SCI-FI September!

[Inspector Abberline]

Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)

Crazy looking bulbous headed little green men (im assuming there green,they got to be its the 50's) have landed in small town America,right in the middle of some woods and just around the corner from where all the teenagers make out in the back of there cars. Amongst all the sex crazed teenagers,is a miserable old cantankerous old farmer who says things like Consarn it!, and has a prize winning bull who keeps getting drunk while slurping at cans of beer left by the amorous teens . As always when ever there is an alien invasion about to take place,you have to have some rather ineffectual,Military types to balls everything up. Well everything seems all present and correct,every stereotypical character you can think of for a science fiction film is here,from the unbelieving cops to the father who told his daughter not hang around with the trouble making local jock. Even TV's Batman ,The Riddler aka Frank Gorshin is on hand,mostly he just gets drunk and eventually is killed.The whole film is full of goofy dialogue and some rather blatant over acting.Problem being is that the film makers play everything mostly for laughs,as they spoof a genre which had pretty much saturated the 1950's cinema.And that's is the main fault with the film,if the makers had made it a straight genre film,without all the comedy music cues and deliberately stupid dialogue,then it would of possibly been another fun filled Martian flick,but it tries to hard ends up being slightly annoying..That said the scenes with the Martians are quite effective,and there is some nice effects work,especially when an aliens hand is severed and a rather surprisingly nasty attack scene involving the farmers bull,which kind of hints that the film film could of took a decisively more serious direction,Still at around an hour and nine minutes,it was worth a watch and taken with a pinch of salt is worth a viewing or two.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Alien Nation (1988)

[Inspector Abberline]

The Hidden (1987)

I recently re-watched this tale of intergalactic aliens jumping from one human body to another and causing all manner of disruption. Well my initial thoughts are still the same, a great science fiction action flick that should of got more attention at the time of release. But what struck me more this time around was Kyle MacLachlan performance as Lloyd Gallagher. He gives a rather nice understated performance, which reminded me a lot of his role in Blue Velvet the previous year. There’s a couple of great scenes where his character Lloyd Gallagher tries to comprehend his human form, same again when he first meets Michael Nouri as Det. Thomas Beck ,daughter, he gives one of those puzzled looks (like a dog being showed a card trick), considering this was his third film MacLachlan gives a really spirited performance. A worm like alien, that jumps from human to human causing untold carnage as it blows shit up. This large slug like creature covered in slime and takes over people by ramming itself down people's throats, a fairly ghastly sight as this slug is pretty damn large. Also this creature is a thrill seeker, robbing banks, having gunfights with police, stealing fast cars and in one instance taking over the body of a stripper, and enjoying all the benefits that being sexy woman brings shagging someone to death and wearing revealing clothing. Of course even aliens have to abide by the law, hence we have FBI Special Agent Lloyd Gallagher (Kyle MacLachlan) who is in fact an extra-terrestrial law-man who's partner was killed by the body jumping alien. Jack Sholder delivers one of most violent action packed science fiction film sine Predator, its a non-stop piece of popcorn action that mixes the 1980's love for buddy cop movies with the high octane hardcore violence of the Die Hard movies. What makes it interesting is that the alien chooses average looking normal people and gets them to perform over the top acts of violence, the alien seemingly has no real motive apart from enjoying the destruction and carnage and not getting caught by Lloyd Gallagher (Kyle MacLachlan). The film is also laced with plenty of humour, when the alien enters the body of Jonathan P. Miller (William Boyett) a middle aged man with heart problems, he then proceeds to go on some anti-social bender beating up a record store owner, stealing a sports car and most heinous crime of them all ,playing his ghetto blaster to loud in a restaurant, in fact the alien seems to have a love for 80s alternative rock and fast cars mainly Ferrari's. The Hidden revels in its violent sci-fi hokum, and makes no apology for being daft or over the top and in some instance making no real sense. In the last few years we have seen a renaissance of films that have tried to replicate the 80's action film but they all pale into comparison compared to the real deal.

Cliff Willis: He killed twelve people, wounded twenty three more, stole six cars, most of them Ferraris. Robbed eight banks, six supermarkets, four jewelery stores and a candy shop. Six of the ones he killed he carved up with a butcher knife. Two of them were kids. He did all that in two weeks. If anyone deserves to go that way, it sure in the hell was him.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Blade Runner (1982)

One of the most influential science fiction films ever. Ridley Scott's masterpiece based on a Phillip K Dick story pits Harrison Ford against dangerous human replicants in a violent eye popping neo noir epic.

Set in an American Chinatown, some sort of cross between LA and New York, in the far off year of 2019, the film sets the design standards of all neon drenched, rain swept metropolis's produced since.

As thought provoking as films come, Scott's film is a compelling noir thriller, it's vibe a total downer and were it not for the futuristic elements, the film would have sat prettily alongside anything from the pens of Hammett or Chandler from years gone by.

