ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

Although IMBd lists this film as released in 1989, this wonderful "lost movie" was produced in 1988 but not released until 1991 by Empire International Pictures, the mini-studio with Charles Band at the helm. And even then it was (I think) only available on VHS tape in the U.S., the same sad fate that Empire's other little gem suffered, Robot Jox.

One website states that the original film elements have been lost, so we'll probably never get a Blu-ray of it. And unlike Robot Jox, this film's aspect ratio is 4:3 on the VHS tape —

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— and probably on the DVD I ordered from Amazon today for $7.99 (the only DVD of this movie), even though it's sold by the good folks at Shout Factory.

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The story is a sci-fi fan's dream, with an opening scene of various starships in deep space until the camera finally zooms in on the space station where the story takes place. (I couldn't find a better picture than this one. )

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Actually, good pictures from this fine movie are tough to find, and I spent several hours cleaning up and enhancing the ones I'm posting here!

Our hero is played by Paul Satterfield, who bears a certain resemblance to Christopher Reeve.



He plays a likable young man who eventually becomes a kind of sci-Fi "Rocky" when he decides to be a profession "arena fighter" — something which humans are considered too weak and soft to compete in, because the reigning champ is a brute named "Horn" . . . for obvious reasons.



Paul's fight manager bears little resemblance to Burgess Meredith from the aforementioned film — which is fine, because Miss Claudia Christian has that role in Arena, and she's never looked better in any other film!



She's a tough lady, and she sets Paul up with just the kind of sparing partners he'll need to get ready for the arena.



Sometimes Paul's trainer had to remind the sparing partner not to eat his opponent.



The bad guy in this yarn is a competing fight manager called Rogor, played is by Marc Alaimo — who looks just as scary in this movie as he does as a Cardassian in Deep Space Nine (but I couldn't find a good picture of him either).

Rogor's insanely hot girlfriend is played by Shari Shattuck, and you can bet I didn't give up looking for pictures of her until I found a few that were worthwhile.





Rogor has a colorful henchmen named Weezil, played masterfully by Armin Shimerman, another DS9 alumni.



The movie is packed with great aliens, some of which are played by actors in makeup, like this handsome fella —



— while others are played by men inside giant puppets with multiple operators!




When Paul finally gets the title bout with the champion, the fight is presented magnificently, with all the "Rocky" touches like slow-motion blows and saliva flying out of Horn's mouth whenever Paul lands a haymaker that would have KO'd Apollo Creed!



The trailer for this film does a masterful job of selling the movie, and I was itching to see it after finding the trailer on the VHS tape for Robot Jox I got from Blockbuster Video back in the early 1990s.

I wish the picture was better. Apparently even this movie's trailers have been neglected.

________ ARENA - 1989 trailer - Man vs. Monster


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Krel]

In years past, it used to be shown on cable quite a bit. I enjoyed the movie, and it's pre-CGI effects. I miss the Band films.

The large miniature of the area had an audience consisting of painted Q-Tips with small pieces of paper on the bottom. This is so they could make the crowd move by blowing air from fans under the model. Years later, the effects crew for "The Phantom Menace" copied the method for the crowds in the stands for the Pod Racer scenes.

David.

[Bud Brewster]

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I've posted this poor video just to demonstrate that this enjoyable movie is still a "lost classic" with no decent versions available anywhere . . . dammit!

My DVD-R, made from a VHS tape, is somewhat better . . . but not great. And I read somewhere that the original widescreen negative has been lost somehow!

__________________ Arena (1989) Full Movie


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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At last, here's a fairly good version of this movie, available on YouTube. Unfortunately it's still in 4:3.

Apparently this is the best copy we're ever going to get. But it's still well-worth watching, despite the sad fact that the original wide-screen elements are said to be lost . . .

I'm hoping that a few more of you folks will figure out how to watch movies and chat at the same time — so you can join me and the other guys who regularly attend our chats.

After all, science fiction fans in the 21st Century should be capable of solving this basic problem! Hell's bells, I've mastered the skill — and I was born back in 1948!

So . . . for Pete's sake, what's your excuse?

_________________________ Arena (1991)


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Gord Green]

Cheezy special effects, men in monster suits....cheap space opera...

AND i LOVE IT!!!

A better sound copy on this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qwvUnFb-Yw
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There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

[Bud Brewster]

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Thanks, Gord! The audio is a bit louder.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)