A rather cheap hybrid sci-fi / horror film with capable performances, strikingly eerie and vibrant visuals and haunting atmosphere.
Directed by Curtis Harrington
Screenplay by Curtis Harrington
Based on story “A Dream Come True” by Mikhail Karyukov, Otar Koberidze
Produced by George Edwards, Samuel Z. Arkoff
Cinematography: Vilis Lapenieks
Edited by Leo H. Shreve
Music by Leonard Moran
Production company: Cinema West Productions
Distributed by American International Pictures
Running time: 81 minutes
Budget: $65,000
Box office: $17.3 million (as at 1 Oct 1966)
Cast
Basil Rathbone as Dr. Farraday
Judi Meredith as Laura James
Dennis Hopper as Paul Grant
Florence Marly as Alien Queen
Robert Boon as Anders Brockman
Don Eitner as Tony Barrata
Forrest J. Ackerman as Farraday's aide
Trailer
An alien species from another planet signals Earth to make formal contact with humanity.
The alien spaceship crashes on Mars.
A distress transmission is sent to Earth.
Earth dispatches a ship to attempt a rescue.
On Mars, the alien spacecraft is located.
Only a single dead alien humanoid is found aboard the ship.
An alien rescue shuttle had left Mars but crashed on the moon, Phobos.
A green-skinned alien female is found alive aboard the wrecked shuttle.
For the rescue mission’s crew, their troubles are only just about to begin!
(Read on for more.....)
(Spoilers follow below…..)
A narrator informs us that it is.....
At the International Institute of Space Technology, communications expert and astronaut Laura James monitors strange signals believed to be emanating from another planet in our galaxy. Allan Brenner has come to see Laura for a lunch date.
On an alien world, a sun sets over a beach. The alien species appear to be quite similar to ours on Earth. Their technology seems to be a little bit more advanced than our own.
Allan and Laura are joined for lunch by Paul Grant and Tony Barrata. Their lunch, however is soon interrupted by an announcement calling on all personnel to assemble for an important message from Dr. Farraday.
The movie opens with title and credits shown over watercolor paintings by John Cline, consisting of alien and other-worldly landscapes and images.
A narrator informs us that it is.....
"The year 1990, the problem of travelling to the moon has been solved for many years. Space stations have been built there and authorized personnel come and go as they wish, but the moon is a dead world. And the great question about space still remains, does life exist on another planet? To seek an answer to this question, the major powers of the world have been actively preparing at the International Institute of Space Technology to explore the planets Venus and Mars."
“We've been picking up these signals now for three days”
At the International Institute of Space Technology, communications expert and astronaut Laura James monitors strange signals believed to be emanating from another planet in our galaxy. Allan Brenner has come to see Laura for a lunch date.
On an alien world, a sun sets over a beach. The alien species appear to be quite similar to ours on Earth. Their technology seems to be a little bit more advanced than our own.
Allan and Laura are joined for lunch by Paul Grant and Tony Barrata. Their lunch, however is soon interrupted by an announcement calling on all personnel to assemble for an important message from Dr. Farraday.
We next arrive at a spacious plaza reminiscent of similar settings from which totalitarian leaders might address the masses on the glorious achievements of their regimes. Here, Farraday informs the assembled personnel that a message sent by another civilization in space has been deciphered. The message informs the people of Earth that an ambassador will be dispatched to Earth from the aliens’ planet:
Meanwhile, on the alien planet a spherical-shaped spaceship appearing like an futuristic over-sized Vostok spacecraft is prepared and launched. Prior to the main ship’s arrival on Earth, a probe is sent to Earth and is seen streaking across the sky before landing in the ocean. After the capsule is retrieved it is sent to the Institute’s labs for study. A video log of the alien ship's entire flight is located in the probe and shows that the aliens' craft had crash-landed on Mars.
Professor Farraday believes there may be survivors on the alien ship and calls a press conference for the next morning.
At the press conference, Farraday proposes the fast-tracking of a rescue mission using the spaceship, Oceano. The proposal is met with oodles of Soviet-era style clapping! Supply ships are soon sent en-mass to the moon, where Farraday and his staff have relocated to moon base Luna 7 to supervise the rescue mission.
Although it is an honor to be selected as part of the crew for the rescue mission, Laura is upset that Allan Brenner will not be with her on the Oceano rescue ship.
