WAR OF THE PLANETS -- Movie Review by Porfle

 

(NOTE: Since this review was first posted at Bumscorner.com in 2005, the film has undergone more name changes--from its original title of TERRARIUM to WAR OF THE PLANETS and, in the U.K., LOST VOYAGER and EXODUS.)


"What's it doing?  WHAT'S IT DOING?"
"It's devouring her, Robert."

After crash-landing on an unknown planet, a crew of space colonists awaken from suspended animation to find that a hairy, carniverous beast has entered the crippled ship and is breaking into their cryo-chambers one by one, dragging them away.  Unable to move until their bodies overcome the effects of their 15-year sleep, they are little more than a human buffet.  Or, as one of the characters aptly puts it:  "We're the goodies behind the glass."

Thus begins WAR OF THE PLANETS (2004), an extremely low-budget thriller (shot on 16mm) written and directed by Mike Conway, who also photographed, edited, and scored in addition to playing one of the astronauts.  The credits are filled with various other Conways and also reveal that several of the lead actors took part in set construction, camerawork, still photography, etc.  Sheila Conway, who plays "Nicole", doubled as one of the mysterious aliens that also inhabit the planet.

The beast, who resembles a man in a Halloween gorilla costume, returns every five hours or so for a fresh victim.  The helpless astronauts struggle to revitalize their long-dormant bodies between attacks by doing isometric exercises as each character takes advantage of the opportunity to fill us in on their backstories, which are pretty standard -- the captain lost his family while gaining the stars, Nicole's dreams were the ticket out of her small hometown, Kim entered the space program after "an overdose, a suicide attempt, and a stint in the psyche ward..."  (Okay, maybe they're not all that standard.) 

During these scenes the cast gets to act from the neck up a la Richard Dreyfuss in WHOSE LIFE IS IT, ANYWAY?, with varying degrees of skill.  None of them are really bad, though -- the performances range from passable to pretty good, and the characters are likable enough to sustain interest.

When the creature inevitably returns, there is a fair amount of suspense as the crew waits to see who is next on the menu.  Noticing that the first three victims have been women, and figuring that a colony bereft of females might be at a bit of a disadvantage in the procreation department, some of the men valiantly start thrashing around and hollering to attract attention to themselves.  

But suicidal Kim will have none of that, and screams:  "Leave him alone, Sasquatch!  Come and get me, you hairy bastard!" and "It's me you want, you son of a bitch!"  I won't reveal what happens next, but let's face it -- if you find yourself in a monster movie, perhaps those are not the best things to say to the monster.

Eventually, however, the survivors finally regain their motor skills and manage to put a locked door between themselves and the voracious beast.  Later they are able to subdue him as well, at the cost of more lives -- but an autopsy reveals that he hasn't been eating them after all.  So why did he abduct them one by one?  Where has he been taking them? 

The mystery deepens when the astronauts venture from the ship to discover that it is surrounded by an impenetrable glasslike barrier, and their night-vision goggles reveal strange alien beings creeping around in the darkness beyond.  The most likely conclusion reached by the captain and what's left of his crew is that they are the subjects of some ghastly experiment -- but at this point, the only thing they know for sure is that they must somehow escape from the barrier and strike back at the aliens with whatever means they have available. 

Obviously, it's reasonable to assume that a movie called WAR OF THE PLANETS might contain elements similar to films like WAR OF THE WORLDS or BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, with entire civilizations waging spectacular war against one another, but what it all boils down to in the end is this small skirmish between the space colonists and the aliens in a remote location near Las Vegas.  (The original title was TERRARIUM.) 

The filmmakers do their best with a very low budget (originally $27,000, but with added special effects reportedly donated free of charge by former STAR TREK:VOYAGER and BABYLON 5 visual effects artists who became fans of the movie during a two-week run at a Las Vegas theater!), and despite the cardboard sets, videogame-level special effects, an uneven cast of volunteer actors, and some unintentionally amusing dialogue ("Your hair looks the same whether it has cryo-fluid in it or not" "That's what they tell me"), it's sort of a fun movie to watch if you're in the right mood. But I'd suggest renting WAR OF THE PLANETS before adding it to your permanent DVD collection or presenting it to that special someone on their birthday.  It's no ROCKETSHIP XM.

