Cosmic Cinema: SPACE MUTINY/FIREHEAD

I acquired these titles as part of the SCI-FI SIX PACK COLLECTOR'S SET put out by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, purchased on sale at Best Buy for $14.95 (regular price $19.95). For the price a fair deal, especially considering the contents include 3 double features (6 DVDs in 3 Amaray cases) as follows: FUTURE FORCE/FUTURE ZONE; PREY OF THE JAGUAR/CONSPIRACY OF FEAR; and SPACE MUTINY/FIREHEAD.

When I saw SPACE MUTINY listed on the box I had to buy it.

Why? I remember seeing this totally inept space opera on the local creature features program as a youngling. It is a classic waste of celluloid that's worth adding to sci-fi fans libraries for two simple reasons. First, the producers lifted- as in blatantly stole- their spaceship SFX sequences from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. .

Second, the use of hula hoops, strobe lights, and spandex costumes combined in what has to be the silliest spacebar slash dance scene in a movie ever filmed. .

And if you don't like sci-fi then you'll still want this movie because it was a South African produced oddity and it shows in the uniforms; not to mention the lack of actors representing, shall we say, broad ethnicity. I mean. .

It's the SS in space? Technically the ship is called the "Southern Star" but c'mon! As for the story this movie really has to be experienced and I don't want to ruin it for you but long story short the Southern Star is carrying the last remnants of humanity searching for a new home world. Suffice it to say this is, as the cover blurb says: "Hilarious. . . But not on purpose." Then there is FIREHEAD.

This cheese fest is a dopey Firestarter knock-off that's trying desperately to be a cold war era espionage thriller slash action hybrid starring Christopher Plummer and Chris Lemmon, whose performances are just icing on the cheesecake that is FIREHEAD. The only problem I had with this was the cover synopsis states a "Russian Cyborg with telekinetic powers terrorizes a city" but it's never clear the guy is actually a Cyborg and he's not terrorizing a city so much as attacking secret corporate military targets. However FIREHEAD is a product of the 80s video boom. It's pretty bad, especially the dialogue, but the people making it were professionals so it at least looks good. .

ANALYSIS

Not terribly bad. I do not know how long the BB sale is going to last but this set would be worth getting just for SPACE MUTINY even at the non-sale price since the individual discs MSRP is $6.99. Take into account the two classic 80s era David Carradine flicks and, even if the sci-fi elements may barely be there for the rest of the movies in the set, it's still a good deal.

Video Quality: Fair to good. Firehead was a bit on the dark side at times and had some sound issues, though that may have been a problem with the original production. Space Mutiny looks very good. No screen bugs.

Extras: None. Verdict: Great if you like these sort of cheesy SF flicks.

[This is an archived review. Originally posted here.]