The Films (4/5, 3/5)

    When I first saw a Troma VHS copy of Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell (aka Dark Fortress) about 20 years ago,  I immediately became obsessed by the director Brett Piper and his unique vision which brought the creature feature into the 80's and beyond. At the time I was in high school, and had an extremely limited budget to spend on films, so all I could find was a VHS of They Bite alongside Nymphoid..., then in the early 2000's Piper struck a deal with Alternative Cinema which allowed him the ability to make further films like Shock-O-Rama, and Drainiac, which updated his style for the digital era.  This month Vinegar Syndrome puts to Blu-ray 2 of Piper's earliest features Battle for the Lost Planet (aka Galaxy Destroyer) and Mutant War.

    These 2 films constitute what can be considered a short series for Piper. The 1986 Battle for the Lost Planet featured rogue thief Harry Trent played by the Mutilator's Matt Mitler. The sequel, Mutant War, which would come two years later would continue the adventures of Trent after the events of the original film.

    Battle for the Lost Planet sees Harry Trent stealing a tape with secret government plans. He is pursued by security, and quickly finds himself in a spaceship which he launches into space. Unfortunately, he is immediately out of gas for his return voyage, and must circle Mercury before arriving home. The other problem he faces is that just as he is leaving Earth, the planet is invaded by aliens called the Izags. Upon returning to Earth, he finds the planet in the throws of post-apocalyptia, and soon hooks up with a band of freedom fighters trying to rebel against the Izag and their dominion of Earth.

    Mutant War follows up on the conclusion of Battle For the Lost Planet.  Trent set off a bomb which killed the Izag, unfortunately, it also let out a huge dose of radiation turning the already post-apocayptic wasteland to an even worse place loaded with ghoulish cannibal mutants who hunt for women to breed with, and then eat. Trent becomes involved with a woman, whose family has been taken by these mutants, and works alongside her to save them.

    Battle for the Lost Planet is top-notch Piper. This film is a solid throwback creature feature with elements of the post-apocalptic cinema that was popular in the 80's.   The film is reasonably well-paced with very few dull moments throughout. The performances from Itler and the rest of the cast are solid and fitting to the material. Mitler basically channels a typical anti-hero in these films, but with fewer rough edges, and it works. Mutant War is a decent film in its own right, but does not have the same charm as the original. It is quite an easy fun watch. Mitler does solid work here, and Piper's creature FX which were quite solid in the first film, are improved by a larger budget.

Audio/Video  (4/5)

    Vinegar Syndrome presents both Battle for the Lost Planet and Mutant War in remarkable 1:85:1 1080p AVC encoded transfers. The transfers here are extremely filmlike, and rich with detail. 

    Audio is handled by a DTS-HD Mono track in English. Everything comes through crystal clear without any discernible issues.

Extras (3/5)

    I'm not sure if I should count Mutant War as an extra since the Blu-ray cover advertises this as a release of Battle for the Lost Planet. However, aside from Mutant War, we get an excellent interview with Piper, plus introductions from the director for both films, and a trailer for Mutant War.

Overall

     I've always found Brett Piper to be an underrated filmmaker in the world of 80's and 90's creature feature cinema. This double feature release from Vinegar Syndrome showcases the director's earliest work with excellent restorations. There is also a small, but solid extras slate. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.