Buy it at Amazon.com

Here's our two-part interview with Mike Conway:
Part One
Part Two

 

WAR OF THE PLANETS -- Movie Review by Porfle

MARS NEEDS WOMEN (1967) -- Movie Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 7/10/21

 

Currently watching: MARS NEEDS WOMEN (1967) starring Tommy Kirk and Yvonne Craig. As the sensationalistic title suggests, the plot hinges upon a group of five Martians on a mission to Earth, where they must choose prime female specimens to take back to their home planet in order to help replenish their dying race.

Tommy Kirk, who had played another Martian named Go-Go a few years earlier in the American-International teen comedy PAJAMA PARTY, stars as Dop, leader of the mission, who jeopardizes the whole thing by falling in love with his target, the lovely Dr. Marjorie Bolen, played by the lovely Yvonne Craig (TV's "Batgirl").

The film is produced, written, and directed by Texas-based filmmaker and former 20th-Century Fox bit player Larry Buchanan, who specialized in bringing in profitable made-for-TV movies on very low budgets via his production company Azalea Pictures. 

 

 

 
Some of his other films include such classic bad-movie fare as ZONTAR: THE THING FROM VENUS, CURSE OF THE SWAMP CREATURE, and IN THE YEAR 2889.

It was these films that first made me aware of the wonders of bad filmmaking as a kid, when even at a young age I recognized the cheapness and ineptitude of these films yet felt a strangely inexplicable fondness for them.

MARS NEEDS WOMEN continues the Azalea Pictures tradition of less is less, with extremely limited spaceship effects and alien costumes that consist of rubber scuba suits with little radios with antennae glued over the ears.  The Martians land (off-camera) in an abandoned refrigeration factory where their human female captives can be deep-frozen for the trip back to the red planet.

 

 

The rest of the film takes place in various locations in Houston and Dallas, including the Cotton Bowl (where one Martian chooses a beaming Homecoming queen as his kidnap victim), Love Field (where another Martian unceremoniously steals a car), and the Collins Radio Antenna Building which serves as a NASA decoding center where cryptic messages from Mars are translated into English.

The most interesting abduction, from my point of view anyway, is the one which takes place in a sleazy strip club where a performer billed in the credits as "Bubbles" Cash dances at length under the intense scrutiny of a lucky Martian.

Despite this, much of the film consists of boring characters having dull conversations in rooms, along with reams of military stock footage.  Things do pick up now and then, such as when one Martian obtains needed currency by robbing a filling station and another breaks into a men's apparel store to steal business suits in order to help the mission team blend in.

 

 

The scenes with Tommy Kirk and Yvonne Craig give the film its closest semblance to something worth watching, since both are professional enough to carry off their dialogue with some conviction as their characters gradually become infatuated with each other.

I like the scene where they visit a planetarium and, when the taped monologue about Mars malfunctions, Tommy amazes both Yvonne and a group of visiting school children with his impassioned soliloquy about his beloved home planet.

Technically, MARS NEEDS WOMEN fluctuates between bottom-rung TV episode production values and what could only be described as home-movie-level filming, with inferior dubbing and editing as well. 

 

Still, one must remember that Buchanan was bringing this movie in on a rock-bottom budget and, thus, succeeded in creating something both mildly watchable and ultimately profitable.

Despite a rather solemn air and not a trace of self-aware mockery, MARS NEEDS WOMEN is of interest solely for its amusing "so bad it's good" appeal to those who can actually find such a thing appealing.  Others will be baffled as to why anyone would stick around for more than a minute of it.

MARS NEEDS WOMEN (1967) -- Movie Review by Porfle

INALIENABLE -- DVD review by porfle

Originally posted on 12/23/09

 

 

"From the mind of Walter Koenig", erstwhile Ensign Chekov of the Starship Enterprise, comes INALIENABLE (2009), which starts out as a horror tale of a man who isn't quite sure whether he's carrying a deadly parasite or an alien offspring, and ends up itself resembling the unearthly lovechild of SyFy and Lifetime.

Research scientist Eric Norris (Richard Hatch, a veteran of both versions of "Battlestar Galactica") is trying to discover a cure for AIDS while dealing with the endless guilt caused by the death of his wife and son in a car crash in which he was driving. One day his friend brings him a piece of rock that broke off of an alien wessel--sorry, a meteor--that crashed on his property. Eric wakes up the next day to find that the rock has transformed into a jellyfish-like creature and invaded his body, nestling in a pouch-like protrusion over his left hip and sending tendrils throughout his body which intertwine with his vital organs.

