The 1980s was a glorious time for science fiction. Of course there the bevy of A-list movies that changed the landscape of the genre, and of cinema in general, ever after. But on top of that were all the knock-off and exploitation sci-fi movies that were close enough in makeup to some of those tentpole titles, but which didn’t have nearly the budget nor the effects to fully realize their premises. But that’s what makes them fun! B-science fiction, often direct to video, was a genre all unto itself, and it’s this enjoyment that we hope to share with our new Alpha series, Streaming VHS.
Tuesday night at 8:30pm PT, you’ll be able to log onto Project Alpha and watch a different oft-forgotten sci-fi/action flick from the halcyon ’80s along with us, with live audio commentary by critics, fans, and sometimes even filmmakers themselves! You’ll get to watch a weird old movie and learn a thing or two at the same time.
We hope you enjoyed last week’s movie Arena, with commentary by yours truly and film critic Drew McWeeny. This week promises to be an interesting one, because I’ll be joined by Machinma’s Ricky Hayberg (follow on Twitter!) and our own Dan Casey to talk about the 1989 uber-B-movie, R.O.T.O.R., a RoboCop pastiche with a heaping helping of The Terminator and Maniac Cop mixed in. Some years from now, in Dallas of all places, a police-sponsored program to create the perfect policing machine is forced to speed up considerably. The gruff expert scientist who spearheaded the program, whose character name is Dr. J. Barrett Coldyron, wants out… until he’s forced to deal with the fact that the experiment leads to the experimental robot going rogue and becoming a menace, killing people for even the most minor infractions. Robotic Officer Tactical Operations Research: R.O.T.O.R.!
Have a look!
Looks insane, right? That’s what you get at Streaming VHS! It all begins Tuesday, November 29, at 8:30pm PT. And if you can’t watch live, no worries! The whole thing will be available on Alpha’s VOD the following day, as part of your subscription. Like so many Deadites, we want you to join us!
Image: Imperial Entertainment
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. He writes the weekly look at weird or obscure films in Schlock & Awe. Follow him on Twitter!
