Planet of the Vampires Blu-ray Radiance Mario Bava 1965 Terror in Space

A criminally underrated Italian sci-fi horror flick from Mario Bava!

Introducing Radiance Film's Limited Edition Blu-ray for Planet of the Vampires, a 1965 sci-fi horror hybrid from genre master Mario Bava (Blood and Black Lace). The film is widely regarded as one of the most influential genre films ever made, with a clear influence on films such as Alien and Pitch Black. With a uniquely chilly atmosphere and fantastic production design that belies its low budget origins, Planet of the Vampires is a true genre classic.

In the outer reaches of deep space, the spaceship Galliott answers a distress signal from Aura, an unexplored planet. As the ship attempts to land, members of the crew inexplicably begin to attack one another. This is the start of a terrifying expedition into the unknown, one plagued by paranoia, possession and violent mayhem wrought upon the unsuspecting explorers by the planet’s mysterious inhabitants.

Limited Edition Features: 

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
• Limited edition 20-page booklet featuring a new translation of Renato Pestriniero’s original short story
• Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Features: 

• 4K scan of the film from the original negative under the supervision of Lamberto Bava and carried out at Fotocinema in Rome in collaboration with CSC Cineteca Nazionale
• High-Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Italian (89 mins) and English (88 mins) versions of the film
• Alternate Kendall Schmidt score
• Uncompressed mono audio
• Archival audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark (2014)
• Transmissions from a Haunted World - A new documentary which explores Planet of the Vampires, Mario Bava and the connection between gothic and science fiction. Co-directed by Dima Ballin and Kat Ellinger; featuring interviews with Guy Adams, Xavier Aldana Reyes, Alexandra Benedict, Johnny Mains and John Llewellyn Probert (2024, 41mins)
• Archival interview with Lamberto Bava (2022, 13 mins)
• Super 8 Version - a reconstruction of the cut-down version distributed as Planet der Vampire (17 mins)
• Joe Dante and Josh Olsen trailer commentaries - the filmmakers provide a short overview of the film (2013/14, 4 mins and 2 mins)
• Trailer
• Press and image gallery from the Tim Lucas / Alan Y. Upchurch collection
• Optional English subtitles for Italian audio and English SDH for English audio

Technical Specs:

• Year: 1965
• Region Code: ABC
• Audio: Mono
• Picture: 1.85:1
• Runtime: 88/89
• Language: Italian/English
• Subtitles: English