Review: Moonchild (2-disc: Blu-ray + CD Soundtrack Edition)

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

Moonchild
Directed by Todd Sheets
Visual Vengeance; Wild Eye Releasing; Jackalope Media; Extreme Entertainment; MVD Entertainment
102 minutes, 1994 / 2022
www.wildeyereleasing.com
www.MVDEntertainment.com/
Director Todd Sheets was known early in his career as a fantastical yet grainy cult-god filmmaker. After a health scare, he came back stronger than ever, with the likes of Clownado (2019), Bonehill Road (2017), Dreaming Purple Neon (2016), and House of Forbidden Secrets (2013).   

This film, however, is from his early cult days, and is well-beloved by his followers. Honestly, I have never seen it till now, like much of his early work, so I am looking forward to checking it out. This was originally shot on sVHS, so it is grainy, but this release was taken from the master tape by Sheets himself. This is the first time it has been released on Blu-ray.

Auggi Alverez

In much like the Mad Max franchise, we are introduced to a dystopian future of the Chicago area (though filmed in Kansas City) where a group called Sodality (meaning “Brotherhood” or “Community”; also, a devotional association of Roman Catholic laity) run the dictatorial government of the United Nations of America; I guess more like Gilead but almost post-apocalyptic as we see a run-down city that drives cars from the 1970s and ‘80s (it was released in 1994, so it makes sense in that way). Sodality is run by Kronos (Tom Berg), a blubbery too-white guy (think of 1971’s The Omega Man) who has 666 drawn onto his body.

Government scientists have an inner-city compound where they experiment on creating super soldiers, such as one who is a cyborg whose outer clothes makes him look a bit like a cockroach (sans extra limbs, but adds a body chainsaw). He is one of three of these hybrids that are in search of our protagonist, Jacob Stryker (Auggi Alvarez).

Dave Miller

Stryker is also a hybrid, but has retained his consciousness. He escapes from the Republicans…I mean the Sodality. He is in search of his son, Ethan (Stefan Hilts), who is being held captive somewhere. And while he is on the run after an action scene right at the start, he manages to hook up with the underground, run by Talon (Dave Miller), who mostly dress like the Arrakisians in Dune, with scarfs and hooded robes. Speaking of which, you know Stryker is the hero because of his knee-length, open military jacket (belonging to Alverez’s dad), reminiscent of The Matrix franchise.

After his experimentation results, Stryker can also turn into a semi-werewolf-like creature, hence the title, though it’s a misnomer, even though he does not need the moon to actually “change.” He’s more like The Hulk in that he turns when he is angry or in a fight. Oh, and did I mention there is a bomb in his stomach scheduled to go off in 72 hours? How Snake Pliskin!

Kathleen McSweeney, Rebecka Rose

He sets off with new love interest (his wife was killed) that took less than a day, Athena (Kathleen McSweeney) and some others: Talon, boppy Weasel (Kyrie King), Rocky (Julie King), and Teela (Rebecka Rose). From this point it is more or less a travelogue where they meet different groups, each one dresses alike within the group. Quite like The Warriors (1979).

It is worth noting that despite the low budget, the sets are amazing, the lighting and shadows work well, and the editing is spot on.

Carol Barta

Now, as for extras, oh my god, there are so many. This may take days to get through. It starts with two commentaries. The first is with Todd Sheets and star Auggi Alverez. These two are friends, and their commentary is easy and breezy, yet still informative. I really enjoyed this one. The other commentary is Sheets and Rob Hauschild of Visual Vengeance, who released the Blu-ray. That’s right, if you watch the film and the commentaries, it’s like watching the film three times. The second one is a bit more of a technical view, details on filming process, and Sheets’ career, but it is interesting for those who like this side of the method. There is very little overlap with the other commentary, which is worth a note. While this Blu-ray is the Director’s Cut, it also Includes the alternate VHS version of Moonchild as originally released, I respectfully bowed out of watching it a fourth time.

The first featurette is the documentary, “Wolf Moon Rising: The Making of Moonchild” (32 min). This is archival footage including an entire newscast about the production, backstage scenes and the creation of the music. There is no narration, just some interviews with the cast at crew at the time of filming. And speaking of “back then,” this is followed by “Original BTS Casts and Crew Interviews” (9 min) that is pure candy. The “Deleted Ending” is an extra fight scene, but honestly, the film’s ending as it stands now is much better.

