Written and directed by Michael Stasko, co-written by Jakob Skrzypa and Alex Forman, from the depths of space, Dracula has devised his most dastardly plan yet; turning the residents of the small town of Marlow into his personal army of vampire zombies! A motley crew consisting of a grizzled detective, a rookie cop, a chain-smoking greaser, and a determined young woman band together to save the world. Starring: Judith O’Dea, David Liebe Hart, Lloyd Kaufman, Andrew Bee, Jessica Antovski, Simon Reynolds, Craig Gloster, Robert Kemeny and many more.
Even purely looking at the cast assembled for Vampire Zombies…From Space! you can see how strongly these filmmakers were committed to paying homage to B-movies of the past. That commitment then translates into pretty much every single aspect of this film. For anyone who’s a fan of pre-2000s horror, particularly the trashy kind, it’s hard not to admire the genuine effort that has gone into instilling those qualities into this film. Particularly with the visual stylings which feel pulled straight out of Ed Wood’s playbook.
The black and white works perfectly to pair the feeling of paying respect to the classics but also slightly poking fun at them. Michael Stasko, Jakob Skrzypa and Alex Forman really go all in on capturing their exaggerated nature. For the most part, that’s a great thing, but there’s one key misstep which undermines the whole tone of Vampire Zombies…From Space!, which trying to portray the exploitative, sleazy side of things. Stasko builds this wonderful atmosphere of old-fashioned entertainment but then contrasts it with exceptionally cheap humour.
Bringing through those overtly crude notes undermines the rest of the comedy. It’s not necessarily offensive, although Lloyd Kaufman’s ‘Public Masturbator’ character is possibly an exception as it’s somewhat insensitive but is of no surprise when being portrayed by a beloved figure in sleazy cinema. You can unquestionably see what the filmmakers were going for, but it clashes rather than blending into the rest of the humour. It’s a shame, as otherwise the writing is such a wonderful match for the ridiculous nature of B-movies. It creates a great sense of fun and has a touch of Cry-Baby in its performative nature, it’s a small step away from becoming a musical itself.
The ensemble is excellent, they again embrace the absurd nature of the story and bring some good old-fashioned nonsense to life. They’re a good part of Vampire Zombies…From Space!’s charm because they communicate so well the sense of fun to the film. It’s all about having a good time and throwing themselves entirely into this strange adventure. Particularly in that they deliver the dialogue with a fantastic 1960s twang to it, with plenty of shock and awe.
As well as making them get in plenty of bloody messes, the big finale almost rivals the carnage of Kingsman: The Secret Service’s Church Battle Royale. The level of violence and gore is right on the money, it’s over the top yet not to a disgusting level. The effects work is strong and again yet another element which really taps into the old-school feel. That’s a big part of why it’s able to keep the balance of fun and not become too gruesome because its violence is based in dramatics and silliness, and not actively trying to make you throw up.
Vampire Zombies…From Space! creates a fun, outrageous adventure and Michael Stasko’s dedication to paying homage to that classic B-movie feel is exceptional. There’s a sincere amount of thought gone into every element, particularly the direction and acting. The parody styled humour is really entertaining and hits the nail on the head with the over the top nature of early 20th century cinema, but it falls down when it throws in a bunch of sexualised jokes. It’s a shame as it cheapens the rest of the film with how blunt and overt it is, it doesn’t feel tongue in cheek like the rest of the comedy and it’s really the only big thing holding back the film.
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