Strange Invaders
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Movie Reviews of Strange Invaders
Movie Review: Back in the 50's Again!
Summary: 4 Stars
I loved this movie. The 50's environment was so exciting and since it was my favorite decade it was a pleasure to see. The storyline was simple but good - not great, but good and the characters were wonderful. This is pure entertainment with a 50's touch....right down to the music and Nancy Allen turning on a TV and "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was playing. I enjoyed every minute of this movie and I think most people will too.Movie Review: Joe Dante hybrid minus the skill
Summary: 3 Stars
It's difficult to dislike "Strange Invaders," a jovial 1983 tribute to those wonderful science fiction classics of the 1950s. One of its greatest attributes is a stellar cast of actors, bouncing through the ridiculous proceedings with a slight smirk. But it's a clunky film, lacking the necessary zip of a truly competent work. I struggled with the poorly edited scenes and the overall low-budget quality, though much of this was intentional. I thought the film lacked the necessary atmosphere to be truly memorable. The bumbling scenes have an independent quality reminiscent of cult favorites Liquid Sky and Eating Raoul, though without their deviant wit.
If you're going to spoof such unforgettable classics as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, you better have a small town with personality. It also helps the play the game with a straight face, which "Strange Invaders" rarely does. Should we forgive the film's faults or is it a way to camouflage lazy filmmaking? Most of the action takes place in Centerville, USA, a rural town without a smidgen of character. It appears to have a diner and rooming house (no motel?). It can only be reached by a dirt road crossing a railroad track. After what appears to be a 1950's alien invasion during the prologue, with special effects only Ed Wood could love, it's now reduced to a modern day ghost town.
Our hero is New York college professor Charles Bigelow, played by none other than Paul Le Mat (yes, the man who gave the greatest performance in history not to be nominated for an Oscar in American Graffiti). His ex-wife has disappeared, and through a bit of investigation, he's arrived at the eerie Centerville locale. Somewhere along the way he meets a tabloid reporter (Nancy Allen), a UFO investigator (Louise Fletcher) and a broken down Centerville survivor (Michael Lerner). The aliens fire death rays from their fingers, akin to Susan Strasberg during the infamous concluding scene in The Manitou. There's even cameos by June Lockhart, Mark Goddard (of Lost in Space - The Complete First Season fame), Charles Lane and Kenneth Tobey. So, we have a busy Joe Dante (Matinee, Eerie, Indiana - The Complete Series) hybrid minus his exceptional skill.
The beauty of It Came From Outer Space, which this film most closely resembles, is it was actually scary. To this day when watching the film (and others from this era The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, Vols. 1 & 2), there's marvelous suspense and atmosphere and you can kick back with the kids and have a good time. "Strange Invaders" is strictly an awkward comedy. There's a couple of gross out scenes, but not a single moment of suspense or horror. In many ways, "Strange Invaders" is a perfect example of the slow erosion of classic filmmaking. I suppose it's hip. I guess it has its tongue planted firmly in cheek. But timeless craft was on display in the great science fictions of the 1950s, not to mention the incredible talent of Robert Wise, Howard Hawks, Jack Arnold and Don Siegel. If you're going to spoof these great directors, you better have more than average skill.
Movie Review: Fun Little Spoofy Sci-Fi Homage Movie
Summary: 3 Stars
A movie that is a homage and spoof of the alien movies that have been popular since the 1950s, STRANGE INVADERS begins in small Illinois town during the summer of 1958. People are worried about Communism and Elvis Presley is taking radio and television by storm. Then some strange lights appear and it's like that 1956 movie, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHER. Fast forward twenty-five years later, and Charles Bigelow's (Paul LeMat) wife disappears. He suspects she returned to her hometown--the same town at the beginning of the movie--and he travels there to try to find her. Things haven't changed a bit in that place: the cars look like they are from 1958, the people dress like they're from 1958, and none of the buildings look any more modern than 1958. Oh, and no one has heard of Charlie's wife. Then his dog mysteriously disappears. Charlie decides to finally leave the town, but he has car problems. The local mechanic says he can fix it, but it'll take a few hours. But as those hours go by, it becomes clear that the locals don't like outsiders at all and they intend to do something to Charlie, perhaps something very bad. He's able to escape, but not before he's shot at by lasers and runs into a humanoid with the face of a giant insect. Charlie could be crazy, but he's an entomologist and knows an insect when he sees one. He sees a picture of that same bug-face in a newspaper and searches out the reporter, Betty Walker (Nancy Allen) who printed the piece. At first she thinks he's a quack, but after a harrowing encounter with an Avon lady, she realizes Charlie is telling the truth. She joins together with Charlie and together they set out to find exactly what has happened to his wife.
