If you like Italian sci-fi, with its shiny, phony plastic miniatures and sprawling Cinecitta studio sets, this is one of the best, with unbelievable black leather fashions with yellow piping and headhugging skull caps.

…Mario Bava’s talent for optical effects, miniatures and unmatched gift for colour and composition makes this something of an event for sci-fi fans…one of those rare, one-in-a-million movies where base lead somehow becomes solid gold…

Bava injects a startling amount of moody atmosphere and arresting visuals into his low-budget feature.

Perhaps the most pronounced contribution of this obscure Mario Bava thriller is its influence on Ridley Scott.