It soon becomes apparent that Eric is "pregnant" with something, and when the FBI finds out about this potential alien threat, he must flee along with a sympathetic coworker, Amanda Mayfield (Courtney Peldon), who has fallen in love with him. After giving birth to the grotesque, tentacled baby (which he christens "Benjamin") in a barn, Eric and his new son are captured and placed under strict observation. Meanwhile, Amanda hooks up with a space-case civil rights lawyer named Ellis (Erick Avari) to help free Eric and allow him to have custody of Benjamin without government interference. This results in a courtroom drama in which Benjamin's humanity, or lack thereof, is in bitter dispute.

INALIENABLE begins with all the elements of early David Cronenberg body horror, but that all changes as soon as the proud dad gets a gander at his new butt-ugly baby with the octopus tentacles and goes all sappy. After that it's all tears and hugs and courtroom intrigue designed to tug at our heartstrings. When Eric and Benjamin are reunited in a holding cell under the watchful eyes of coldhearted government types, their impromptu Charlie Chaplin dance will either make you smile or retch. Most interesting is the battle of wits between the two lawyers over Benjamin's basic "human" rights, bringing to mind similar questions about robot sentience as seen on some of the best episodes of shows like "Star Trek" and "The Outer Limits."


Richard Hatch sells his character convincingly and makes his scenes with Courtney Peldon seem a little lopsided by consistently out-acting her. Koenig, as Eric's boss and eventual enemy (for reasons we discover later on), proves that he's a pretty solid screen presence himself when he isn't having to portray the biggest weenie in Starfleet. Special credit goes to Marina Sirtis for her impressive turn as the queen-bitch prosecutor, a far cry from ST:TNG's compassionate Deanna Troi. Other familiar sci-fi faces pop up here and there throughout the story, including Alan Ruck and Tim Russ (both alumni of different Trek incarnations), Richard Herd, Gary Graham, Jay Acovone, Erick Avari, and longtime sci-fi/horror stalwart and stuntwoman Patricia Tallman ("Babylon 5", "Star Trek", the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD remake).

Production values are adequate but rather spartan, and Robert Dyke directs without a whole lot of energy. The film is low-key to the point of timidity, as though it were aware that someone was taking a nap in the next room and didn't want to wake them up. Some of the courtroom scenes are undercut by the constant drone of strangely soothing music which seems intent on lulling us to sleep ourselves. Worse, Amanda's first meeting with lawyer Ellis is accompanied by an intrusively whimsical tune that lets us know Ellis is supposed to be a funny character, even though he isn't funny.

The alien SPFX aren't very convincing, although it's nice to see something like this done with animatronics and puppetry rather than cheap CGI for a change. The newborn infant is a nicely-rendered creation that's somewhat reminiscent of the baby in ERASERHEAD. Later, the older Benjamin's makeup makes him look more like an aged midget than a cute little alien child, and the less said about his bobbling tentacles the better. Again, however, Richard Hatch does such a good job of interacting with this weird little gremlin that he manages to give their scenes together a surprising amount of pathos.

The DVD from Anchor Bay is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Surround 2.0 and English subtitles. The sole extra is a trailer, but if you zip to the end of the closing credits you get to see Walter Koenig cutting up on the set for about half a minute.

INALIENABLE's heart is in the right place and for the most part it's a fairly absorbing though slow-moving little sci-fi tale. The first half, with its potentially horrific imagery of an unknown alien lifeform incubating inside a human host, would be good fodder for a Cronenberg film or episode of "The X-Files." The second half, though, is a rather listless stroll through KRAMER VS. KRAMER territory with an ending that fails to generate much tension or suspense. All in all, an amiable little flick that I can neither condemn nor recommend with much enthusiasm.

INALIENABLE -- DVD review by porfle

PANDORUM -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 12/29/09

 

Imagine if ALIEN RESURRECTION had been really grim and scary instead of just a fun, pulpy, and ultimately silly sci-fi/action flick. Or if EVENT HORIZON had really kicked major ass instead of just coming frustratingly close. Or if Ridley Scott and James Cameron were Siamese twins. That's pretty much what you get with PANDORUM (2009), one of the most satisfying sci-fi thrillers I've seen in quite a while.

