contamination

Today the chest-bursting scene from Alien easily ranks as one of the most shocking in cinema history. And it was even more impactful when it was just released in 1979. So it’s no wonder that someone tried to build a whole film around that 90-second sequence; logic, budget and artistic integrity be damned! That sort of semi-sequel coattail riding was exactly what the Italian film industry did best, especially with horror and science fiction properties. Contamination (1980) doesn’t make any apologies for lifting the more affordable ideas from Ridley Scott’s film. It simply provides as many non-sensical bloody bodies as the budget allows.

Sent out to investigate a ghost ship that turns up in New York Harbor, Lt. Tony Aris (Marino Mase) barely escapes with his life after the cargo of exploding “eggs” splatters toxic goo on the rest of the team, producing a chemical reaction that causes them to explode within seconds! Recruited by a tough lady colonel (Louise Marleau) to discover the source, their search leads to a former astronaut (Ian McCulloch) whose previous account of similar eggs on Mars was blamed on a psychological breakdown. Soon, the three to them are embroiled in an interplanetary conspiracy, racing to stop the eggs from being used as weapons of mass destruction.

Incorporating some of the paranoid plot elements of the then recent remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), director Luigi Cozzi lets the story ping-pong entertainingly between a mindless shock show complete with exploding mice and buckets of yellow bubbling goo to an unexpected alien invasion plot with plans for global domination. In short, Contamination is willing to do whatever it takes to keep you watching, that includes staging chest-burstings as regularly as a radio traffic report. The effects are convincing enough that, despite the repetitive shots of slow-motion guts and gore, one can’t help but look forward to the next fireworks show.

Actor Ian McCulloch, who also headlined Lucio Fulci’s tropical undead rip-off Zombie, gives his usual earnest performance, anchoring the silliness with his macho intensity. And Cozzi photographs the film with a slick, professional look, capturing some stunning New York skylines that make the most of his location work and crafting one or two suspenseful sequences amidst all the splatter. Also of note, the pounding synthesizer score by Goblin whose sound is an Italian horror signature. No one will mistake Contamination for anything other than a quick cash-in on the success of bigger and better films. But as an example of ‘80s Italian exploitation, it’s a real contender.

Previously released on DVD by Blue Underground, the new hi-def Blu-ray from Arrow Films offers a dramatic visual improvement and more extras than even the most ardent fan could expect! It starts with a “fan commentary” from Fangoria editor Chris Alexander, then moves into actual interviews with Cozzi and McCulloch, Goblin keyboardist Maurizio Guarini, a vintage “Making Of,” further comments from Cozzi on his career and an extremely entertaining featurette about the rash of Italian rip-offs from the era.