THE 31 DAYS OF HORROR-WEEN: PRIME EVIL: BATTLE FOR THE LOST PLANET (1986) ** ½

Harry Trent (Matt Mitler from The Mutilator) infiltrates a top-secret government facility and steals a precious tape containing sensitive data.  When the security guards give chase, Harry escapes in a rocket ship and winds up in outer space.  There, he witnesses a race of pig-faced aliens destroying Earth in a matter of minutes.  After five years in orbit, Harry makes it back down to Earth and teams up with a band of survivors to save (what’s left of) the world. 

I kind of love the way writer/director Brett (They Bite) Piper was able to stage a mass alien invasion with next to no money and still make it seem almost plausible.  The ships are all obviously models you’d find in a toy store, but it’s edited and choreographed just well enough to make it look pretty cool.  (The same goes for the low-fi spaceship interiors.)  The fact that he was able to pull off an opening escape sequence reminiscent of a James Bond opening speaks to Piper’s low budget ingenuity.  Sometimes, the cinematography is too a bit too dark, although I’m sure that was purposefully done to hide the seams of the sets, special effects, and make-up.

The early scenes are a lot of fun, but unfortunately, Battle for the Lost Planet kind of shoots its wad too early.  The long scenes of Trent trying to convince a biker kingpin (who looks like a long-lost Stallone brother) to join his cause drags the pace down.  Still, there’s plenty of stop-motion monsters, alien dogfights, and DIY charm on display to make it worth a look for fans of low budget cinema.  Although it might not always work, it’s impossible not to admire Piper’s ambition, even if it exceeds his grasp. 

Mitler makes for a likable hero.  He has a Johnathon Schaech quality to him, and looks right at home fighting mutants, monsters, and horny bikers.  He’s particularly funny in his last scene.  He returned two years later for the sequel, Mutant War.

Note:  I know this is more of a Sci-Fi movie than a horror film, and I apologize.  I had another film in its place, but Prime removed it from my Watchlist without notice.  I hate when that happens.  I wish there was a way for Prime to notify you when something is about to leave, but oh well.  Since I already had Mutant War planned for tomorrow’s movie (which has a lot more horror-themed elements), I decided to go ahead and watch its predecessor first.  While Battle for the Lost Planet isn’t exactly a horror movie per se, any flick that features stop-motion monsters attacking a naked woman and cool Evil Dead-style melting effects is good enough to get a pass from me.  (Oh, and the movie I had previously planned, Bag Boy Lover Boy, is available for free on Tubi, so I’ll try to watch that eventually before the month is out.)