As the film opens, the immense space ark Elysium is carrying thousands of refugees from a dying Earth to another planet that can sustain human life. Crewmen Bower (Ben Foster) and Payton (Dennis Quaid) are awakened from hypersleep to discover that something has gone very wrong--during their abnormally long hibernation, a space sickness known as Pandorum has driven certain other crewmembers and passengers mad. Not only have the ship's systems been sabotaged, but a segment of the ship's population have mutated into terrifying flesh-eating creatures known as Hunters.

With Payton trying to gain access to the bridge, Bower sets off to find the ship's reactor in order to restore power and keep the ship from self-destructing. Along the way he meets warrior woman Nadia (Antje Traue) and Vietnamese badass Manh (Cung Le) who help him survive against wave after wave of attacks from the almost-invulnerable mutants. As time runs out and the symptoms of Pandorum begin to set in, Bower eventually discovers the shocking secret of how truly disastrous their situation is.


PANDORUM starts out with an intriguing mystery that's only gradually revealed as Bower's odyssey takes him further into the bowels of the cursed ship. The fact that he has partial amnesia due to his extended hypersleep means that he must discover each part of the puzzle along with us. We never know if he can trust Payton, who's starting to act a little funny, or if Bower himself may be suffering from delusions. The fellow crewmembers he meets along the way are equally in the dark, while the ones who have been out of hypersleep longer than Bower have become ruthless killers bent only on day-to-day survival.

As Bower, Ben Foster gives an intense performance that finally helps me forget him as Charlie Prince in 3:10 TO YUMA, with old pro Dennis Quaid ideal in the role of Payton. The rest of the cast is also very good, particularly Antje Traue as the lovely and dynamic Nadia. Not quite as lovely but just as effective are Cung Le as Manh and, in a smaller role, Eddie Rouse as a cunning survivor with a culinary interest in our heroes. Cam Gigandet (of the TWILIGHT saga) is suitably mysterious as crewmember Gallo, who may be behind the Pandorum-induced sabotage of the ship and its vital mission.

Director Christian Alvart has crafted a stylish, great-looking film with beautiful cinematography and stunning set design that is continuously impressive. Camerawork is fine and editing is sharp while only occasionally bordering on the hyperactive. Special effects, including an imaginative ship design that looks really cool in the fly-bys, are top-notch.


The late Stan Winston's creature shop supplies some very effective and convincing Hunter-monsters, which reminded me somewhat of the subterranean creatures in THE DESCENT but are even uglier and way more deadly. CGI is used with restraint and doesn't draw attention to itself, which is how CGI should always be used as far as I'm concerned.

The DVD from Anchor Bay is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Surround 5.1 and Spanish mono, with English and Spanish subtitles. Extras include a making-of featurette, flight team "training video", a short film that shows us the fate of Nadia's team, several deleted and alternate scenes, and a trailer. There's also a commentary by director Alvart and producer Jeremy Bolt which is loaded with behind-the-scenes info.

A scintillating space thriller that's both mindbending and action-packed, PANDORUM is a riveting experience that keeps the viewer in suspense until the twist ending. It's definitely up for a spot on my list of favorite sci-fi flicks.

PANDORUM -- DVD Review by Porfle

Worst-Ever Closeup Of Sigourney Weaver In Any Alien Movie ("Aliens", 1986) (video)

 

Video by Porfle Popnecker. I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it.

Thanks for watching!

Worst-Ever Closeup Of Sigourney Weaver In Any Alien Movie ("Aliens", 1986) (video)

ALIEN AGENT -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

 

Canadian sci-fi/action flick ALIEN AGENT (2007) began as a somewhat more ambitious vehicle for Dolph Lundgren. First announced in 2000, it went through several proposed cast members and directors (including Sidney J. Furie, John Fries, and Roger Christian), and an apparent reduction in scope, before finally going before the cameras in 2006 with "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven" star Mark Dacascos in the lead and acclaimed stunt coordinator Jesse Johnson (PIT FIGHTER) in the director's chair.