The first of the last two biggies is the short film “Sanguinary Desires” (1988, I believe; 13 min), where a group of people are offered $10K to spend the night in this series of rooms, but of course, as the title indicates, there is lots of blood and guts involved as they meet up with various forms of the undead. Will any survive? The second, of course, is the additional disc that is the soundtrack of the film, which is quite good, including the expected synth pieces and the orchestrated songs as well. Worth a listen.

Then there are others like the original VHS trailer and one for one of my fave Sheets releases, Bonehill Road (another werewolf film), a music video by death metal band Descension of “Burn the Church,” and other Visual Vengeance trailers (including the new one for this film), which always plays whenever you put in the disc, and English subtitles upon request.

On the non-digital side, there is a reversible sleeve featuring the original VHS art, a four-page liner notes booklet by Matt Desiderio of “Horror Boobs,” stick your own VHS sticker sheet, and a folded mini-poster

One point in the full film that confuses me is that the terribly intentionally overacting bounty hunters, especially Lothos (Harry Rose) and Medusa (Carol Barta) from the Sodality – It reminds me of the villains from the old “The Power Rangers” series – seem desperate and will use any method to catch Stryker, but if he had a bomb inside of him, why bother, as he will be dead in a couple of days? Also, the fight choreography is kind of funky, and there is a lot of it. But my big bugaboo about the film is not enough transformations. But then again on the good side, it is important to remember how low-budget this was, and some mental leeway has to give way for the zeitgeist of the film as a whole.

All-in-all, though, this was a fun ride, from beginning to end. But I can totally understand why it is a cult classic, and rightfully so, in my opinion.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: The Trees Have Eyes

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

The Trees Have Eyes (aka Dead Bounty)
Directed by Jordan Pacheco
Lock It Down Productions; Cyfuno Productions
75 minutes, 2020,
https://www.facebook.com/DeadBounty

There must be something in the water in the area between Boston, MA, and Providence, RI. The amount of cinema – especially genre films – is stunning. Directors Richard Griffin, Lenny Schwartz, Laura Pepper, Richard Chandler, and Alex DiVincenzo, among others, all come from this area, producing quality work. And let’s not forget Jordan Pacheco, who recently came out with the fun Blood Pi (2020; reviewed HERE, and available on TubiTV, etc.). 

Cate Carson and David Carpenter

We start off with five rough and tumble bail bondsmen/woman, also known as bounty hunters – four men and one woman – who scour out into the woods in search of their prey. They are an older gent, Henry (Timothy Patrick Quill), his son Junior (James Baker), Junior’s partner Hannah (Cate Carson), Colt (David Carpenter), and macho/toxic masculinity-embused Bosk (Tony Moran, the original adult Michael Myers in 1978’s Halloween).

They drive a car that has the slogan “It’s more fun if they run” and scratch marks for the numbers caught that is often used by prisoners in these kinds of films (four horizontal lines and one diagonal through them). They are searching for a(n alleged) murderer (and the only black member of the main cast), Darnel (Kevin O. Peterson).

Good mourning campters!

Sharing the woods with our hunters-select, are a group of really obnoxious youths who are camping out. This gaggle includes a lesbian couple, a straight couple, and two other women, including Clair (Alexandra Cipolla) who is the “flirty” one in the cheerleader outfit, Tucker (Johnny Sederquist in a somewhat cameo role), and the group is rounded out by one woman out for a nude nighttime swim. Most are sitting around the campfire, talking smack and one pretending to be “manly”: Randall (Alexander Gautheir, who starred in the comedic 2016 short “Trouser Snake”; reviewed HERE) is embarrassed that he was intimidated by the huge, gun carrying bounty hunters in front of his girlfriend, Samantha (Jacquelyn Fabian). Hell, I would have been terrified and not be ashamed of it…they were pointing guns). Anyway, considering the cheerleading duds, I’m guessing these over-agers are supposed to be in college. While this group is definitely more stereotypical of these films, it also increases the number of the future body count, so I’m okay with it.

