For the original work that this is based on and several others, pick up a copy of the anthology "The Reel Stuff" edited by Brien Thomsen and Martin Greenberg, Daw Books Inc. 2008. This, "The Minority Report" by Philip K. Dick and "Who Goes There" ("The Thing") by John W. Campbell are the best of the lot. I'm sure Amazon has it.

So if you like cheesy 80's music, TV and movies, then please see this. Otherwise, just pass. It really isn't that good. The cast is fun with Catherine Mary Stewart and everyone's favorite 80's rock star - Michael Des Barres. And there is some decent effects and atmosphere to spare. But it looks like 'Robert Collector' was going for a Michael Mann style look and just came up short. Again, good for 80's nostalgia. But that's kind of it.

I revisited this 80s sci-fi flick last night. This has a lot of things going for it, most notably the effects work by Fantasy II Film Effects. Yes, the same group that toiled on ALIENS and THE TERMINATOR worked on this and their miniature work is exceptional. The sets and sound design are also great. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is just kinda blah with some bad 80s hair and clothes to date it. Something must have gone down during the filming because director Robert Collector, of RED HEAT with Linda Blair fame, took a pseudonym on the final film. A crew hires the spaceship The Night Flyer from Captain Royd to go and investigate something in space. What they don't know is the ship is controlled by a computer that houses the spirit of Royd's dead psychic mother. Before you can say Oedipal complex, crew members are being wasted left and right. Catherine Mary Stewart (NIGHT OF THE COMET) is the female lead and doesn't get to do much other than give a hard stare when things go wrong. Rocker Michael Des Barres shows up as a psychic whose head ends up bisected when he is on the wrong end of a laser. Worth checking out once I guess which shows you how much of a sucker I am for watching it twice. Based on a novel by George R.R. Martin.

The silly, uninteresting story (a computer that has the mind of a mother with a fixation on her son?) and the annoying overacting of some of the players are the two most important - but not the only - problems with this very, very minor sci-fi flick. However, the effects are good for what they probably cost, and Catherine Mary Stewart shows indications of being a strong female lead - she deserves a better movie. (*1/2)