Dacascos plays Rykker, an intergalactic lawman who is trying to stop fellow aliens Saylon (Billy Zane) and Isis (Amelia Cooke) from opening up a wormhole between their planet and Earth to facilitate their conquest of the human race. 

After Isis and her goons murder the only remaining family of truckstop waitress Julie (Emma Lahana, "Power Rangers"), she hooks up with Rykker to help him stop the invaders and falls in love with him in the process. Meanwhile, the construction of a stargate between the two planets continues in an abandoned power station, where the final battle for Earth's fate will take place.

Despite the loftier aims initially attached to this project, the final result doesn't look much different from standard Sci-Fi Channel fare, but with extra violence and brief nudity added. Vlady Pildysh's sketchy script is pure pulp, with good aliens vs. bad aliens (who have taken over human bodies so that very little special makeup is required) battling each other with guns and martial arts in normal everyday settings. Even the stargate which features prominently in the finale is little more than a big, rotating plastic ring with some CGI sparkles added.

What ALIEN AGENT does have going for it is an abundance of action. Blazing shoot-em-ups and fierce hand-to-hand battles occur in quick succession with brief snippets of story to link them together. The martial arts sequences are well-staged and convincingly executed, and are edited so that the rapid-fire shots flow together very smoothly. The gunfights and car chases are similarly impressive, with an abundance of satisfying explosions and other mayhem. 

One early moment which got my attention shows warrior woman Isis firing a bazooka from a moving truck and blasting the pursuing Rykker's car right off the road, all in one shot; another finds her blowing up half the cars and trucks in a parking lot as Rykker makes off in another vehicle. The only detriment in these scenes is director Johnson's unfortunate tendency to try and accentuate the action with jittery zoom-in, zoom-out camarawork, which never fails to make even big-budget movies look rinky-dink (as Michael Bay demonstrated in THE ROCK's big San Francisco car chase).

Dacascos, with his soulful demeanor and martial arts skills, is well-suited for the role of Rykker, while Emma Lahana makes for a spunky sidekick. On the bad alien side, Amelia Cooke plays a pretty convincing Isis, but Billy Zane doesn't appear to be investing much in the role of the evil leader Saylon; in fact, he seems to be having more fun playing the baseball-capped yahoo whose body Saylon inhabits upon his arrival on Earth. In a lesser role, the great Kim Coates, who was Chet in the celebrated "Touch me again, I'll kill ya" scene from THE LAST BOY SCOUT, makes a welcome appearance as a sniveling human scientist in league with his future alien overlords.

DVD specs include 1:78:1 widescreen, Spanish subtitles, and a trailer. This Allumination Filmworks release is rated R for violence and brief nudity, the latter consisting mainly of a nude shot of a showering Julie which appears to have been done by a body double with great abs.

Though not quite the sci-fi epic originally conceived, ALIEN AGENT is an action-packed diversion that's fun to watch as long as you keep your expectations low.

 

ALIEN AGENT -- DVD Review by Porfle

Something Not Quite Right About "STARMAN" (1984) (video)

Karen Allen's character in "Starman" is so sweet and caring.

She can't stand the idea of a poor animal being killed for food.
Or the people who would do such a thing!

But then she goes into the diner...
...and orders a "Super-Burger."

Later, Starman resurrects the dead deer.
It's wonderful...

...but what about that poor Super-Burger?


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Something Not Quite Right About "STARMAN" (1984) (video)

Teaching The Space Babes How To Kiss! ("INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES", 1962) (video)

Two military misfits run into two gorgeous alien babes...

...and in the interest of good planetary relations...

...they teach them what little they know about love!

Bob Ball
Frankie Ray
Gloria Victor
Dolores Reed

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Teaching The Space Babes How To Kiss! ("INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES", 1962) (video)

"ALIEN" (1979): Ripley Flees As Ship Self-Destructs (video)

"ALIEN" was one of the most thrilling films of the 1970s.

Audiences who saw it during its first run would never forget it.

The film became a milestone in sci-fi cinema and made a star of Sigourney Weaver as "Ripley."

One of the most nail-biting sequences is Ripley's frantic effort to escape in a shuttlecraft before the ship explodes.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

"ALIEN" (1979): Ripley Flees As Ship Self-Destructs (video)

All The Ray Gun Disintegrations In "TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE" (1959) (video)

Thor (Bryan Grant) is the bad teenage alien who kills without mercy.