Of the cast Harrison Ford gives arguably a career best performance yet is usurped by a definite career best from Rutger Hauer who is exceptional as the blonde humanoid implanted with memories of a youth which never happened. His dramatic finale just jaw dropping as he whiles away his final seconds "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe." he begins, in possibly the greatest quote from 80's cinema.

Over the years the film has had many different guises from the original theatrical cut including a voice over from Ford which gave the film even more of a noirish feel, to a directors cut which dropped the voice over and added more depth allowing the film to feel more focused and finally a work print i still haven't watched even though i've owned a rather extravagant edition of it in a brief case, and what i watched last night, in fact the version i always watch, Ridley Scott's Final Cut. A staggering achievement over which the director had complete artistic control.

[MacBlayne]

Universal Soldier

Directed by Roland Emmerich
Written by Richard Rothstein, Christopher Leitch and Dean Delvin

Veronica Roberts is about to uncover the scoop of the century. When trying to investigate the members of the US Government’s newest anti-terrorist squad, she discovers a horrifying secret – they are the reanimated corpses of fallen soldiers from the Vietnam War. Soon, she is on the run, aided by Jean-Claude Van Damme’s GR44 – a soldier whose memory starts returning. Unfortunately, they are chased across the country by Dolph Lundgren’s psychotic GR13, who still thinks he’s fighting a war in Vietnam.

Possibly Roland Emmerich’s finest film, this is a highly entertaining chase picture. There are some intriguing themes running throughout, such as a repeat of the Vietnam War in a post-Cold War world with Desert Storm technology. The film even attempts to convey how insane that conflict was. However, all this is pushed aside in favour of having its two leads kick the shit out of each other. Normally, I’d be pissed at this but Emmerich stages some rather excellent action sequences with stunning stunts (it does running down a dam before GoldenEye did it), and accompanied by some cheesy one-liners.

Technical wise, the film is quite good. The camera is far enough to capture the mayhem, the editing is still enough to convey it, and the explosions are more than adequate. Van Damme is decent enough (although, playing a robotic character probably wouldn’t stretch anyone’s talents). But, this is Lundgren’s show. He enters every scene chewing ten pounds of ham, throwing one-liners and Lundgrenades with equal aplomb. Honestly, his performance is probably the only reason people remember this film.

Universal Soldier may not be the smartest film out there, nor the most memorable, but with the right beer and pizza, it makes a solid evening’s entertainment.

[trebor8273]

Mars Attacks.

Tim Burtons love letter too those classic and not so classic 50s sci fi invasion movies, with specific nods to earth vs the flying saucers amongst others. Some fantastic sight gags with unique visual style the suits the film perfectly, a great cast of actors/characters the must of had a hoot making the film. Can't believe that independence day made more money and had better ratings than this. One of Burtons best. 9.5/10

Now watching the monolith monsters followed by invasionof the giant spiders

[Inspector Abberline]

Originally Posted by trebor8273

Mars Attacks.

Now watching the monolith monsters followed by invasionof the giant spiders

I do not wish to be a pedant,but would that be The Giant Spider Invasion directed by Bill Rebane,If so good call I do luv a giant spider mounted to the chassis of Volkswagen,superb.

[trebor8273]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

I do not wish to be a pedant,but would that be The Giant Spider Invasion directed by Bill Rebane,If so good call I do luv a giant spider mounted to the chassis of Volkswagen,superb.

Reading up that's the one but this will be my first tie seeing it

[MacBlayne]

Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms
Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business

Directed by Jeff Woolnough

Made for TV quickies that follow straight from the ending of the first film. Luc “GR44” Deveraux (now played by Matt Battaglia, who had a very small part in the Dolph Lundgren vehicle, Army of One / The Joshua Tree) is on the run again after a government agency try to cover up the Universal Soldier programme.

Which means more super-corpses are turned into regular corpses as Deveraux tries to stop the baddies. Baddies that include Gary Busey and Burt Reynolds. Also, it turns out Deveraux has a brother (Jeff Wincott) that is a living dead soldier too. I was as confused as the writers were.

As usual with these type of films, the production values are as low as the camera angles. The lighting has the contrast set to max, as well as the brightness. I’m guessing the director thought he was making Blade Runner but the network was worried that Grandpa wouldn’t be able to see what was going on. The result is a look that has dark interiors, and exteriors that seem to be basking in a nuclear winter.

On the plus side of things, there are plenty of gunfights. Nothing revolutionary but you won’t fall asleep. Somebody falls down a staircase. And Bill Clinton is a universal soldier too.

That’s your lot. I recommend giving these ones a miss.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by MacBlayne

Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms
Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business

Hang on a minute and colour me confused. Universal Soldier has a sequel starring Van Damme, in fact three sequels and Dolph's also in parts three and four as well. There's The Return, Regeneration and Day of Reckoning.