When it comes to low-budget and obscure, one has to look no further than The Spirits of Jupiter as it fits the bill more than most and yet, that does not mean that it is not any good. It comes as no surprise that few people in the world have discovered this hidden gem of a film but these are the kinds of movies that make the hunt all the better no matter how bad or good they might be.

The story involves the planets aligning out in space and as they move through the celestial firmament, something Nostradamus predicted many moons ago, it starts to affect the atmosphere on Earth causing chaos inside the minds of men and women everywhere. Some seem like zombies while others have a death wish and then there are those people who have simply gone crazy. In the case of Jim Driller, he is given a gold plate to keep on his head, under his cowboy hat, not knowing what it is for but soon learning that it keeps him sane. The same cannot be said for the local sheriff who has gone power-mad and is looking to shut down Jim’s mine, thus setting off a showdown during what seems like the end of the world.

To put it plainly, this is a pretty crazy film and though there are moments where it is a little tedious, it soon picks up with all sorts of ridiculousness that turns out to be one of the film’s strengths. There is no way any of this was supposed to be taken seriously so all one can do is strap in and enjoy the ride. One could also say that this would fit nicely in the science-fiction genre but so too does it fit right into the horror category as most label it. The sheer insanity portrayed by most of the cast who lose their minds thanks to that planetary alignment is actually quite scary. The effects are so random that one has no idea what any single person is going to say or do. Will they be violent and if so, towards others or will they self-harm? Will they shut down and be a vegetable or enact some sinister plan? Factor in a little random violence and more than a bit of action and once a person makes it past the first act, it speeds along at a decent pace.

Unlike many films with a smaller budget, there were many moving parts in this picture, with director Russell Kern weaving together a tapestry that was filled with big ideas that worked quite well despite any failings one might have found within. A world gone mad is quite a novel thought to make into a movie and it is too bad that he was hampered by the circumstances which resulted in this end result. The actors ranged from good all the way to bad, some of them being silly while others were effective with the better ones having all the bit parts, playing the madmen and women whose brains were not functioning as they should be. At the very least, the horror shone through which is what most would normally tune in for and at the end of the day, The Spirits of Jupiter may be odd and might be a curiosity but one that is worth a look.

2.5 out of 5