Derek (David Love) is the good teenage alien who runs away to be an Earthling.

Thor will stop at nothing to kill Derek...or anyone who gets in his way.

The ray gun's flash is thanks to a highly-reflective front attachment.
It's simple and economical, but effective.

Later, Derek uses the ray gun's power for good to destroy a giant space lobster.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

All The Ray Gun Disintegrations In "TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE" (1959) (video)

INVASION PLANET EARTH -- DVD Review by Porfle

Most alien invasion movies are a mixture of elements from other alien invasion movies, hopefully with enough new angles and fresh ideas to give them a jolt of originality.

INVASION PLANET EARTH (2019) is a good example--it's a little "War of the Worlds", a little "Independence Day", a bit of "When Worlds Collide", some "2001: A Space Odyssey", and a big dash of brand new stuff to make it worth plunging into.

Thomas Dunn (Simon Haycock, WASP) and his wife Mandy (Lucy Drive, ZOMBIE MASSACRE 2: REICH OF THE DEAD) are pregnant again after losing their first daughter at an early age, but before this ray of sunshine can pierce the veil of their somber existence, the world is invaded by thousands of alien gunships swarming out of an orbiting mothership while Thomas, Mandy, and certain other humans begin having terrifying visions of a nuclear apocalypse.

The mystery of just what these aliens are up to spices up all the familiar plot elements, with the alien ships zapping people and transporting them into oblong containers with windows through which they can helplessly observe countless others being similarly abducted.

Strangely, all the troubled mental patients in the facility where Thomas works are coming out of the experience seemingly cured of their mental and emotional maladies, after having some really weird, personalized mental delusions. (One of them imagines a full-scale zombie invasion.)

Then, an interesting sort of wormhole/stargate effect whisks them into a land of who-knows-where in which Tom's childhood desire to save the world like his sci-fi hero "Kaleidoscope Man" prompts him to engage in some pleasingly heroic exploits.

Meanwhile, Mandy's stuck back on Earth as her grade school class breaks up due to impending world destruction (the alien invasion comes just as the nations of the Earth are on the brink of nuclear war) and she's forced to flee for her life while wondering where the heck her husband is at the moment.

Through her eyes we see cities destroyed, masses of people in blind panic being either abducted or vaporized by nuclear blasts, and other horrors.  It's here, amidst some stunningly-rendered cityscapes, that the film's apocalyptic imagery is at its most intense and affecting. 

With all of these exciting science-fiction elements in play, it's too bad director and co-writer Simon Cox (DRIVEN) is working with a much lower budget than any of the previously mentioned sci-fi classics. 

This means that while the effects we see during most of the film's running time serve to adequately convey the more mindblowing elements of the story, they rarely rise to the level of the more opulent sci-fi blockbusters.

Still, the sheer amount of colorful, frenetic, and sometimes dazzling effects compensates for their lack of Hollywood production gloss.

At any rate, once INVASION PLANET EARTH gets fired up it plunges forward like a blue streak and carries us along with it through some wildly imaginative territory to a pleasingly unexpected ending.  Low-budget ambience aside, it's got the most important features of absorbing sci-fi, which are imagination and a deeply-felt sense of wonder.


EXTRAS INCLUDE:

    The Making of Invasion Planet Earth
    Deleted Scenes
    Director Commentary Track with writer/director Simon Cox
    Trailer

PROGRAM INFORMATION

VOD: Available on Cable and Leading Digital Providers (Amazon, iTunes, Fandango Now, AT&T, Comcast, DirecTV, etc)
DVD: Available at Walmart, Amazon and local retailers
Directed By: Simon Cox
Written By: Simon Cox, Simon Bovey
Produced by: Simon Cox
Starring: Simon Haycock, Lucy Drive, Toyah Willcox, Sophie Anderson, Julie Hoult, Danny Steele and Ian Brooker
Composer: Benjamin Symons
D.O.P: Gordon Hickie
Production Company: AlphaStar Productions
Distribution: 4Digital Media
Run Time: 92 Minutes 49 Sec
Rating: NR
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 (2.35:1)
Audio:  2.1 Stereo, 5.1 Dolby Digital
Language: English

Official website

INVASION PLANET EARTH -- DVD Review by Porfle

Porfle's Trivia Quiz: "THE THING" (1982) (video)

Many fans consider this John Carpenter's best horror film...

