Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - "Space Vampire"

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

"Space Vampire"
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - Season 1 Episode 14
Originally aired January 3, 1980

Space Vampire

Buck and Wilma are dropping off Twiki for a tune-up at a space station, when a derelict space-freighter crashes into the station.  The ship is the I.S. Demeter, carrying 8 crew members and 1 passenger, with all on board appearing to be dead.  The passenger was a bounty hunter named Helson.  If these names sound a little familiar, that's because "Demeter" was the name of the ship that Dracula traveled from Transylvania to England on in the novel "Dracula," and "Helson" is derived from Professor Van Helsing.  That's right, this episode is Buck Rogers vs. Space Dracula!

Space Vampire Gets Zapped by Buck

Believing the people on the I.S. Demeter to be the victims of a disease, the space station is quarantined.  Soon enough, the people on the space station start falling victim to the same malady, which is a state of suspended animation closely resembling death.  But the real threat is not a disease but a space alien known as a "Vorvon," which sucks the life energy out of it's victims' necks using two extended fingers.  Unfortunately, the monster can only be seen by it's intended victims, and it has set it's sights on Wilma.  The creature also has the ability raise his victims from their "death" and have them serve him as zombies.  Fun stuff. 

Buck is Attacked by an Astro Zombie

Most of the episode has the alien stalking Wilma, while Buck Rogers begins to suspect that he is fighting a Space Vampire, but has a hard time convincing anyone else that it is real.  He eventually lays a trap to destroy the Vorvon, but by then Wilma has been enthralled by the vampire and she gets caught in the trap as well, forcing Buck to make a last-ditch effort to save her life.

Wilma's Eyes Glow With Evil Energy

All in all, it's just a quick retelling of the Dracula story in sci-fi drag, but it is colorful, fast-paced and entertaining.  If you're a fan of horror and 1970s and '80s sci-fi cheese, there are worse ways to spend and hour this Halloween season.  

Talk to the Hand

More screencaps after the break...

Martin (1977)

Martin (1977) - Movie review plus screencaps:

Martin is a vampire... or at least he thinks he is, in writer/director George A. Romero's 1977 film "Martin."

Martin

This is a really interesting movie.  The main character, Martin has been raised to believe that he is a vampire, that he must kill and drink blood to survive.  But Martin doesn't have fangs, supernatural powers, or any of the things you would normally associate with vampires.  Instead, he drugs his victims, and extracts their blood with hypodermic needles and razor blades.

"I'm always very careful with the needles."

 Martin takes no pleasure in his killing, only doing it because he thinks it's neccessary for his survival.  He comes from a strange, deeply religious  family of immigrants that believes he is an evil supernatural creature.  Martin, however rejects their religious beliefs, and considers his affliction to be biological.  Of course, the possibility exists that Martin doesn't need blood at all, and is just mentally ill victim of a very warped upbringing.

Martin's Creepy Uncle (Not to be confused with "Colonel Sanders")

 Director George Romero does a great job of playing up both angles in this movie.  I never knew for sure if this was really a vampire horror movie, or a psychological thriller along the lines of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.  Martin has a lot in common with Norman Bates from Psycho.  Even though he is a murderer, I couldn't help but root for the guy.  He's portrayed as a generally passive, innocent, and lonely kid, who is as much a victim as the people he kills are.

Mother Nature's Son

 This is a pretty low-budget picture filmed in real locations around a working class neighborhood in Pittsburgh.  Romero uses this to his advantage though; the down-to-earth locations help to ground this film in reality.  Because the film is so down-to-earth, it became harder and harder to believe he really is a vampire as the film went on.  But, at the same time, I found I WANTED him to be a vampire more and more, because the thought that this sweet lonely kid who I've grown to emphathise with so much, could actually be a psychotic serial killer, is a tough pill to swallow.

Martin on the Prowl

In the end, Romero wisely decided to leave the question of whether or not he's a vampire unanswered and up to the viewers to decide.  I really like movies like this, ones that let you draw your own conclusions at the end.  Movies like this live on in my thoughts and imagination long after I finish watching them.   Hollywood has been on a horror movie remake frenzy the last few years, and they've already remade Romero's Dawn of the Dead and the Crazies.  It's probably only a matter of thime until they remake this one.  it should be interesting to see how bad they fuck it up.

Rating: 4 Robots (out of 5)

More screencaps after the jump...