The Astro-Zombies

Last updated

The Astro-Zombies
The-astro-zombies-movie-poster-md.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ted V. Mikels
Screenplay by
Produced byTed V. Mikels
Starring
CinematographyRobert Maxwell
Edited byArt Names
Music byNico Karaski
Production
companies
  • Ram Ltd.
  • Ted V. Mikels Film Productions
Release date
  • May 1968 (1968-05)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$37,000
Box office$3 million+

The Astro-Zombies is a 1968 American science fiction horror film written, directed and produced by Ted V. Mikels, and starring John Carradine, Wendell Corey, and Tura Satana. [1]

Contents

Plot

Having been fired by the space agency, a disgruntled scientist creates superhuman monsters from the body parts of murder victims. The creatures eventually escape and go on a killing spree, attracting the attention of both an international spy ring and the CIA.

Cast

Production

Mikels said he started writing it when he made his first film, Strike Me Deadly . [2]

Produced by Ram Ltd. and Ted V. Mikels Film Production, The Astro-Zombies was filmed on a low budget of $37,000, with $3,000 of the budget used to pay Carradine. [1] [3] The film would be Mikels' last collaboration with Wayne M. Rogers (of later M*A*S*H fame), who also co-wrote and co-produced the film. [1] [4] [5]

Mikels remembers it as "a very easy shoot. I shot half of it myself because I only had money for a crew for two weeks, so I spent two weeks shooting all the stuff around town, all the chases and all that". [2]

The score was written by Nico Karaski, cinematography was handled by Robert Maxwell and editing by Art Names. [1]

Release and reception

The Astro-Zombies was released in May 1968, at a runtime of 94 minutes. [1]

Variety wrote: "There's almost nothing good to say for this horror scifier ... The scifi aspects don't enthrall and the thrill aspects don't shock". [6] Author and film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film the lowest possible rating of "Bomb", calling it "yet another nominee for worst picture of all time". [7] On his website Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings, Dave Sindelar called the film "wretched", criticizing the film's messy plot and "talky/dull" scenes. [8] TV Guide called the film "one of the all-time worst sci-fi pictures". [9]

In a retrospective review, David Cornelius of eFilmCritic.com gave the film 1 out of 5 stars, calling it the worst film ever made, and criticized the film's acting, its "painful-to-the-eyes production values", and the film's absence of reason. [10]

Sequels

Nearly 40 years after the film's release, Mikels would direct three low-budget sequels starting with 2004's Mark of the Astro-Zombies, 2010's Astro-Zombies M3: Cloned, and 2012's Astro-Zombies M4: Invaders from Cyberspace. Tura Satana would return for the second and third films but not the fourth.

Influence

American horror punk band the Misfits recorded a song titled "Astro Zombies", released on their 1982 album Walk Among Us . The lyrics, by frontman Glenn Danzig, were written from the perspective of mad scientist Dr. DeMarco. [11] The film was spoofed in 2016 by comedians Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy for Rifftrax. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tura Satana</span> Japanese American actress (1938–2011)

Tura Satana was a Japanese American actress, vedette, and exotic dancer. From 13 film and television credits, some of her work includes the exploitation film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), and the science fiction horror film The Astro-Zombies (1968).

<i>The Brain That Wouldnt Die</i> 1962 film by Joseph Green

The Brain That Wouldn't Die is a 1962 American science fiction horror film directed by Joseph Green and written by Green and Rex Carlton. The film was completed in 1959 under the working title The Black Door but was not theatrically released until May 3, 1962, under its new title as a double feature with Invasion of the Star Creatures.

<i>The Beast of Yucca Flats</i> 1961 film by Coleman Francies

The Beast of Yucca Flats is a 1961 B-movie horror film written and directed by Coleman Francis. It was produced by Anthony Cardoza, Roland Morin and Jim Oliphant.

<i>Night Monster</i> 1942 film by Ford Beebe

Night Monster is a 1942 American black-and-white horror film featuring Bela Lugosi and produced and distributed by Universal Pictures Company. The movie uses an original story and screenplay by Clarence Upson Young and was produced and directed by Ford Beebe. For box office value, star billing was given to Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill, but the lead roles were played by Ralph Morgan, Irene Hervey and Don Porter, with Atwill in a character role as a pompous doctor who becomes a victim to the title character, and Lugosi in a small part as a butler.

<i>The Maze</i> (1953 film) 1953 film by William Cameron Menzies

The Maze is a 1953 3-D horror film starring Richard Carlson, Veronica Hurst and Hillary Brooke. It was directed by William Cameron Menzies and distributed by Allied Artists Pictures. It was to be the second 3-D film designed and directed by William Cameron Menzies, known for his very "dimensional" style. It was his final film as production designer and director.

<i>The Slime People</i> 1963 film by Robert Hutton

The Slime People is a 1963 horror film directed by Robert Hutton, who also starred in the film. The film was featured on the first season of the television show Mystery Science Theater 3000, as well as the 1986 syndicated series The Canned Film Festival.

<i>Dark Intruder</i> 1965 television film directed by Harvey Hart

Dark Intruder is a 1965 horror TV movie that was released theatrically, and starring Leslie Nielsen, Mark Richman and Judi Meredith. The film is set in San Francisco in 1890 concerning playboy sleuth and occult expert Brett Kingsford. This atmospheric black-and-white film, only 59 minutes long, was directed by Harvey Hart and was the pilot for a failed television series called The Black Cloak. It was written by Barré Lyndon.

The Monster of Piedras Blancas is a 1959 American horror monster film. It was produced by Jack Kevan, directed by Irvin Berwick, and stars Jeanne Carmen, Les Tremayne, John Harmon, Don Sullivan, Forrest Lewis, and Pete Dunn. The film was released by Filmservice Distributors Corporation as a double feature with Okefenokee.