...or at least one of the best of the eighties.

It's definitely one of the most effective...

...particularly because of its excellent practical effects.

How much do you remember about it?


Question: What is the movie called in the opening titles?

A. "The Thing (From Another World)"
B. "John Carpenter's The Thing"
C. "The Thing"
D. "John Carpenter's The Thing (From Another World)"
E. "John Carpenter Presents The Thing"

Question: What game machine is MacReady playing?

A. Chess Master
B. Chess King
C. Game Arcade
D. Chess Wizard
E. Chess Magic

Question: Who is killed during the CPR scene?

A. Copper
B. Bennings
C. Childs
D. Clark
E. Palmer

Question: Who does the blood test reveal to be an alien?

A. Nauls
B. Windows
C. Palmer
D. Childs
E. Garry

Question: The last two survivors are MacReady and...who?

A. Blair
B. Childs
C. Garry
D. Windows
E. Nauls


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Porfle's Trivia Quiz: "THE THING" (1982) (video)

Porfle's Trivia Quiz: "ALIEN" (1979) (video)

In the summer of 1979 audiences thrilled to the sci-fi blockbuster ALIEN...

...which would become a bonafide classic of the genre...

...and turn director Ridley Scott and star Sigourney Weaver into household names.

But how much do you remember about it?


Question: What does Kane want when he gets back to Earth?

A. Tall cold beer
B. Some hot sex
C. Gallon of coffee
D. Some decent food
E. Box of donuts

Question: What does Ash try to kill Ripley with?

A. Magazine
B. Wrench
C. Ashtray
D. Pillow
E. Pencil

Question: What quality does Ash admire about the alien?

A. Hostility
B. Survival instinct
C. Purity
D. Intelligence
E. Adaptability

Question: At what point does Ripley stop the self-destruct countdown?

A. 20 seconds
B. 15 seconds
C. 10 seconds
D. 5 seconds
E. She doesn't

Question: What song does Ripley sing while attempting to eject the alien?

A. "Swinging On A Star"
B. "Star Light, Star Bright"
C. "You Are My Lucky Star"
D. "Wishing On A Star"
E. "A Star Is Born"


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Porfle's Trivia Quiz: "ALIEN" (1979) (video)

"DARK ENCOUNTER" Supernatural Sci-Fi Thriller Arrives on Digital and DVD January 7 -- Watch Trailer HERE!

4 DIGITAL MEDIA INVITES HOME AUDIENCES TO EXPERIENCE THE SCI-FI SUPERNATURAL THRILLER

"DARK ENCOUNTER"

Arriving On VOD And Digital HD On Leading Digital Platforms And DVD On January 7, 2020

A year after Maisie Anderson vanished, her family return home from her memorial service only to be terrorized by strange lights in the sky, which may hold the truth behind Maisie’s disturbing disappearance.

WATCH THE OFFICIAL TRAILER:

PROGRAM INFORMATION
VOD: Available on Apple iTunes and other Leading Digital Providers
DVD: Available at Amazon and Walmart.com

Starring: Laura Fraser, Mel Raido, Alice Lowe, Sid Phoenix, Grant Masters, Vincent Regan, Spike White


Directed/Written by: Carl Strathie
Produced by: Charlette Kilby, Alan Latham
Distribution: 4Digital Media
Run Time: 98 Minutes
Rating: NR
Genre: SciFi, Supernatural, Thriller
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 (2.39:1)
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo and 5.1 Surround
Language: English

For more information about DARK ENCOUNTER:
IMDB

OFFICIAL HASHTAG: #DarkEncounterMovie

"DARK ENCOUNTER" Supernatural Sci-Fi Thriller Arrives on Digital and DVD January 7 -- Watch Trailer HERE!

Richard "Jaws" Kiel As The Solarite Monster In "Phantom Planet" (1961) (video)

Sixteen years before gaining screen immortality as "Jaws"...

...in the 1977 James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me"...

...Richard Kiel had his very first credited screen role.

He played the captive Solarite monster in "The Phantom Planet." (1961)


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Richard "Jaws" Kiel As The Solarite Monster In "Phantom Planet" (1961) (video)

Goofiest-Looking Alien Monster Ever? "Robot Monster" (1953) (video)

Indy filmmaker Phil Tucker didn't have much money to spend on special effects.

