REVIEWS FOR INDEPENDENT FILM, LOW BUDGET FILM, SHORT FILM & WEB SERIES
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Holy smelly interstellar combat air Adorastius - I really loved this film! Usually when I review throwback flicks and B-Movie hand shakes, that B-Movie genre is simply a means to excuse shoddy production work - and a weak imagination. That's truly not the case with this film. "Galaxy Lords" is no excuse movie, and actually quite the opposite. It's a love letter to B science fiction films of yesteryear. One that works on almost every level.
The spoiler free plot description is simple... sort of. The evil Adorastius has escaped and like any evil movie villain, wants nothing more than revenge, power, and the obvious destruction of everything. Even the kitchen sink. The Champions Of The Cosmos have been grudgingly reassembled. They hope that their leader will lift his self imposed exile and join them. That leader? Commander Helios, the last Galaxian. You were expecting maybe... Luke Skywalker? So grab your craft glue, tin foil, and old refrigerator box as you enter the world(s) of "Galaxy Lords" on an epic adventure. Why the supplies? You just may find yourself wanting to recreate some of the awesome wardrobe within... and that's all you'll need. Trust me. It's a good thing. The truth is this. Before actually watching Dan Underhill and Von Bilka's interstellar adventure, I wasn't really expecting much. I'm a huge fan of B movies - especially those old rips, that stemmed from the success of the larger franchises of the time. Cough-cough-Star Wars? I was expecting the same thing anyone reading this probably is. A crappy iPhone movie or "Blair Witch" in outer space abomination. What I ended up with delighted me to no end. "Galaxy Lords" may be low budget, but that's the point. Von Bilka, who directed this movie, used that lack of cash to his creative advantage. The cheesy look of the film, alongside it's massive amounts of over-drama, end up not looking cheap at all. Well... not cheaply made anyhow. I don't really know how to describe it except to write this. "Galaxy Lords" is corny. It's a cheese-ball film with ridiculous amounts of ridicuosity. So much so, that I even made up that word to describe things. Say it with me... ridicuosity. "Galaxy Lords" manages to capture the vibe of those old rip-off films perfectly - all about the fun of the film itself, and not the serious elements of a standard production. I'll say it again... I loved the film! One of the first things I noticed when considering the technical aspects of this movie, was the sound design. I couldn't help but continue to notice this throughout the entire film. It's splendid. I'm not just talking about the actual score of the film, that happens to be awesome by the way, I'm just writing of the general design itself. Explosions and sound effects, everything is done with the feel of a much larger production. Although some of the sounds are to be expected, ray guns and what-not, everything just blends so well that you could listen... without watching... and feel like you were back in the day. Watching one of these old gems. I really think half the reason I loved this movie so much, was it's use of audio. But then we have those costumes. Oh - those costumes...
... were perfect! Corny. Weird. You think it - it's here. I couldn't help get the feeling of an old "Doctor Who" episode. Some of the props and machines would look right at home. Considering the massive amounts of green screen work involved in this movie, it's amazing everything gelled so well. "Galaxy Lords" just goes to show that with some imagination, anything is possible. At the end of the day, I would call this film one of my favorites of the year so far. The only thing that kept me from giving it a perfect score, was that it felt a little lengthy - as I approached the end. Not from the scenes themselves, rather the accumulation of the entire movie. Had it been ten to fifteen minutes shorter... well that's another story. I also left out on purpose, any thoughts on the cast themselves. It's hard to base an actor on their performance, when some of the portrayals were purposefully over the top. Let me just say that everyone fit the roles. Silly, corny and just right. Kind of like the film itself. "Galaxy Lords" will not be for everyone. Yet if you're one of us... you'll get it. Would I buy this movie even now, after seeing it? You bet I would. Twice. Excellent job. |
