Contamination (1980) - Arrow

[DaylightsEnd]

I just picked this up after not having seen it for many, many years. All I really remembered about it were some of the excellent melodic hooks from the entertaining score. And it didn't disappoint. Arrow truly did a fantastic job on this transfer, way back in 2015. Moreover, this flick is chock-full of cinematic Itali-trash gold. It's a shameless, ambitious Alien-meets-Zombie Italian clone sci-fi/horror-adventure mash-up, with a kiss of Body Snatchers and some James Bond-style villain action rolled in for good measure. As you'd have to expect, it has catastrophic pacing issues and insurmountable plot holes, but if you're micro-analyzing "Alien Contamination" for continuity and sophisticated production, you need your head examined. Some of those slow-mo alien pod-burst and body-burst sequences are beyond hilarious. There's even a cop/suicide-by-pod scene. The various hazmat, heat and tactical suits utilized throughout, the funky sound effects, and the matter-of-fact dialogue delivery are top-shelf low-grade magic. The bizarre, disgusting, ridiculous finale was riveting. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I'm stunned at the picture quality, because the last time I saw this flick on either vhs or dvd long ago, the transfer was literally unwatchable. Kudos to you on this, Arrow. I'm late to the party, but it's a worthy addition and a great entry in the Italian B-horror knockoff genre.