Released in March of 1966 by American International Pictures as the second half of a unique double bill that included BLOOD BATH (see my earlier review of that), QUEEN OF BLOOD aka PLANET OF BLOOD retains its power to amuse and astonish as it manages to create its own unique atmosphere. It remains an excellent example of science fiction as fantasy as opposed to the ultra realism that would come about 2 years later with 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Taking its inspiration from 1958’s IT, THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE!, QUEEN is part IT, part FLASH GORDON, and part Mario Bava’s PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES which AIP released the year before. Like BLOOD BATH which preceeded it, QUEEN is also an excellent example of the Roger Corman school of hybrid cinema.
As he often did in the 1960s, Corman bought the distribution rights to a foreign film (in this case two Soviet era sci-fi flicks) and then turned it over to one of his proteges to see what they could do with it. You could do anything you wanted as long as you didn’t exceed the miniscule budget or the tight shooting schedule. Director Curtis Harrington (GAMES, RUBY) seamlessly blends the Russian footage with his American scenes and negates the cheapness of the studio sets with strong performances from John Saxon, a young Dennis Hopper and an aging Basil Rathbone. The shipboard sequences use primary colors to create a visual look that lingers long afterwards. Florence Marly with her green skin, Faberge egg helmet, beehive hair, and especially her glowing eyes makes an unforgettable impression as the titular character.
For years this film was available only on VHS in a poor print with washed out colors and in the wrong screen ratio. The early budget DVD copies weren’t much better. But now MGM (who owns the rights to the AIP back catalogue) has issued a Limited Edition DVD-R version which is made-to-order. They have gone back and used the original release print which captures the rich hallucinatory color scheme and the wide screen aspect ratio that made this film so effective when it first played the drive-in circuit. If you are one of the many who first saw it on TV and remember it fondly than this disc will be a revelation. If you get the chance, be sure and see the companion piece BLOOD BATH which makes effective use of its hybrid nature with strong performances and stunning black & white photography.
The Capsule Critic 