Forbidden World
Encyclopedia
Forbidden World, originally titled Mutant, is a 1982 cult classic
science fiction
/horror film
. The screenplay was written by Tim Curnen, from a screenstory by R.J. Robertson and Jim Wynorski. It was co-edited and directed by Allan Holzman, who had edited Battle Beyond the Stars
two years earlier. The cast includes Jesse Vint, Dawn Dunlap
, June Chadwick
, Linden Chiles
, Fox Harris, Raymond Oliver
, Scott Paulin
, Michael Bowen
, and Don Olivera.
The film received three nominations for the 1983 Saturn Award
s: Best Low Budget Film, Best Make-up and Best Special Effects. It was generally panned by critics as a cheap, exploitive imitation of the movie Alien
, with sex, nudity, uneven editing, cheap special effects, and an audio track that some found unpleasant. It has, however, attained a certain cult status among fans of grungy, cheap, sleazy science fiction. It is frequently paired with and compared to the previous year's Corman-produced Alien
rip-off Galaxy of Terror
, with which Forbidden World shares some of the same sets (designed by James Cameron
). It is notable for its gruesome violence, oddball electronica music score by Susan Justin (available in full as a DVD-ROM feature on the German release of the film), odd, choppy editing and a scene in which the two female leads take a shower together.
Forbidden World is has also been released under the titles Mutant and Subject 20.
Professional troubleshooter Mike Colby (Vint), accompanied by his robot assistant SAM-104 (Olivera), is called in to investigate the problem. After Colby settles in, his decision to terminate Subject 20 to prevent further deaths is met with research-minded secrecy and resistance. The staff of the station includes the head of research, Gordon Hauser (Chiles), his assistant Barbara Glaser (Chadwick), lab assistant Tracy Baxter (Dunlap), the station head of security and Cal Timbergen (Harris), the chief of bacteriology.
As Subject 20 continues to unleash a storm of gory fatalities that decimates most of the station crew, the lid on the deception is finally withdrawn: Subject 20's genetic design incorporates human DNA. Furthermore, its method of killing is most horrifying: This beast injects its prey with the Proto B DNA strain which then proceeds to remove all genetic differences within specific cells. The result is a terrifying death as the victim's living body slowly erodes into gelatinous pile of pure protein which subject 20 then uses for food. After its final mutation, where the creature evolves into a huge insect-like being with a large mouth full of sharp teech, the creature is eventually slain when it eats Cal's cancer-ridden liver, its body genetically self-destructing from within. Mike and Tracy are the only survivors.
released Forbidden World on both DVD and Blu-ray. The DVD is a 2-Disc set. This set also includes the original Allan Holzman cut that was rejected by Roger Corman due to having humor, while Corman wanted the film to be done as a straight sci-fi/horror film. This is the first time this cut is available anywhere.
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
/horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
. The screenplay was written by Tim Curnen, from a screenstory by R.J. Robertson and Jim Wynorski. It was co-edited and directed by Allan Holzman, who had edited Battle Beyond the Stars
Battle Beyond the Stars
Battle Beyond the Stars is a Roger Corman-produced science fiction film, directed by Jimmy T. Murakami and released in 1980. The film, intended as a "Magnificent Seven in outer space," is a pastiche of The Magnificent Seven, the Western remake of Akira Kurosawa's film Seven Samurai...
two years earlier. The cast includes Jesse Vint, Dawn Dunlap
Dawn Dunlap
Dawn Dunlap is an American actress best known for her appearance as Laura in David Hamilton's Laura.She quit the film industry in 1985 and moved back to her home state of Texas.- Filmography :...
, June Chadwick
June Chadwick
June Chadwick is an English actress. Her most well-known TV roles are as Lydia in the science fiction TV series V: The Series, and as Lt. Joanna Parisi on the third season of the series Riptide....
, Linden Chiles
Linden Chiles
Linden Chiles is an American character actor. His television roles include Steve Kirk on Convoy, Paul Hunter on James at 15 and Clyde Darrell on Perry Mason. He has also appeared in a guest starring role in numerous other TV series during the 1960s and 1970s including The Fugitive.-External links:...
