(1966-USA) COLOR. With JOHN SAXON, BASIL RATHBONE, JUDI MEREDITH, DENNIS HOPPER. A talented cast sparkles in this unique and riveting combination science fiction-horror epic. Indeed, after watching it, you may never ever want to stare into the eyes of a beautiful woman again! The year is 1990. Mankind has long ago explored and conquered the moon. The primary question about outer space remains unanswered: Does life in any form exist on other planets? To find out, plans are under way to send spaceships to explore the planets Mars and Venus. The institute has received some special signals relaying a message that a spaceship from a faraway galaxy has been dispatched toward our planet. Meanwhile, an "unknown object" crosses the moon and is headed toward our planet. It reportedly is not the spaceship in question. Various events quickly follow, highlighted by the blast-off into space of a rocket headed to Mars. What is found there is utterly shocking: a gorgeous "queen! bee" vampiress who, in order to survive, must feed off the blood of earthlings! The special effects are imaginatively devised and frequently eye-popping, and it is fascinating to note the manner in which the filmmakers perceive everything from space flight to international relations in the "future" year of 1990! It also is great fun to see young Dennis Hopper in his role as Paul, a space pioneer who is one of the astronauts on board the flight to Mars. This film was produced for only $50,000, using footage from a Russian film made seven years earlier and writing the script around it. Even more astonishing, this is the second Basil Rathbone film to use this same footage!