“As many of you know for several weeks now we have been receiving organized signals from a far galaxy. This morning our code experts finally deciphered the message…..a spaceship to bring their ambassador to our planet earth! They believe our atmospheric conditions will support their form of life which apparently is similar to our own…...I'm sure the entire world will await the arrival of this spaceship.”
Professor Farraday believes there may be survivors on the alien ship and calls a press conference for the next morning.
At the press conference, Farraday proposes the fast-tracking of a rescue mission using the spaceship, Oceano. The proposal is met with oodles of Soviet-era style clapping! Supply ships are soon sent en-mass to the moon, where Farraday and his staff have relocated to moon base Luna 7 to supervise the rescue mission.
“You're going to be the most famous girl in America.”
Although it is an honor to be selected as part of the crew for the rescue mission, Laura is upset that Allan Brenner will not be with her on the Oceano rescue ship.
Later, as the rescue ship is launched Allan in his spacesuit forlornly watches it depart from the surface of the moon.
“We've progressed 75 million miles toward Mars.”
SUCCESSFUL LANDING ON MARS:
ALIEN SPACESHIP DISCOVERED
“Single Dead Astronaut Found On Spacecraft:
Mystery Deepens.”
Anders Brockman enters the alien craft only to discover the dead alien crew member. Meanwhile back on the Moon base, it is concluded that “there must be more than one dead man” and that “the others must have boarded a rescue rocket which…….is marooned someplace else on Mars - it's the only possible explanation!” Allan Brenner and Tony Barrata then put a proposal to Farraday that involves taking the smaller rocket, Meteor to Mars and immediately deploying surveillance satellites.
“The slightest miscalculation would mean complete disaster.”
In order to overcome Farraday’s concerns over fuel consumption, Brenner suggests that they land on Phobos, then take the rescue ship to the surface of Mars and return to Earth on the Oceano.
After Farraday agrees to the plan, the Meteor enters orbit around Mars. The satellite is deployed and the Meteor lands on the Martian moon, Phobos. The Meteor must depart the moon within thirty minutes or Allan and Tony will be stuck on Phobos for a week.
A stroke of good luck has resulted in the Meteor having landed close to the supposed alien rescue ship, which was presumed to have landed elsewhere on Mars.
Brenner and Barrata proceed towards the alien rescue ship in which they come across an apparent single survivor, a green-skinned female wearing a spacesuit. As she seems to be in some distress, the two astronauts help her back to the Meteor.
The Alien female is placed in a seat aboard the Meteor while Brenner and Barrata decide who will remain behind, as the craft can only carry two.
It is determined that there is not enough fuel to retrieve Tony Barrata on Phobos. However, Farraday assures Brockman that a rescue ship will be dispatched to rescue Tony. As long as he “uses his emergency rations sparingly, he ought to be able to hold out very well.”
“She's probably the most valuable specimen for scientific research in the history of our planet.”
As the Oceano departs Mars, Paul demonstrates to the alien how to drink water from a bottle. She drinks the water, but refuses solid food. One of the crew comments, “perhaps she is only accustomed to some sort of liquid nourishment.” The irony of this comment will soon become apparent.
Brockman wants to study the alien’s blood and believes it may be high in chlorophyll. When she becomes aware that a syringe is about to be used on her, she recoils in horror and knocks the needle to the floor, breaking it. Brockman observes, "this is more than some childish fear of the needle. Perhaps she has an extremely low pain threshold. Perhaps...but we mustn't do anything that may affect her health adversely.” He concludes that their priority is “to get her back to Earth safely.”
The sleep period buzzer sounds and Paul has the first watch. He proceeds to record his notes on tape: “I've spent more time with her than the others and I think that I've noticed something about her that the others haven't noticed yet. She has…..” Now what do you imagine he would have said about their new passenger?
Brockman wants to study the alien’s blood and believes it may be high in chlorophyll. When she becomes aware that a syringe is about to be used on her, she recoils in horror and knocks the needle to the floor, breaking it. Brockman observes, "this is more than some childish fear of the needle. Perhaps she has an extremely low pain threshold. Perhaps...but we mustn't do anything that may affect her health adversely.” He concludes that their priority is “to get her back to Earth safely.”
