In 2022, the crew of the Spacecore 1 (named after the first volume of the world’s foremost sci-fi themed porno film…okay, maybe not) are sent on a mission to repair a nuclear powered satellite floating above the moon. One p. hair later it appears as if the ol’ S.C. 1 is a rather huge hunk of shit of a spaceship (no matter what the ships fine A.F. female robot says), and our hapless heroes are stranded near the dark side of the moon. As if that wasn’t daunting enough, a derelict space shuttle floats by, and our crew decides to investigate the craft…only to find it’s crew missing; except for one very suspicious corpse.
Speaking of that stiff; they bring it back to Spacecore 1 where it is soon revealed to contain some ancient star-borne evil…among other mysteries that spell one hell of an unpleasant voyage for our heroes!
Truth be told, I had never even heard of The Dark Side of the Moon before it arrived on my demonic doorstep for revoltin’ review…which is a surprise given what a killer sci-fi fright flick it is!
Full of solid performances (including lead roles by The Shining and Blade Runner‘s Joe Turkel and Re-Animator and Robot Jox‘s Robert Sampson), a crazy ass-storyline (courtesy of Carey and chad Hayes who went on to write the first two Conjuring flicks) that will make you think the film is just another Alien rip-off (with a smattering of Carpenter’s The Thing) before it becomes it’s own brand of terror tomfoolery awesomeness, decent gore, glorious practical spaceship miniatures, and dark, industrial sets that add immeasurably to the claustrophobic, uneasy vibe…I just truly love the shit out of this one; and I think you cats n’ creeps will too!
If you still want more bang for your buck along with the main event, Unearthed Films/MVD Entertainment have you covered with this release as they have included some special features to give you a taste of how this monsterpiece was made!
First up we get an audio commentary with The Dark Side of the Moon‘s Executive Producer Paul White (who has worked on some of my fav fright flicks including Bride of Re-Animator and Society) and Unearthed films head-honcho Stephen Biro that takes us through the film’s production in an easy-going and informative conversation. Next comes interviews with Actor Alan Blumenfeld, Makeup Effects Artist R. Christopher Biggs, and Stuntman Chuck Borden. Rounding out the release are the film’s budget breakdown (a real piece of interest for neophyte filmmakers…and a glimpse behind the scenes that’s seldom…if ever seen), a stills gallery, and the film’s trailer (along with those of other releases from Unearthed Films).
If you dig on “haunted house in space” shockers or paranormal events, I urge you boils n’ ghouls to give The Dark Side of the Moon a shot; it’s fun, has great practical effects, and offers enough unique twists to stand apart from the films it imitates on a surface level!
