On the space station Gamma 1, Dr. Nurmi (Massimo Serato) is
conducting bizarre experiments with human tissue grafts. Commander
Halstead (Tony Russel) is opposed to Nurmi's work which is being done
for a large corporation, and when Halstead goes back to Earth to
investigate the disappearance of several citizens, he discovers that
they are being miniaturized and taken to another planet as guinea pigs
for Nurmi's corporation which is out to create a biologically
transformed human race, a "designer race." Halstead's efforts to stop
this are complicated by his love interest Connie (Lisa Gastoni) who
cozies up to Nurmi just to make Halstead jealous. Along the way we
encounter a small army of thug clones (all bald, wearing sunglasses and
trenchcoats), a band of sexy female robots (Fembot, anyone?), a
miniature man with four arms, a futuristic ballet performed by dancers
in colorful tights and capes, and the delicious Franco Nero playing a
buddy of Halstead's.
Italian director Antonio Margheriti
(anglicized as Anthony M. Dawson) covered several genres in the 60s:
horror (CASTLE OF BLOOD), fantasy (
THE GOLDEN ARROW),
and adventure (GIANTS OF ROME), but he's mostly remembered today for
his low-budget but colorful science fiction films. This was the first of
several set on Gamma 1 (see
THE SNOW DEVILS)
and while they're not great art, they are fun, mostly because of their
colorful costumes, crazy sets—including many miniature models which are
fake-looking but charming, and some goofy futuristic cars—and a
go-for-broke directorial ethos which seems to be, throw it at the wall
and see if it sticks. Russel (an Italian-American born Antonio Russo)
comes off as a fairly wooden B-movie George Clooney; Serarto is
marginally more interesting as the villain, reminding me of a cross
between Rex Harrison and Lost in Space's Dr. Smith (see him at left),
but the young and handsome Franco Nero (pictured above right, to the left
of Russel) is good enough as eye candy that I'd watch this again. [TCM]
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