FORBIDDEN WORLD (a.k.a. Mutant) *** USA 1982 Dir: Allan Holzman 78 mins
Early 80’s post-ALIEN Roger Corman exploitation fare, complete with a constantly morphing genetic mutant, cheesy recycled battle footage and an ensemble cast bitching about the food on board their space vehicle before cheap, slimy things fasten themselves to their face and use their bodies as incubators.
At no extra cost you get the awesome and gorgeous Dawn Dunlap (in a short film career she made her debut as the ballet dancing teen heroine of steamy romp LAURA) in and out of a pink jumpsuit for the voyeuristic benefit of the lecherous creature and pervy audience. Co-star June Chadwick also gets ‘em all out for an extended sex-o-rama with a hero who gets off both women and is suitably punchable throughout. Naturally, both women get naked together for the chintzy space-movie equivalent of a women-in-prison shower scene. There’s satisfying amounts of gunk, slime and blood, plus a very fun, old-school, clunky toothy monster… and a nutty scientist who speaks only in Alarmist Lines like “It’s planting a garden, and we’re the seeds!”. Highlight apart from the boobs: heroic climactic use of a tumour!
Review by Steven West