Astro-Zombies [WS]

"Okay, so the digital video technology that underlies this DVD is more sophisticated than any thinking that went into the conception or any talent that went into the production of Astro Zombies -- at least this is the movie presented in its optimum state. The film-to-video transfer is so clean and sharp, that the few major flaws in the condition of the film element stand out that much more; by the same token, the movie is a kind of pop-culture delight, from the shots of characters driving Ford Mustangs to the period go-go dancer entertainment at the club where three of the characters go to talk. The whole of Astro Zombies looks like a really well preserved example of those Scopotone performance videos that turn up every so often on AMC's American Pop; the sound is also decent despite the obviously hasty nature of the production (if principal photography on the 91 minute feature took more than 10 days this writer would be amazed); and even the trailer is in decent shape, given that it's over 30 years old. The DVD is of sufficient quality, in its sound and image, to bring out the little details that were likely missed when Astro Zombies ran in drive-ins, such as the music that seems to have been lifted from those ultra-cheap Richard Cunha horror chillers of the late 1950's (Missile To The Moon etc.); and the sound-effects that seem awfully familiar from any number of 1960's sci-fi series. The movie starts up automatically, skipping the menu, which has to be accessed manually and includes a reasonable 10 chapters (it's hard to believe that anybody would want a more detailed breakdown of the action) and the theatrical trailer, which includes a clever ""in"" joke reference to Tura Satana's most famous screen performance, in Fast Pussycat, Kill Kill. Astro Zombies will never be mistaken for a good movie, but the DVD is about as good a presentation as it's likely ever had or ever will have."