In the future (1990), Earth receives a signal that they are not alone in the universe. As the aliens make their way towards the planet, they wind up crash landing on Mars. Scientist Basil Rathbone dutifully sends a rescue ship to greet them, and after they crash, astronaut John Saxon leads a mission to save the guys who tried to save the guys. Saxon and his crew eventually pick up the stranded extraterrestrial traveler and are stunned to discover she is a total babe (Florence Marly). The only problem? She’s a space vampire.
Written and directed by Curtis (Ruby) Harrington, Queen of Blood is anchored by a terrific cast. Rathbone played his share of scientists at this stage in his career, but for my money, this is one of his greatest late-era performances. John Saxon is equally fine as he possesses a shade more human qualities than your typical space age square jaw type hero. It’s also fun seeing a young, clean-cut Dennis Hopper (who also starred in Harrington’s Night Tide) as an astronaut. He’s especially good in his scenes where he openly flirts with Marly (who is excellent in a silent role). Look fast, and you’ll also spot Famous Monsters of Filmland creator Forrest J. Ackerman in a small role.
The special effects (which were taken from a Russian film, Dream Come True) are all over the place, but that’s what gives Queen of Blood its charm. One scene you ask yourself, “How did they do that?” and then in the next, you quip, “My kid could do that!” Some sequences use kickballs and paper Mache for planets and others utilize some damned fine rocket models. Sometimes inconsistencies like that can be distracting, but here, it keeps you watching because you can’t wait to see what the heck kind of effects you’ll see next.
This would make a great double feature with Mario Bava’s Planet of the Vampires, which came out the previous year. Not only do both of them combine ‘50s Space Movie tropes with vampires, but they also have bright, poppy cinematography. Bava’s film might be a little more polished than Queen of Blood, but I would give this one the edge based on the cast alone.
It may start off a little slow, but Queen of Blood definitely delivers. Once Marly boards the ship, Harrington piles shock after shock and continues to do so as the film enters the homestretch. The shots of the alien bloodsucker stalking the corridors of the ship are quite atmospheric, the close-ups of her glowing eyes are effective, and Harrington wraps things up with one heck of a final shot. All in all, this horror/sci-fi hybrid is an out of this world experience.
Harrington and Rathbone also collaborated on another Russian paste-up feature, Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet, the previous year.
AKA: Planet of Blood. AKA: Planet of Terror. AKA: The Green Woman.
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