drama then you're going to be highly disappointed. There's really nothing "good" going on with this film but there are a few funny moments and it's too bad there weren't more of these. If I had to shine a spotlight on a highlight it would probably be the monster outfit. It's a clear rip-off of ALIEN and it's a wonder that the filmmakers here weren't sued because the similarities are incredibly strong. I did like the monster enough even though there were times where it seemed like it had no mobility to move around or do anything. The black tar look isn't the most original out there but it did lead to a couple good and gory kill scenes. The rest of the film is pretty much flat, boring and lifeless. Joe Estevez has a brief role as the guy leading up the space mission but even he can't save this thing. The rest of the performers aren't the greatest in the world but they're pretty much what you expect in a movie like this. At least a couple of them got naked. DARK UNIVERSE certainly isn't a movie that's going to appeal to many as most are going to hate it with a passion. If you like ultra low-budget, bad movies then you might want to give it a rental.

Director Steve Latshaw (BIOHAZARD) presents another clusterfudge production. DARK UNIVERSE begins with the crash-landing of a spacecraft in the swampland of Florida. Unfortunately, the ship's occupant, Steve, has been infected by alien spores, which transform him into a hideous monster. Now, the creature-formerly-known-as-Steve, must roam the Earth looking like a burnt sausage with teeth.

The throwaway plot involves a team sent in to locate the fallen craft. Their journey is intercut by the deaths of various swamp-billies. Containing one of the most annoying casts of numbskulls ever assembled, one only hopes for their quick departure at the claws of the lumbering meatloaf. Alas, the characters live far too long, speaking endlessly.

The quality of acting ranges from wooden to petrified dog flop. If you are a sub-sludge film afficionado, you've just hit the mother lode! So, buckle up and get ready for a spin down the drivel drain!

THIS FILM FEATURES: Topless females, orange goo, and a killer armadillo!

For added misery, Joe Estevez is also -barely- in this mess...

I've always enjoyed the laughable schlock that Joe Estevez does, and was disappointed that even though he got top billing he was a rather minor character. Some may poke fun at Joe's talents, but he's done over a hundred films so far and he's far more likeable than his equally pudgy, self-righteous commie brother, Martin Sheen.

MST3K could have done wonders with this one, but with a few witty friends and enough beer or dried vegetable matter to go around it could still be entertaining --- just don't even THINK of this as an actual movie!

I'd give it a star or two for some nice fleeting breasts, and an extra one for the most hilarious, faked-up special effects since the old Buck Rogers serials. The monster is definite proof that at some point Barney mated with "Alien." You can almost hear it singing, "I love you, you love me, let's terrorize the community!"