Plot: What’s it about?
Lisa (Angelique Pettyjohn) is a woman of many talents, including a massive chest and of course, some intense psychic abilities. She is not a witch however, as she uses her powers for good reasons and considers herself to be a good person. But when she is pulled into a government experiment, she is asked to use her abilities in new ways. In addition to her special powers, the government has an assortment of top scientists and military minds assembled, all to work on one crucial, top secret project. The mission is to contact an alien lifeform and then somehow pull it into our own world, which won’t be a simple task. The goal is to harness the strength and savage nature of some insane outer space beasts, a force which could overwhelm enemy forces, without the cost of our own men and equipment. The creature is summoned and captured, but before long, it manages to escape and a reign of terror begins. The alien is more savage and vicious than expected, as it kicks off a blood soaked rampage against anyone in its path. As powerful and unstoppable as the beast seems to be, an end has to come about, or else it could demolish all of mankind as we know it. So Lisa and a small band of others join together, but even with psychic energies on their side, can they stop this hideous beast?
A monster movie with a five year old as the monster? I know it sounds outlandish, but that is the case with Fred Olen Ray’s Biohazard. The director’s young son donned the costume, which adds even more silliness to this chaotic picture. Ray is a student of the golden era of drive-in cinema, which means he subscribes to the notion that films should be loaded with female flesh, bloodshed, and horrific creatures. Biohazard is a little short on the red stuff, but supplies a hilarious monster and of course, ample naked women. Angelique Pettyjohn (The Mad Doctor of Blood Island, Hell’s Belles) bares her incredible breasts in this, one of her final turns on the screen, but she is just one of the lovelies on showcase. Aldo Ray (The Green Berets, God’s Little Acre) provides the star power, though his performance isn’t quite electric. As we all know, Fred Olen Ray (Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, Evil Spawn) has made countless low rent movies, but Biohazard was shot on high grade stock and has a slick, refined texture, not a common sight in these kind of flicks. The same laughable production values, cheese laden performances, and poor writing remain however, so it is business as usual here. This movie runs a little slow at times, but if you’re a fan of B level schlock, then Biohazard is worth a look.
Video: How does it look?
Biohazard is presented in full frame. Retromedia has taken a lot of time & effort to source this transfer from the original elements, which were thought to have been lost for over two decades. But a lengthy search yielded the needed elements and in the end, this terrific visual treatment was well worth all the trouble. The print has some nicks and white marks, but looks so crisp and has such depth, you’ll hardly notice. I didn’t see much grain either, so when the elements were found, they must have been in great condition. The colors look a tinge on the faded side, but contrast is excellent and black levels couldn’t look much better. So given the material involved, I can’t imagine this movie will ever look a whole lot better than this.
Audio: How does it sound?
You won’t want to use this to showcase your home theater, but the included audio option is stable, so no real complaints. The materials seem a little dated and the low budget roots can be heard, but on the whole, this is a more than solid effort. Aside from the obvious sound sync errors, which have always been present, there’s no issues to report, as sound effects and dialogue seem in order, I think. This isn’t the crispest track I’ve heard, but it is more than sufficient and never falters much, so I think deserves an average or perhaps just above average score.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some still photos, as well as an audio commentary track with director Fred Olen Ray. As always, it is a treat to hear Ray’s thoughts and memories, as he is a veteran of schlock and has a lot of insights.
