Outlaw filmmaker Carl J. Sukenick has been responsible for much bargain bin B-movie insanity throughout his career, giving the world such schlocky delights as Mutant Massacre 2 and Alien Beasts. Little is known about a number of his obscure, hard-to-find works, although thanks to SRS Cinema, one such forgotten ‘classic’ has now made its way to blu-ray and VHS.
An early work of Sukenick, Space Psychos is so obscure that, as noted in the following portion of SRS’ press release, no one seems quite sure as to when it was made.
“Carl J. Sukenick seeks revenge in his horror thriller. After the assassination of his sister, he is forced to find and kill the aliens and terrorists who did it… From the twisted mind of bad b-movie master Carl J. Sukenick comes this lost feature from his earliest filmmaking days. If you haven’t seen a Carl J. Sukenick feature and you’re a fan of really bad yet bizarrely entertaining cinema, then you are definitely missing something in your life.
Made back in the 1980’s or 90’s (we’re really not sure) on a budget of some $30k, this movie – featuring an odd cameo/interview with noted radio personality Joe Franklin and supposedly scream queen Debbie Rochon (according to Carl, but we couldn’t find her in the movie) – has largely been lost to the general public. But we’re proud, and horrified, to bring it to you in a first ever Blu-ray (Carl’s first movie EVER on Blu in fact) and all-new VHS release.”
A near-lost slice of underground filmmaking, Space Psychos cannot even be found on IMDb. The only film bearing the title that can in fact, is 2003’s Space Psychos 4, also made by Sukenick. The Debbie Rochon confusion could be down to her seemingly appearing in the director’s 2002 film Space Spawns. As this also supposedly starred Joe Franklin, is it possible that this is Space Psychos under a different name, and it was made a lot later than speculated? Either way, this nutbags trailer is the funniest thing you’ll see today, and will leave you wondering just where that $30k budget went.
SRS’ Blu-ray and VHS copies of Space Psychos are available to buy now. The Blu is limited to just 50 copies, and the VHS to 30, although a wider DVD release will follow. SRS note that: “The Blu and the VHS will be the ONLY releases of the movie in its original form; an unlimited DVD with some of the music changed will come out sometime in 2017.”
Words: Kevan Farrow (@KevanX)
