Astro Zombies

Astro Zombies is a science fiction/horror B-movie that was released in 1968. This cult classic directed and produced by Ted V. Mikels involves a riveting exploration of the lines between scientific innovation and the macabre — a narrative that plays on fears about the creation of humanlike robots gone awry.

The movie begins with Dr. DeMarco who is played by veteran film actor John Carradine. Dr. DeMarco is a brilliant, albeit disgraced, senior scientist who has been discharged from the prestigious Space Agency because he developed sinister human implants during his mission of creating an invincible being of great physical and intellectual power. The intentions were noble, but the results turned out to be diabolical — the creation of zombie-like creatures, referred to as Astro Zombies.

Dr. DeMarco, upon being expelled, starts working from an underground laboratory seeking to bring his radical project to completion — he works on his own horrifying versions of these human-like creatures, maniacal beings with no free will of their own. These creatures are nameless, emotionless, and their only purpose is to follow the orders of their creator, in this case, the deranged Dr. DeMarco. This plot arc lays the foundational premise of the Astro Zombies and creates an eerie suspense that pervades the entirety of the movie.

Astro Zombies features an impressive ensemble cast who helped to bring this film alive. Along with Carradine, the movie also statically stars Tura Satana as Satana, a foreign spy on a mission to steal DeMarco’s technology. She displays a fierce, take-no-prisoners attitude and becomes a driving force of the narrative.

In the meantime, there's also a witch-hunt to capture Dr. DeMarco and his Astro Zombies unfold headed by Holman, played by Wendell Corey. Holman is a former colleague of Dr. DeMarco and a leading expert at the Space Agency, who strives to track down DeMarco and stop his radical scientific experiment before it spirals out of control and wreaks havoc upon humanity.

Throughout the movie, the audience is treated to a gritty, tension-filled duel between forces of science, espionage, and destruction. The result is a manic parade of horrific escapades and ghastly discoveries, as characters vie for control over the Astro Zombies’ technology.

The movie not only offers generous doses of suspense and horror, but it also provides a compelling critique of what can happen when science is used for nefarious ends. It unearths the fear of self-destruction when human innovation outpaces human understanding or control, an idea that resonates even today as we delve further into robotics and artificial intelligence.

Despite being created more than half a century ago, Astro Zombies continues to provide thrilling entertainment to classic horror and science fiction fans. The practical effects, though unquestionably dated by today’s standards, imbue the film with a vintage charm that's unique to the era of 60's horror.

Additionally, Astro Zombies' cryptic dialogues and atmospheric film score combine to evoke a sense of ambiguity and impending peril, in tune with the movie’s overall theme. Although the plot narrative and special effects can seem rudimentary compared to today’s high-tech horror flicks, the strengths of Astro Zombies lie in its classic B-movie simplism and its power to build suspense despite its limited resources, making it a worthy addition to the canon of vintage horror films.

Astro Zombies' intriguing blend of horror, science fiction, suspenseful chase sequences, and classic sixties styling, make this movie a cult classic worth revisiting. It's a trip back to the silver age of the B-movie horror genre and a testimony to Ted V. Mikels' ability to craft a compelling narrative using horror and sci-fi themes.