Fangovision 3D Flashback: "PARASITE" (1982)

When 3D reared its head anew in the early 1980s—due in no small part to the commercial success of the Tony Anthony 3D gore western COMIN AT YA!—one of the players who embraced it whole hog was current Full Moon bigwig, then Empire Pictures mastermind, Charles Band. Band of course was, and is, the son of noted producer and sometime director Albert Band (I BURY THE LIVING, DRACULA'S DOG), a man who understood how to ride a trend and market a concept. His quick, out of the gate future shock horror effort PARASITE is (if you see it in its original polarized 3D) one of the most marvelous dimensional works of the period.

Many have cited PARASITE as a guilty pleasure, but there's really not all that to feel guilty about if you groove on it. The film features Empire regulars Luca Bercovicci (director of Band's GHOULIES), The Runaways rocker Cherie Currie (see Fango #299 for Cherie's memories of making PARASITE) and a young, tomboyish Demi Moore in what was her first screen role. In it, a haggard looking scientist (Robert Glaudini) roams the post-nuke desert with a giant coffee thermos, the likes of which contain an experimental toothy parasite. A laser shooting , pre-Agent Smith baddie chases after him, while he also runs afoul of a scrappy band of rogue thugs. All of the action culminates in a ramshackle motel where Currie gets bit, actress Vivian Blaine gets a parasite exploding out of her face (a great Stan Winston effect) and all manner of slow-mo, ultra stylized 3D shenanigans play out.

Many critics accused Band of ripping off ALIEN here, but really it's closer to an action oriented, post-apocalyptic THEY CAME FROM WITHIN (the likes of which its maker David Cronenberg believes inspired ALIEN anyway). And though it looks muddy and odd in its 2D DVD transfer, if you ever get the chance to see it as Band intended, you'll see just how effective it really is.

In the meantime, enjoy this anaglyph red and blue 3D clip from PARASITE.

Use your FANGOVISION 3D glasses found inside your copy of FANGORIA #316

Enjoy and look for a brand new, expansive interview with Charles Band about his experiences on set for PARASITE in a future issue of FANGO!