The Astro-Zombies (1968)

The Plan - to build a super human; How? - by murdering innocent convenient victims and using various bits of them; The Result - Creatures on the rampage.

Director:

Ted V. Mikels

Writers:

Ted V. Mikels (screenplay), Wayne Rogers (screenplay)

Stars:

Wendell Corey, John Carradine, Tom Pace

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Wendell Corey	...	Holman
John Carradine	...	Dr. DeMarco
Tom Pace	...	Eric Porter
Joan Patrick	...	Janine Norwalk
Tura Satana	...	Satana
Rafael Campos	...	Juan
Joseph Hoover	...	Chuck Edwards
Victor Izay	...	Dr. Petrovich
William Bagdad	...	Franchot
Vincent Barbi	...	Tiros
Egon Sirany	...	Sergio Demozhenin
Jean Pirie	...	Woman Killed in Garage
John Hopkins	...	Detective Thompson
Janis Saul	...	Lynn
Wally K. Berns	...	(as Wally Berns)

Storyline

After being fired from the Space Agency, the disgruntled (not to mention crazy) Dr. DeMarco creates an Astroman from a criminal's dead body. However, he loses control of his creation, which goes on a killing spree, attracting the attention of an international spy ring and the CIA.

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Plot Keywords:

body paint | female frontal nudity | upskirt | woman stabbed | dead woman | 

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Taglines:

Dismembered Bodies, Transplanted Organs, Are Used To Create The...

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 May 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Space Vampires

Box Office

Budget:

$37,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ram Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot over a period of 6 days.

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Goofs

Throughout the film, Tura uses a revolver which has been equipped with a silencer (or something supposed to look like one). Silencers, however, do not work on revolvers, as there are several places besides the muzzle of a revolver that gas and noise would escape, rendering the silencer superfluous.

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Quotes

Dr. DeMarco: [to his assistant, who is menacing the girl strapped to the table] Your own experiments will have to wait.

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Connections

Featured in The Cinema Snob: Dr. Sex (2011)

User Reviews

A masterpiece of bad.

Don't listen to those who claim this isn't a so-bad-it's-good film. It's terrifically lousy and laughably GREAT. From the dull, muted library music to the stock footage of LA Police cars to what has to be the first unnecessary nude-dancer scene (since then, a staple of cop/buddy movies), to the total lack of pacing in the editing, to fight scenes that look like Shriners hugging after an all-nighter, this is hoot city.

First, a compliment: The Astro-Zombies' masks are actually impressive, except they do not say "Astro-Zombies." They say "tricked-out motorbike helmets for the Village People."

You already know the plot, such as it is, from the other comments and no, it doesn't make a wit of sense, but the wife and I enjoyed every grueling minute. Personal favorites: the 40-weight oil on Franchot's hair and Carradine's endless muttering in a vain attempt to let the audience in on the plot. Wendell Corey, apparently stewed to the gills just to be able to mumble his dialog (he died from drink before the film was released). The Astro-Zombie running, running, running, holding a flashlight to his forehead (now that's ACTION!). The long, pointless shots of a car radio. Tura Santana's need to use a silencer in a gun fight (it's a revolver, which can't be silenced anyway, and the silencer is hardly real; more like a mashed dixie cup painted silver). Poor Rafael Campos, actually doing decent acting, making the other players even more wooden. And who leaves a scimitar lying around in a lab? Handy, yes, if you need to lop off someone's head, which as I recall from my own lab experience, is rather rare. But why ask questions about the incongruous? Astro-Zombi cannot answer them. It's an enigma. Or is that enema?

Those toy robots in the credits. What the? Hysterical. This is not to be rented. You must own it.