Dom's B-Movie Round-Up Issue #9

"Robot Holocaust" was featured on the first season of "Mystery Science Theater 3000." I didn't know that before I watched the film. It makes perfect sense, though. I relished in this flick's horridness. It's so bad, that I couldn't turn away from the screen. The plot involves a post-apocalyptic landscape where humans have become "air slaves." They drudge away for an entity known as the Dark One who poisons the atmosphere at will. A group of vigilantes who are somehow immune to the Dark One's aerofarts (I should win an award for coining that term) seek to overthrow this sinister sachem and his band of poorly-acted minions. The friend that I watched "Robot Holocaust" with wanted my head on a lance for forcing him to endure this sketchy spectacle.

Again, I kind of enjoyed "Robot Holocaust." It was fun in a Saturday morning cartoon type of way. The cover art is WAY better than the film itself. There are very few robots in tow. The special effects are pitiable. Pink sock puppets pinch-hit for actual prosthetics, and the Dark One is just a mound of baked beans. One "character" is a C3PO knock-off. Jesus, he was annoying. I'll go ahead and spoil the ending. The Dark One's tyrannical empire is conquered by...throwing a switch. Just so you know, anyone who has the ability to flip a switch is also qualified for the position of Evil Empire Conqueror. Comparable to "Space Mutiny." No, "Space Mutiny" isn't worthwhile either.

The Outing

It amazes me what I find when I survey the bottom of the b-movie ocean. This particular barnacle is a precursor to "Wishmaster." Tell me if the plot sounds familiar. A scarlet jewel cut from an ancient lamp is taken to a museum to be analyzed. An evil genie is released from the lamp. This genie is referred to as a Djinn. Interesting, eh? I'm not suggesting that "Wishmaster" director Robert Kurtzman borrowed heavily from this 1987 spooker, but he had to have seen "The Outing." It was given a theatrical release, and judging from the special effects, I'd say that it had a burly budget.

The spirit of the Djinn possesses the daughter of the museum's curator. She sneaks her friends into the museum at night and kills them off one by one. I tip my welding helmet to director Tom Daley. He slides in creative camera angles, Raimi-esque POV shots, and seizure-inducing lighting. The death sequences are elaborate. There isn't much gore, but that's a blank "Wishmaster" filled in a decade later. The Djinn is an immobile beast that shoots laser beams out of its eyes. The creature design is pretty cool, but it's inexplicably veiled in neon colors. I'm not sure that I understand exactly what the creature design team was shooting for.

"The Outing" is wanting in the character department. The partying teenagers are in their late 20's and the adults are idiots. For the most part, however, the pros outweigh the cons. This flick is no "Wishmaster," but I would watch it before I sat through any of the "Wishmaster" sequels. For another passable "evil genie" entry, check out 2002's "Wishcraft."