The sleep period buzzer sounds and Paul has the first watch. He proceeds to record his notes on tape: “I've spent more time with her than the others and I think that I've noticed something about her that the others haven't noticed yet. She has…..” Now what do you imagine he would have said about their new passenger?
“Now we know how she feeds at least”
The next morning, Brockman enters the cabin and sees Paul who appears to be asleep while on duty. He tries to wake Paul, who slumps over in his chair. Brockman then pronounces Paul dead while Laura goes back to check on the alien passenger. Paul's wrist shows evidence of a wound and bleeding. Suddenly Laura's scream alerts the others. The crew then observe the alien lying on her back deeply asleep and apparently satiated with a trickled of blood on the corner of her mouth. It appears as if “she's gorged herself with fresh blood and now she's digesting like a boa.” Brockman observes, "now we know how she feeds at least." Allan declares that "she's a monster" and simply wants to destroy their deadly passenger.
Brockman proposes another course of action and it involves considerations that may very well apply to our own civilization when we eventually come into contact with an extraterrestrial alien species:
“How can we expect her to conform to our ideas of proper behavior. She's not necessarily aware that she has done wrong, wrong - from our point of view that is, but she's much more than just an animal. She comes from a highly evolved planet, technologically evolved, yes. But what about their social structure? Moral concepts as we recognize them maybe non-existent in their society. They may be some sort of intellectual insect which…. probably feed on the blood of some lower form of animal life on that planet as we do on ours.”
Brockman then suggests as a temporary solution to their dilemma that they feed her with blood plasma.
“Into the wastes of outer space; it's a fitting grave for an astronaut.”
After Laura reports the situation to Farraday, Paul Grant's body is given a space burial service. Allan is disturbed by the fact that there seemed to be no sign of a struggle when Paul was killed. Brockman believes that a form of anesthetic in the alien’s saliva allowed her to feed without any resistance from Paul. Allan seems to be unconvinced and feels that something else was involved.
“It sounds ghoulish.”
For a time the alien is successfully fed on the ship’s supply of blood plasma and if that was to run out then the crew will resort to using transfusions of their own blood to supply her with the nutrition she requires.
Later, while Brockman records his notes on tape, his attention is suddenly drawn to the presence of the alien standing at the entrance to her room. The strange buzzing sound is also emanating from that direction. The alien seems to appear and then disappear like a phantom as she approaches ever closer toward the commander. It is quite evident that the alien is exerting a kind of hypnotic power over his will and senses. Brockman struggles against this force and tries to draw his gun and point it at the alien but drops it as he mentally succumbs and sinks into the illuminated vortex of her eyes.
“Makes me sick even to look at her.”
During the next sleep cycle, Laura lies in her bunk asleep in the same section of the cabin where the alien is secured. While Alan is reading a book in the forward section of the cabin, the alien begins to awaken. Employing a power which seems to emanate from her mind and through her eyes, she manages to burn through the ropes securing her arms to the bunk. The alien vampire’s shadow then passes over a sleeping Laura as she moves towards her next prey, Allan.
Laura and the alien engage in a physical tussle during which Laura manages to scratch the alien's back. Her adversary notices with horror her own green blood on her fingers and runs off shrieking – the only sound we have heard coming from her lips.
Allan is on the floor gradually regaining consciousness while Laura applies a bandage to the wound on his wrist. When Allan declares that he is alright, he and Laura go to check on the alien predator. They soon find her laying on a bed, dead with a pool of green blood on the floor below her outstretched arm. Allan deduces the reason why she wouldn't allow the blood sample to be taken from her: she's a hemophiliac and would bleed to death.
“To them we're just animals to be eaten. We can't let these creatures breed on earth.”
After the Oceano eventually manages to land on Earth, Laura opens a cabinet to discover that it is filled with red pulsating eggs lying in a green gel. Allan conjectures that the alien is of royal decent and is possibly a queen of her species and “that's why they sent her. She wasn't just an ambassador, she was a queen. A queen bee. Maybe this is how their society is set up. A queen who does all the breeding. Or maybe their planet was dying and they just sent her to bring her kind to Earth.” Allan is convinced that they must destroy the eggs while Laura reminds him that it’s “not for us to decide. Scientists from all over the world have been waiting for us to bring back something living. They'll keep them under control.” On this shaky note of faith, suddenly more eggs are discovered when another cabinet is opened. Perhaps there are eggs secreted all over the ship.
