Moontrap

Moontrap is a 1989 American science fiction film produced by Magic Films. Written by Tex Ragsdale and directed by Robert Dyke, it was released on April 28 at WorldFest Houston. A comic book adaptation, featuring the film's production notes, was released in the same year by Caliber Comics. The cast features Walter Koenig and Bruce Campbell as modern-day astronauts, with Leigh Lombardi as an ancient astronaut from a forgotten human civilization. They face an alien invasion by a race of predatory cyborgs.

Moontrap is a 1989 American science fiction film produced by Magic Films. Written by Tex Ragsdale and directed by Robert Dyke, it was released on April 28 at WorldFest Houston. A comic book adaptation, featuring the film's production notes, was released in the same year by Caliber Comics. The cast features Walter Koenig and Bruce Campbell as modern-day astronauts, with Leigh Lombardi as an ancient astronaut from a forgotten human civilization. They face an alien invasion by a race of predatory cyborgs. ==Cast== Walter Koenig as Colonel Jason Grant Bruce Campbell as Ray Tanner Leigh Lombardi as Mera Robert Kurcz as Koreman John J. Saunders as Barnes Reavir Graham as Haskell Tom Case as Beck ==Production== Robert Dyke, who headed Detroit based film studio, Magic Lantern Studios, specialized in commercials and special effects, but had always had an interest in science fiction. In 1986, Dyke teamed up with friend Tex Ragsdale, another science fiction fan and an ad exec at Detroit’s Smith Winchester Agency, to come up with the script for Moontrap. Dyke approached B. K. Taylor at a local comic book convention and recruited him as a production designer on the film, with Taylor crafting the look of both the monsters and the alien civilization in a way that he hoped would be reminiscent of a 50s George Pal produced sci-fi film. ==Reception== Moontrap received negative reviews from critics. The movie holds a 29% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. IMDb gives the movie a 5 out of 10. DVDtalk had a higher opinion of the movie, stating that for a low-budget picture it often exceeds expectations. In its review of December 27, 1989, Variety stated "Moontrap is a very entertaining though highly derivative sci-fi adventure ... this one's a goodie ... Moontrap is exciting and suspenseful." ==Release== Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment had initially intended for the film to be a regional theatrical release, but ultimately released the film direct-to-video. A Blu-ray DVD was released on the 25th anniversary of the movie in September 2014¹. The movie had previously only been officially released on VHS. ==Sequel== In a 1990 interview, James Glickenhaus of Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment noted he and Robert Dyke were prepping a sequel to Moontrap to be titled Moontrap 2: The Pyramids of Mars. However, that film was not made, due to the studio's financial issues. On April 17, 2011, Robert Dyke and Tex Ragsdale launched a fundraising campaign for a Moontrap 2 graphic novel that would be adapted into a movie. The project was intended "to act as a presentation device to show potential backers of the hoped-for film what it's going to be about. More effective than a script alone in that it not only tells the story but shows what the film will look like." However, due to lack of contributions the project was cancelled on June 1 of the same year. In early 2014, another project was announced by Robert Dyke and Tex Ragsdale. On February 5, a Facebook account was created for Moontrap Target Earth. The first post said, "Watch this space for news about Moontrap Target Earth, now in pre-production with the original Moontrap creative team." Two days later, a post on the Moontrap Target Earth page confirmed the legitimacy of the new project: "Moontrap Target Earth is not a direct sequel to the original feature but, instead, a new stand-alone adventure." The plot is described as "an archaeological dig uncovers a long-buried spacecraft from an ancient, advanced human civilization. A young woman studying the ship suddenly finds herself transported to the Moon, to unlock an ancient mystery." Pre-production began in February and filming commenced in April at the Motion Picture Institute in Michigan. The cast includes Sarah Butler as Scout, the main character; Charles Shaughnessy as Richard Kontral, the ruthless agent of a shadowy organization; and Damon Dayoub as Allen, an adventurer who joins a mission to expose a world-changing secret. Other cast members include Niki Spiridakos, Tarick Salmaci, Chris Newman, Jennifer Kincer, Jon Ager, Cara AnnMarie and D.B. Dickerson. On February 7, 2017, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released Moontrap: Target Earth. ==References==

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