<i>The She-Creature</i> 1956 film by Edward L. Cahn

The She-Creature, or The She Creature, is a 1956 American black-and-white science fiction horror film, released by American International Pictures from a script by Lou Rusoff. It was produced by Alex Gordon, directed by Edward L. Cahn, and stars Chester Morris, Marla English and Tom Conway, and casting Frieda Inescort and El Brendel in smaller roles. The producers hired Marla English because they thought she bore a strong resemblance to Elizabeth Taylor.

<i>The Avenger</i> (1960 film) 1960 film

The Avenger is a 1960 West German crime film directed by Karl Anton and starring Heinz Drache, Ingrid van Bergen and Ina Duscha. It is based on the 1926 novel The Avenger by Edgar Wallace. It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich. The film's sets were designed by the art director Willi Herrmann.

<i>Voodoo Island</i> 1957 film by Reginald Le Borg

Voodoo Island is a 1957 American horror film directed by Reginald Le Borg and written by Richard H. Landau. The film stars Boris Karloff, with a cast including Elisha Cook Jr., Beverly Tyler and Rhodes Reason. It is set in the South Pacific and was filmed on Kauai, Hawaii back to back with Jungle Heat. Adam West appears in a small pre-"Batman" uncredited role.

<i>Terror Is a Man</i> 1959 Filipino/American horror film directed by Gerardo de León

Terror Is a Man is a 1959 black-and-white Filipino/American horror film directed by Gerardo de Leon.

<i>The Doll Squad</i> 1973 film by Ted V. Mikels

The Doll Squad is a 1973 low-budget Z-grade action film by Feature-Faire that was later re-released under the title Seduce and Destroy. Directed, edited, co-written and co-produced by Ted V. Mikels, it features Francine York, Michael Ansara, John Carter, Anthony Eisley, Leigh Christian and Tura Satana. Mikels claimed he filmed it for a total cost of $256,000.

Creature of the Walking Dead is a 1965 horror film re-edited by Jerry Warren from a 1961 Mexican horror film La Marca del Muerto, which translates as Mark of the Dead Man. The original Mexican film was directed by Fernando Cortés, written by Alfredo Varela Jr., and released in Mexico on October 12, 1961. The special effects was handled by Nicholas Reye.

<i>The Curse of the Aztec Mummy</i> 1957 Mexican film

The Curse of the Aztec Mummy is a 1957 Mexican horror film directed by Rafael Portillo. It is the second film in the Aztec Mummy series which began with The Aztec Mummy which was released earlier that year.

<i>Curucu, Beast of the Amazon</i> 1956 film by Curt Siodmak

Curucu, Beast of the Amazon is a 1956 American adventure/monster film, directed and written by Curt Siodmak and starring John Bromfield, Beverly Garland and Tom Payne. The title creature is pronounced "Koo-Ruh-SOO". The film was distributed in the United States as a double feature with The Mole People.

<i>The Mysterious Doctor</i> 1943 film by Benjamin Stoloff

The Mysterious Doctor is a 1943 American horror film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and written by Richard Weil. The film stars John Loder, Eleanor Parker, Bruce Lester, Lester Matthews and Forrester Harvey. The film was released by Warner Bros. on March 3, 1943.

<i>The Face of Marble</i> 1946 film by William Beaudine

The Face of Marble is a 1946 American horror film directed by William Beaudine and starring John Carradine, Claudia Drake and Robert Shayne.

Curse of the Stone Hand is a 1965 horror film created by movie producer Jerry Warren by editing together two 1940s Chilean films, La casa está vacía, a 1945 film directed by Carlos Schlieper, and La dama de la muerte, a 1946 film directed by Carlos Hugo Christensen.

Rafael Campos was an actor from the Dominican Republic whose credits include Blackboard Jungle (1955), Dino (1957), The Light in the Forest (1958), Slumber Party '57 (1976), The Astro-Zombies (1968), Centennial (1978) and V (1983). He was briefly married to blues singer and pianist Dinah Washington.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Astro-Zombies". American Film Institute . Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Ashmun, Dale (2000). "Ted V Mikels". Psychotronic Video. No. 32. p.  42.
  3. ↑ Christopher Wayne Curry (2007). Film Alchemy: The Independent Cinema of Ted V. Mikels. McFarland. p. 448. ISBN   978-1-4766-0301-8.
  4. ↑ June Pulliam; Anthony J. Fonseca (2014). Encyclopedia of the Zombie: The Walking Dead in Popular Culture and Myth: The Walking Dead in Popular Culture and Myth. ABC-CLIO. p. 10. ISBN   978-1-4408-0389-5.
  5. ↑ Welch D. Everman (1993). Cult Horror Films: From Attack of the 50 Foot Woman to Zombies of Mora Tau. Carol Publishing Group. p. 19. ISBN   978-0-8065-1425-3.
  6. ↑ "The Astro-Zombies". Variety : 6. May 7, 1969.
  7. ↑ Leonard Maltin (2013). Leonard Maltin's 2014 Movie Guide. Penguin Group US. p. 66. ISBN   978-1-101-60955-2.
  8. ↑ Sindelar, Dave (July 3, 2018). "The Astro-Zombies (1968)". Fantastic Movie Musings.com. Dave Sindelar. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  9. ↑ "The Astro-Zombies – Movie Reviews and Movie Ratings". TV Guide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  10. ↑ Cornelius, David. "Movie Review – Astro-Zombies – eFilmCritic". eFilmCritic.com. David Cornelius. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Dire Mag". ww1.dirgemag.com. Retrieved January 8, 2024.[ dead link ]
  12. ↑ "Astro-Zombies". October 11, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.