It is obvious these groups are going to meet in other ways in the second act when the zombies start to attack. Yep, zombies. While they are the slow, stumbling Romero type (director Pacheco has stated that the 1978 version of Dawn of the Dead is his favorite zombie film, and rightfully so), they still manage to come out of freakin’ nowhere to kill and give a good jump scare or few. Once it starts, the attacks are relentless, which of course is part of the fun for the viewer, if not the characters.

Johnny Sederquist

The special makeup SFX looks great for a low budget release, thanks to a team led by Phil “Skippy” Adams, and including Eric Rodrigues, who graduated from The Tom Savini’s Special Makeup Effects School. When the carnage starts proper, the blood and gore flow generously.

Most of the characters, as I find to be true in films with large fodder casts, are not that likeable, other than Hannah and Colt, whom Cate and David, respectively, allow to show some empathy. Nearly everyone else is out for themselves, and that hubris often brings their downfall. And speaking of cameos, there is an enormously short one with Rhode Island stalwart actors Nathaniel Sylva and Jamie Lyn Bagley.

Tony Moran

There is a similar theme to Dog Soldiers (2002), as a group – including a military-style one – is lost in the woods and being hunted by blood-thirsty creatures, albeit zombies rather than werewolves. But the deadly end result is the same, except in this case, just because you kill a zombie does not mean you have killed the zombie. The undead are tricky that way.

Alexandra Cipolla

While this is certainly not a comedy per se, there are some giggle-worthy moments here and there, which are great fleeting tension breakers. Just what is the cause of this zombiemania? There’s a couple of guesses within the film, but it’s left open. Though a major lesson here seems to be that when the zombie apocalypse does occur, people are going to crash their cars if they drive on small roads, to make them easy pickings.

A nice aspect about this film is that when it reaches the point where it would probably end in most cases, that is just the start of the third act, as the survivors (won’t say who) end up in a farmhouse and gather more wood for the fire, or meat for the zombies, as it were. Pacheco has found some clever ways to keep the story and blood flowing, and it’s appreciated. Also, the last section really is the finest moments of a quite good picture overall. The blood red cherry on top of the gray skinned cake. And the ending looks like there could be more baking in the oven. Cut me up a slice.

The film is available on the likes of Amazon, Tubi and YouTube. As zombie films go, this one is worth checking out.

 

A Brief interview with Actor Anna Rizzo

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

A Brief Interview with Actor Anna Rizzo

www.annarizzo.net/

In the decade of her career so far, Anna Rizzo has managed to show a wide range of characters, from comedy (Fairfield Follies, 2018), to deep drama (Moments from a Sidewalk, 2016), to classics (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2017), to television and web-series work (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” 2019; “The Realm,” 2015, respectively), and definitely a few in the horror genre, including her most recent release, Blood Pi (2020). Being quite prolific, she also have some other films due out this year in post-production.

Part of the Rhode Island film collective, a much more active group than you might imagine, she has also spread her wings to other parts of the country for roles, and is a musician, too boot (not to be confused with another musician with the same name, though).

Personally, I’ve been a fan since Seven Dorms of Death (2015). I sent her a list of questions, and she was gracious enough to answer back. You can find other, role-specific interviews with her on YouTube. My questions are more random.

Indie Horror Films: I’m happy to be able to give you the second degree (a shade lighter than a third degree).
Anna Rizzo: Happy to be second degreed!

 

IHF: I guess the place to start is with a simple query: what brought you to acting?
Anna: I did plays ever since I was a little kid, but usually because the plays I had access to would involve a decent amount of singing, which was the real draw to me at the time. I was a very shy and introverted kid who was always reading in the corner rather than talking to people, but I liked to sing. The high school I went to had a respected and competitive theatre program. The first semester of my freshman year my parents convinced me to audition for the school's production of The Importance of Being Earnest (even though there was no singing), saying “you have to pay your dues and audition multiple times before they're going to cast you in a musical. You won't get in this time, but they will start to get to know you that way.” So I went in, figuring nothing would happen, and ended up cast as Gwendolyn. And I absolutely loved it. I fell completely in love with acting and never looked back.

