Thursday, April 3, 2014

THE HUMANOID 1979 (SINISTER CINEMA)

More fun Italian sci-fi.

I waited 34 years to finally see this film and was no disappointed. I had read about it in issue one of Fangoria back in the summer of 1979 and it then disappeared.

Sinister Cinema has released a version taken from some TV broadcast and yes the quality and sound is beautiful. Many might consider this a bootleg and rightly so, but there are no US rights to the film and it will probably never be released here in the US on DVD. However, on to the film....

Richard Kiel is Golob, an intergalactic star pilot who is changed into a rampaging monster by an evil scientist who is helping a dark lord to overtake the Galaxy. One cannot help but be amused by Kiel roaring and grunting as he tears things apart with his bare hands while looking for victims.

Arthur Kennedy is Dr. Kraspin, the evil scientist, gorgeous Barbara Bach is Lady Agatha whom Kraspin keeps alive and young via a serum derived from living female victims, Corinne Clery is Barbara Gibson, a young woman whose father destroyed the career of Krispin and who Krispin now wants to kill. There is also an young Chinese boy named Tom Tom that has mystical powers and helps destroy Krispin's evil soldiers with he help of what appears to be two ghostly kabuki warriors.

This is a fun space opera loaded with goofy dialogue and lots of action. It is the third and final film that Kiel made with Bach. The others are "Force 10 From Navarone" and "The Spy Who Loved Me". I enjoyed it immensely and am very glad Sinister put it out.

If you're a fan of Italian space operas this is right up your alley. Recommended!

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