, Fox Harris, Raymond Oliver
Raymond Oliver
Raymond Oliver was chef and owner of Le Grand Véfour restaurant in Paris, one of France's great historical restaurants. Oliver detested the nouvelle cuisine, preferring the rich ingredients favored by the chefs in his native Gascony....
, Scott Paulin
Scott Paulin
Scott Paulin is an American actor and television director.-Career:His work includes appearances in well-known television series like House M.D., ER, Cold Case, 24 and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
, Michael Bowen
Michael Bowen (actor)
Michael Bowen is an American actor. Films he has appeared in include Jackie Brown, Magnolia, and Less Than Zero. Bowen also had a recurring role as Danny Pickett on the ABC television series, Lost....
, and Don Olivera.
The film received three nominations for the 1983 Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
s: Best Low Budget Film, Best Make-up and Best Special Effects. It was generally panned by critics as a cheap, exploitive imitation of the movie Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
, with sex, nudity, uneven editing, cheap special effects, and an audio track that some found unpleasant. It has, however, attained a certain cult status among fans of grungy, cheap, sleazy science fiction. It is frequently paired with and compared to the previous year's Corman-produced Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
rip-off Galaxy of Terror
Galaxy of Terror
Galaxy of Terror is a 1981 science fiction/horror film produced by Roger Corman and directed by Bruce D. Clark. It stars Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Robert Englund, Ray Walston, Zalman King, Grace Zabriskie and Sid Haig...
, with which Forbidden World shares some of the same sets (designed by James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
). It is notable for its gruesome violence, oddball electronica music score by Susan Justin (available in full as a DVD-ROM feature on the German release of the film), odd, choppy editing and a scene in which the two female leads take a shower together.
Forbidden World is has also been released under the titles Mutant and Subject 20.
Plot synopsis
In the distant future, a genetic research station is located on the remote desert planet of Xarbia, and a research team has created an experimental lifeform they have designated "Subject 20". This lifeform was built out of the synthetic DNA strain, "Proto B", and was intended to stave off a galaxy-wide food crisis. However, Subject 20 mutates rapidly and uncontrollably and has killed all of the laboratory subject animals before cocooning itself within an examination booth. After Subject 20 hatches from its cocoon, it begins killing the personnel at the station, starting with the lab tech charged with cleansing the subject lab of the dead animal test subjects.Professional troubleshooter Mike Colby (Vint), accompanied by his robot assistant SAM-104 (Olivera), is called in to investigate the problem. After Colby settles in, his decision to terminate Subject 20 to prevent further deaths is met with research-minded secrecy and resistance. The staff of the station includes the head of research, Gordon Hauser (Chiles), his assistant Barbara Glaser (Chadwick), lab assistant Tracy Baxter (Dunlap), the station head of security and Cal Timbergen (Harris), the chief of bacteriology.
As Subject 20 continues to unleash a storm of gory fatalities that decimates most of the station crew, the lid on the deception is finally withdrawn: Subject 20's genetic design incorporates human DNA. Furthermore, its method of killing is most horrifying: This beast injects its prey with the Proto B DNA strain which then proceeds to remove all genetic differences within specific cells. The result is a terrifying death as the victim's living body slowly erodes into gelatinous pile of pure protein which subject 20 then uses for food. After its final mutation, where the creature evolves into a huge insect-like being with a large mouth full of sharp teech, the creature is eventually slain when it eats Cal's cancer-ridden liver, its body genetically self-destructing from within. Mike and Tracy are the only survivors.
DVD and Blu-ray
On July 20, 2010, Shout! FactoryShout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
released Forbidden World on both DVD and Blu-ray. The DVD is a 2-Disc set. This set also includes the original Allan Holzman cut that was rejected by Roger Corman due to having humor, while Corman wanted the film to be done as a straight sci-fi/horror film. This is the first time this cut is available anywhere.