 

IHF: Do you have a favorite role, so far?
Anna: It's so hard to pick because, honestly, I fall in love with every character I get to play while I'm preparing the role. Getting to know who they are, what makes them tick, then finding that within myself – how could you not love each one after all that? The closest I could come to picking would probably be Tara in On the Seventh Date (2016), because she came to me at a time when I was living through something remarkably similar – knowing exactly what my heart wanted but being too scared to own it. But she had the ability to take bold action and speak what she wanted. She might be the closest to a favorite because working on that story and getting to deeply know her taught me a lot. It helped me find those parts of her that I admired in me.

 

IHF: Being in the Rhode Island area, you’ve done a lot of films with director Richard Griffin. Any stories of the films or working with him?
Anna: So many! The reason I've worked with Richard Griffin so many times is because he is such an incredible creative, whose enthusiasm and love of filmmaking spreads to everyone who steps foot on his sets. Every single film he does, he invites you into this incredible world he is creating, and as an actor that is such a gift. I've seen him create everything from post-apocalyptic bomb shelters, to haunted abandoned catholic schools, to magical woods in colonial America to raucous romantic comedies, and everything in between. I think one story which beautifully encapsulates Richard Griffin magic in its element, was the first day of shooting Seven Dorms of Death. We were filming in a closed-down, beautiful old theater in the middle of January, shooting 8-10 pages with most of the cast that day. And there was no heat in the building. In January. But he and the crew bundled themselves up and got to work. They lit the whole thing, all while letting us actors stay bundled up and warm as long as possible, and they did amazing work. But it was still freezing. And all of us actors were shivering through our lines with our noses looking more and more like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer each take. And yet, even through those conditions, it was still so much fun. Everyone's spirits were high because Richard always finds amazing people to be a part of his team. But at the end of the day, Richard made the tough decision to scrap location, and therefore the day, because it was too much to battle against the cold for the rest of the shoot. For those not familiar with filmmaking, scrapping a day of shooting and changing locations is a big deal and I don't know too many other filmmakers that could have kept a production on schedule after that. But not only did he keep it on schedule, he found us a new theater to shoot in (pretty much overnight) that worked even better, and he shot a visually beautiful, hilarious movie that was an absolute joy to work on. Because that is what he does – he comes in with such a clear vision of the film he wants to make, that no upset knocks him out of the game. Things that would sink another production, he rises above and uses his creativity and vast experience to find an even better solution and makes the whole film better for it. You cannot stop him when he wants to make a film!

 

IHF: Your range is quite large, from comedy to deep drama and horror. Do you have a preference?
Anna: My preference is all of the above! I love working on things that make me laugh and making other people laugh. And then I also love working on things that make me feel deeply and move other people to feel something. I think we try to crack each other up in the most tense and difficult circumstances in order to survive them, and the funniest moments are often infused with life-or-death stakes at the time they happen.

 

IHF: In Blood Pi, you play a psycho so well. Did you have a model to base it on?
Anna: Thank you! And yes, actually. I had an up-close experience with a sociopath, and the characteristic that really haunted me afterwards was that reptilian stare. I did a lot of reading around the psychology of antisocial personality disorder to try to make sense of what I had witnessed. And then years later when Jordan (Pacheco, the director) first approached me with the Blood Pi script, I instantly knew exactly who Amber was. And I was so excited to see a female role like this. I didn't want Amber to be two-dimensional, so entering into her world was a lot of figuring out what drives her and what her own weird sense of justice/punishment was, because I think she feels deeply justified in her actions.

 

IHF: Congrats on your role on “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” What was that experience like, and how did it compare to working on indie features?
Anna: Thank you! That was an amazing experience. The “Law and Order” set is massive in terms of how many people work in each department, and they are truly a well-oiled machine. They built that entire dance studio I shot my scene in that morning and then as soon as we were done shooting, in a matter of minutes, had dismantled the whole thing to begin building another set in that same space. That level of organized teamwork was incredible. The first day I was on set was actually their first day of their 21st season and everyone was returning from the break between seasons. It was so cool to see how bonded everyone was, sharing stories of what they had each done with their time off, asking about each other's families, etc. What I love about indie filmmaking is the camaraderie and bond you form when working together and it was so cool to see that even on this massive set with so many people; they still had that bond.

 

IHF: You seemed to flourish in the role of Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. How was the experience of playing such an infamous Shakespearean character?