“You brought back something unique and marvelous from another world - you can be very proud.”
“But doctor, they're deadly!”
With a disturbing lack of decontamination procedures, Farraday bustles in with his staff to retrieve the eggs after brushing off any objections to retaining them for study. The implications for the future of humanity are suggested by a close-up of the red pulsating eggs on a tray being borne by one of the staff…….
Points of Interest
Queen of Blood (a.k.a. Planet of Blood) is a 1966 science fiction horror film produced by George Edwards and Samuel Z. Arkoff and directed by Curtis Harrington.
The film is based on the screenplay for the earlier Soviet feature film Mechte Navstrechu (A Dream Come True). Special effects footage from that film, along with footage from the Soviet science fiction film, Nebo Zovyot (Battle Beyond the Sun) were used.
A Dream Come True was about a queen from another planet and Harrington wanted his film to be about a vampire in outer space so he made that character a female to match the Russian footage.
A Dream Come True was about a queen from another planet and Harrington wanted his film to be about a vampire in outer space so he made that character a female to match the Russian footage.
Queen of Blood was released by American International Pictures as a double feature with Blood Bath.
Director Harrington made Queen of Blood back-to-back with Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet, which also incorporated footage from the Soviet films. Both films starred Basil Rathbone.
The film was shot at Major Studios in downtown Los Angeles and was shot in six days largely due to the use of a non-union crew who were required to work long hours.
In the film the alien vampire paralyses her victims with her glowing eyes, and employs a beam of heat from her eyes to burn through a rope that has been used to secure her arms. The effect of the alien vampire's glowing eyes was achieved by directing pencil-thin beams of light into Florence Marly's eyes.
If you feel that the plot is somewhat familiar then you’ll recall such films as The Thing From Another World and It! The Terror From Beyond Space made in the previous decade earlier and the later sci-fi classic, Alien made in 1979.
During the first half of the film, Queen of Blood recycles footage - mainly long shots - from Soviet movies and incorporates American segments and new dialogue to produce something which does work together quite well and has some degree of coherence. The Soviet footage is a testament to the Russian film makers of the time but its overuse during the first half of Queen of Blood tends to slow the tempo down quite a bit. The best part of the film is the second half leading up to and featuring the onboard scenes as the crew of the spaceship contend with their deadly passenger and the overall atmosphere surrounding the voyage back from Mars.
A novelization of the film, written by Charles Nuetzel, was published by Greenleaf Classics. The cover illustration featured a nude Florence Marly as the alien queen.
Hemophilia which the alien vampire queen was afflicted with, became known as the "royal disease" because it is an hereditary disorder once common among the royalty of Europe who often married one another and tended to be related.
“One should not be shocked by anything we find out there.”
(Farraday)
No truer word may be spoken when it comes to encountering ‘intelligent’ life outside of our own planet. When we do eventually encounter extraterrestrial life, we may need to dispense with our previous preconceptions about what that life will be like. For example;
- How reality is perceived: May be vastly different (incomprehensible?) to our own. Vastly different senses to perceive reality and based on laws of physics yet unknown to us?
- Appearance: No reason to expect it to be humanoid.
- Motivations: Instinct for survival could be more important than curiosity, altruism, mutual exchange of ideas, commerce and trade and desire for friendly co-existence.
- Morality: There may be no concept of “right” and “wrong” or codes of ethical behavior. Instinct and survival imperatives could dictate actions devoid of motives based on justice, ‘humanity,’ malice or evil as we understand such concepts.
- Concept of a deity: Perhaps the notion of a divine entity would have no meaning. It could be that the extra-terrestrial beings possess a pantheon of gods. If they do have a belief in a God, then what if they believe theirs' is the one true and only God
- Communication: Oral /verbal with formation of sounds, vocabulary and grammar? Telepathic? Symbolic? Use of metaphors to convey meaning? Insectoid rasping series of clicks and chirps? Changes of colour to signify meaning, intent and feeling? Mathematically based?
The safest course of action to adopt when we inevitably come into contact with ‘intelligent’ extraterrestrial entities is to presume nothing and expect anything. Our survival may very well depend on it.
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