The Beast in Space (3½ Stars)

This film was made in 1980 and takes place in the far future. It seems that Italy has won the space race. The most valuable metal in the galaxy is Antalium, which is needed to make neutron bombs. An Italian spaceship is sent to conquer the planet Lorigon, a planet on which Antalium is known to be plentiful. On the way they encounter two trading ships also interested in getting hold of the Antalium. In a firefight one of the trading ships is destroyed, and the two surviving ships land on Lorigon. They find the planet under the control of a 2000-year-old computer called Rocar. This computer forces the crew of the Italian ship to have sex with one another, presumably in an attempt to repopulate the planet.

The film is amusing in itself. The story seems like a plot from a Star Trek episode. Jim Kirk wouldn't have been in a hurry to leave the planet. The DVD cover, on the other hand, is so terrible that it's unbelievable. The picture has absolutely nothing to do with the film. There is a character with hooved feet, Onolph, but he isn't a horse and he doesn't carry a spear. All the action on Lorigon takes place in a palace or in the woods, never on craggy rocks as portrayed. I wonder if the cover artist even took the trouble to watch the film before he painted the picture.