Anna: It was so much fun! I would have been massively intimidated, but earlier that year, I played Desdemona in a production of Othello that fellow Richard Griffin actor, Aaron Andrade, directed and starred in. So having just performed another Shakespeare play right before Midsummer helped boost my confidence that I could even do it! Also, Richard did several rehearsals before we got on set, which was such a gift because we had time to play and experiment together. By the time we arrived on set, the words and the cadencing were deeply in my bones, so I could forget about them and just live in the moment as Titania. But the real cherry on top was that Richard and the crew built the whole fairy woods on the stage of the Barker Playhouse [in Providence, RI; it is America’s oldest continually run little theater – Ed.] and each actor had the most incredible hair, make-up, and wardrobe to totally transform us. And that process of physically transforming and then stepping into this magical world they had created was exhilarating.

 

IHF: I know you were a composer for the film Moments From a Sidewalk. Are you planning to further your fingers into the area of film music, or the use of your singing ability in films?

Anna: I would absolutely love to play more characters who sing and play music! It was so much fun to incorporate that side of my creativity into Sarah's character in Moments From a Sidewalk. I loved taking songs that I had written and were personal and meaningful to me, and then adapt them for Sarah.

 

IHF: While I enjoy watching you work on the screen, have you thought about working behind the camera, perhaps in directing, writing, or producing?
Anna: I am pretty sure I will experiment at some point, but honestly, the level of skill and talent that goes into directing, writing, and producing is intimidating and I deeply respect the people who do those jobs. They truly each do hold a production up.

 

IHF: Thank you so much for your time. It was a pleasure getting to ask you these questions, and I look forward to seeing your upcoming roles.
Anna: Thank you so much! It was a pleasure!

* * *

To contact Anna Rizzo for future endeavors on the screen or stage, here is her information:
arizzo@alumni.berklee.edu
www.annarizzo.net

New York Agent:
Take 3 Talent Agency

1411 Broadway, 16th Floor

New York, NY 10018
(646) 289-3915

New England Agent:
Andrew Wilson Agency
(617) 701-6400

 

 

 

Review: The Dark Side of the Moon

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2019

Images from the Internet

The Dark Side of the Moon

Directed by DJ Webster

Wildstreet Pictures / Unearthed Films / MVD Entertainment

87 minutes, 1990 / 2019

www.unearthedfilms.com

www.mvdb2b.com

There was a period of time where science fiction and horror crossed genres, and it was great. The Alien franchise, Galaxy of Terror (1981), and so many others fed off the success of previous films, and once the majors found the hits, the smaller studios and indies grabbed their boards and rode the dollar waves. If this sounds cynical, well, I mean it that way only about ten percent. I actually like some of the smaller films as much as the ones budgeted at a gazillion dollars.

That being said, here is this release. If Star Wars (1977) was A-list and Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) was B-level, then this is very competent C-cinema. Then add to it the ilk of demonic possession like The Exorcist (1973) and the questioning of identity such as John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), and you’re a bit closer to this mash-up.

Will Bledsoe

Taking place in the far off space travel future of 2022 (wait…what?!), a cargo ship meets up with The 18th Discovery space shuttle, another NASA (non-commercial) craft from decades before, which had splashed down and crashed, disappearing into the Bermuda Triangle (also known as the Devil’s Triangle). And like so many other films, there is something aboard this abnormality that is not only evil, it’s Satanic. That’s right, not a monster, this is a possessive spirit that migrates from body to body, capturing the person’s soul along the way if they are a non-believer in the Christian god.

It’s a bit over the top (paraphrase: “The second you questioned the existence of God, you were mine!”), our good shipping crew was in peril, as the song says. But let’s backtrack to that a bit. The humans in question is a sextet of a repair crew sent to fix an orbital nuclear weapon (Space Force?!) but their spaceship malfunctions and ends up heading towards the surface of the dark side of the moon. That’s when they run into the errant shuttle and the fun begins. Well, for us viewers, natch, not for them. Also, in the “crew” is the robot system, based on a mixture of HAL and possibly the cyborg “Ash” character in Alien (1979). But in this case, the computer is shaped like a sexy female named Lesli (British actress Camilla More), who sits in a chair the entire time and wears a tight leather top that shows off some deep cleavage. Siri never looked this good.

