Details

In the outer reaches of deep space, the spaceship Galliott answers a distress signal from Aura, an unexplored planet. As the ship attempts to land, members of the crew inexplicably begin to attack one another. This is the start of a terrifying expedition into the unknown, one plagued by paranoia, possession and violent mayhem wrought upon the unsuspecting explorers by the planet's mysterious inhabitants.

A sci-fi horror hybrid from genre master Mario Bava (Blood and Black Lace), Planet of the Vampires is widely regarded as one of the most influential genre films ever made, with a clear influence on films such as Alien and Pitch Black. With a uniquely chilly atmosphere and fantastic production design that belies its low budget origins, Planet of the Vampires is a true genre classic.

Radiance Films is founded on a passion for cinema. A series of films, books, merchandise and more curated from a variety of genres and modes of filmmaking, from arthouse provocateurs to genre classics. Each release is created from the best available materials and includes a wealth of supplementary features on disc and extensive booklets featuring new and archival writing, where applicable.

Planet of the Vampires is released as a Limited Edition Blu-ray 27th May 2024 from Radiance Films.

Special Features

Overview

  • 4K scan of the film from the original negative under the supervision of Lamberto Bava and carried out at Fotocinema in Rome in collaboration with CSC Cineteca Nazionale
  • High-Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Italian (90 mins) and English (88 mins) versions of the film
  • Uncompressed mono audio
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
  • Limited edition 80-page book featuring new writing by Kyle Anderson, Martyn Conterio, Barry Forshaw, George Daniel Lea and Jerome Reuter plus archival materials
  • A collection of six exclusive postcards featuring promotional material

Extras

  • Archival audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark (2014)
  • A documentary feature which explores Planet of the Vampires, Mario Bava and the connection between gothic and science fiction. Co-directed by Dima Ballin and Kat Ellinger; featuring interviews with Guy Adams, Xavier Aldana Reyes, Alexandra Benedict, Johnny Mains and John Llewellyn Probert (2024)
  • Archival interview with Lamberto Bava
  • Super 8 Version - a reconstruction of the cut-down version distributed as Planet der Vampire (17 mins)
  • Joe Dante and Josh Olsen trailer commentaries - the filmmakers provide a short overview of the film (2013)
  • Trailers
  • Press and image gallery from the Tim Lucas / Alan Y. Upchurch collection