STRANGE INVADERS is a fun, little movie. The writing and acting aren't the greatest, but they get the job done. For me the best part of the movie was trying to figure out how many older movies and tv shows that the film was paying homage to or spoofing. Everything from INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS to CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND gets a nod and June Lockhart and Mark Goddard from the tv show LOST IN SPACE have smaller roles in the film as well as Kenneth Tobey from THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. Also, watch for Wallace Shawn in a small role as a landlord. The movie starts off kind of light-hearted, then turns serious about a quarter of the way in, and finally turns light-hearted again just before the end. It's not a great film, but it is a fun one with just the right mix of humor, suspense, and sci-fi action.
The only extras on the DVD are an audio commentary with the writer and director and the original movie trailer.
Movie Review: Not bad for what it is
Summary: 3 Stars
An ode to 1950's horror flicks involving aliens revamped for the 80s. The best parts of the movie are definitely the make-up effects unfortunately everything else leaves a lot to be desired: The characters are pretty one dimensional, the special effects are limited (though the scenes that are shot with the saucer and lasers coming out of the aliens head's are good). I remember Siskel and Ebert giving this a thumbs down for a couple of good reasons like the story itself and some of special effects. The movie takes place in Centerville twenty-five years after another invasion in the 1950s.
It's an ok movie if you want to relive those 50s, 60s flicks about aliens without much gore and violence. Nancy Allen's character as the tabloid reporter for the National Informer or whatever is called is a bit unbelievable (not too mention she is very "loose" toward men). Paul Le Mat as Charles Bigelow is a mixed bag. As Ebert said he is very much deadpan in the movie then again his character is a divorcee in the works whose not meant to be a hero. The aliens while menacing once we see their inner alien shell are also rather clumsy often not noticing that they might expose themselves. Then again as Mrs. Benjamin (Louise Fletcher) says the government and the aliens have learned to live amongst themselves. Also since this movie besides being an ode to those alien flicks is also a spoof there would be seem to be no real payoff as we've seen these type of flicks before. Director Michael Laughlin only directed another movie after this and it's not hard to figure out why. One source list Invaders as a flop which definitely hurt the guy's chances at making another movie. Allegedly the plan was for three films based on "Strange Trilogy".
I think for me seeing those black and white alien flicks might have expected a bit more in the effects and the gore department and definitely much more of a darker edge. Still though if you are into alien movies and you haven't seen this one it's definitely worth a rental.
Movie Review: 90 minutes of my life that I want back.
Summary: 2 Stars
One of those movies I've heard about since I came out back in the 80's and just never got around to watching it until now. Definitely could've lived without it.
In the 50's, the entire town of Centerville is abducted by aliens who then make an "arrangement" with our government (one of many plot points that is never fully explained here) to stay there disguised as residents and "study" earthlings. Cut to the 80's, a college professor's ex-wife turns out to be one of them, and they're getting ready to go home. Catch is, she's supposed to take their daughter with her. With the help of Nancy Allen as tabloid reporter, he tries to rescue his daughter.
Not funny enough to be a spoof, too dopey to be taken as serious sci-fi, and it seemed like there were a lot of parts where stuff had been taken out. Things that didn't click.
Now there are people out there who will like this movie. There are people out there who will like any sci-fi flick or any movie were people peel off their skin to reveal yucky aliens underneath. But for the more discriminating movie-goer (about 80% of the population), this movie doesn't have a whole lot to offer.
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