Camilla More

The two “heroes” of the film are the Commander, Giles (Will Bledsoe), and the nice, Jewish [implied] doctor, Dreyfuss (Alan Blumenfeld). Giles is the strong-jawed type who will put himself in peril for others, and Dreyfuss is more of the laid-back… well, let’s just say he’s somewhere between schmuck and mensch, mostly to the former. Most of his dialog in the first half is “I don’t know.” So, it’s pretty obvious as some point he’s going to rise to the occasion when the need arrives in the third act. Oy. Another two actors that had other fame are Robert Sampson, who played the Dean/Megan’s dad in Re-Animator (1985), and Joe Turkel, instantly recognizable as bartender Lloyd in The Shining (1980).

Like in Alien (a touchstone in most of these kinds of films), the crew gets picked off one by one, but that’s obvious. And like The Thing (ditto), no one knows who has the evil within, so anyone who is alone at any particular time is suspect and paranoia = suspense for the viewer. All the check marks are there, and the first-time feature director (known for making music videos, such as Til Tuesday’s iconic “Voices Carry” and religious nut Amy Grant’s “Baby Baby”) uses it well, infusing darkness and shadow to keep you off kilter).

Alan Blumenfeld

The sets look great, considering this wasn’t a huge budget megafilm. Some of the explosion effects are kind of cheesy, but so were the ones in the original Battlestar Galactica (1978). Other than that, it’s what you could imagine a corporate repair ship might look like (i.e., one the administration would not care about – other than budgetary – because it’s a job they would never do), with dingy walls and dark corridors (again, see the Nostromo in Alien).

What is adorable, for lack of a better word, is the technology presented. This was filmed pre-Internet, and the computers used are obviously cathode-backed. Even the keyboards look antiquated, and the onscreen images are 8-bit at best (think first generation Tetris). Of course, there was no way a minor budget film could experiment much visually considering CGI was in its extreme infancy and would be highly cost inefficient.

Joe Turkel

The physical effects are practical, especially the bloody ones – and there are a few of them – other than those pesky explosions. Mostly we see a lot of snake-eyes, going back to the biblical serpent in the garden is one way to look at it.

Considering the director’s past with Amy Grant, I am assuming that there is a religious message here, to believe in the Christian god in order to (try and) defeat Satan. Or perhaps he’s arguing against that by Giles’ attitude. Honestly, I’m not sure.

So, let’s get to the extras, most of them are Q&A interviews led by Jay Kay, and then I will get back to discussing the film. First up is Alan Blumenfeld (40 min.). It’s a bit long, but mostly interesting as the discussion is centered around Alan’s career in general, and this film in particular. It’s not very deep, but enjoyable. The problem is with the sound, as the volume of Jay Kay’s mic keeps dipping; it’s Alan’s answers that are more central, so that’s okay albeit a bit annoying. Next up is FX artist R. Christopher Biggs (35 min.), who has done so much in genre films that I’m just gonna recommend looking him up on IMDB for his career list. Most of what he talks about his how rough the shoot was for the SFX crew, which kept my attention, but it was also cool hearing him talk about his work on other films such as the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Then there is the interview with stuntman Chuck Borden (21 min.), who only worked on the film for one day; honestly, this one was a bit dry, but I muddled through.

Wendy MacDonals

For the commentary we get producer Paul White and Unearthed Films’ head the Stephen Biro. Again, Biro is the Q in the Q&A, though he does add a bunch of information as well. It’s not the most exciting commentary track but filled with good bits anyway.

The last digital extras are the Budget Breakdown (1 min.), which I’ve never seen on a extras list before that I can remember, and a Stills Gallery (mostly screen shots and posters; 2 min), and there’s a very nice and thick color booklet in the case cover filled with facts and pictures.

Two points of interest before I bust outta here: first, this is the first screenplay for the writing team of Carey W. Hayes and Chad Hayes, who would eventually find fame with the likes of The Conjuring (2013). The other is that this film is very similar in storyline to Event Horizon (1996), and I wonder about the connection.

As sci-fi horror goes, this is a really good example of what was being created on a regular basis back in those days of following the audience, and somehow as hokey as this sometimes is (Satan! In Space!), it manages to work.