‘There’s something in the mud…’
Bloodsucker’s Planet is a 2019 American science-fiction comedy film about a strange industrial planet and its bizarre inhabitants.
Written, directed, photographed and edited by Mark Beal (Bloodsucker’s Handbook), the movie stars Joe Grisaffi, Jessica Bell, Adrienne Dobson, Leni Mex and Jeremy Herrera.
Plot:
The crew of the spaceship Argosy respond to a distress signal from the industrial Planet Mara only to discover the planet is ruled by the sinister Mother Vampire.
Along the way, they encounter disease-carrying Mara bats, a talking space roach, and Adrianna, the gynoid whose developing self-awareness is aided by her collection of vintage romance comics…
Capsule review:
Even as a feature of just over an hour Bloodsucker’s Planet fails to be quirky or cheesy enough to warrant its running time. For starters, it takes nearly fifteen leisurely minutes for the rescue on the planet to even begin. Granted, there are a few welcome jokes and references to ’60s sci-fi plus some amusing stop motion effects but this should have been a short film and not a stretched out feature to work effectively.
James Collins, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“Beal obviously knows his genre film fare, and here he helms his feature with respect and reverence to its Euro-horror science fiction forebears. Sure, the budget here was low and the seams sometimes show, but Beal keeps the proceedings played straight for the most part, rather than going for obvious laughs or camp.” Horror Fuel
“One of the best pure science fiction films in years. It’s hilarious, hip and scary, and the epitome of classic ‘60s sci-fi. It’s a terrifying, quirky, vampiric space voyage, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.” House of Tortured Souls
“Bloodsucker’s Planet is a fun, enthralling callback to 60’s science-fiction media with a goofy plot that keeps the audience interested from beginning to end.” Morbidly Beautiful
“The film is short (around the 60-minute mark) and so doesn’t outstay its welcome. If you were a fan of Bloodsucker’s Handbook then you’ll love this too – though a space opera rather than a film noir – and fans of off-beat, low budget sci-fi will definitely have fun. Referential and engaging…” Taliesen Meets the Vampires
Cast and characters:
Joe Grisaffi … Mr Bartlett
Jessica Bell … Adrianna
Adrienne Dobson … Paulina
Leni Mex … Clarissa
Jeremy Herrera … Doc
Charles Pitman … Controller
Allen Menefee … McDermott
Israel Koite … Mr Roach
Cory W. Ahre … Cooke
Technical details:
1 hour 5 minutes