So he put a space helmet on a gorilla suit and called it "Robot Monster."

It was a valiant effort.

Ro-Man was played by ape-suit actor George Barrows.

The music was composed by Elmer Bernstein.

The film was shot in four days, in 3D, for approx. $16,000.

It grossed a million dollars in its initial release.

It has since become one of the most popular "bad movies" of all time.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Goofiest-Looking Alien Monster Ever? "Robot Monster" (1953) (video)

Is That A UFO Behind John Wayne In "Rio Grande"? (1950) (video)

Many believe that during this scene with Duke and Maureen O'Hara...

...the camera accidentally caught a distant UFO in the upper left corner.

Viewers still disagree over whether the scene was shot on location...

...or on an indoor soundstage with a painted backdrop.

What do you think?


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Is That A UFO Behind John Wayne In "Rio Grande"? (1950) (video)

What If Curly Joe Was In The Final Three Stooges Short? (video)

What If Curly Joe Was In The Final 3 Stooges Short?

The last ten minutes or so of the 1959 Three Stooges feature "Have Rocket, Will Travel" plays just like one of their old short comedies.

What if it was? What if Curly Joe's debut had been in their final short subject instead of in a feature film?

Here's what it might have looked like...


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

What If Curly Joe Was In The Final Three Stooges Short? (video)

"ALIEN: DESCENT" Location Based VR Experience Announced Today

FOXNEXT AND PURE IMAGINATION STUDIOS PARTNER TO TRANSPORT GUESTS INTO THE ALIEN UNIVERSE

WITH "ALIEN: DESCENT"

A FREE-ROAMING VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE

Recruit your squad starting on April 26, ALIEN Day, at Outlets at Orange in Orange County

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 18, 2018) – Pure Imagination Studios and FoxNext Destinations will open ALIEN: DESCENT, a cutting-edge free-roaming virtual reality experience at The Outlets at Orange in Orange County on April 26. Additional locations will be announced soon. Tickets can be reserved now at AlienDescent.com.

Set in the ALIEN universe, guests join an elite squad of Colonial Marines sent to investigate a distress signal from a Weyland-Yutani mining outpost. Just before losing contact, the facility reported a mysterious infestation. It’s up to the guests and their squad to contain the threat, quarantine any survivors and get everyone to safety. While on the mission, guests move freely through the immersive space battling aliens, ranging from face-huggers to full-grown Xenomorphs.

ALIEN: DESCENT features a first-of-its-kind wireless technology developed by Pure Imagination Studios. The technology allows up to four guests to move about freely in VR, without the use of PC backpacks or wires. Each guest is armed with a custom-designed weapon and motion-tracking sensors on their arms and legs. Environmental effects, motion platforms and other surprises that simulate the descent into the heart of the Alien threat enhance the experience.

“ALIEN: DESCENT’s story-first approach is at the forefront of the location-based VR experiences that we’re rolling out. Our goal at Pure Imagination Studios has always been to push the boundaries of what’s possible — VR attractions are the perfect medium to do just that. Partnering with the forward-thinking team at FoxNext made for a potent combination of storytelling minds and innovative thinking to set a new benchmark for destination entertainment,” said Joshua Wexler, co-founder of Pure Imagination Studios.

“VR attractions bring together immersive entertainment with social experiences that can’t be replicated in the living room. The rich storytelling opportunities in the Alien universe makes it a perfect fit for cutting-edge destination entertainment. Plus, who doesn’t want to battle Xenomorphs and save the world?” said Salil Mehta, president of FoxNext.

“We're thrilled to allow guests the freedom to experience and engage in VR without the need of a cumbersome backpack.  The dream is to allow guests to fully immerse themselves, let loose, and have fun,” said Rob Taylor, co-creator of the experience from Pure Imagination Studios.

ALIEN: DESCENT opens April 26, ALIEN Day, at the Outlets at Orange. Tickets can be reserved at AlienDescent.com. The Outlets at Orange is located at the intersection of I-5 and State Highways 22 and 57 in Orange, California. More information can be found at simon.com/mall/the-outlets-at-orange.

ALIEN DAY returns on April 26, 2018 for an epic third annual global celebration of the iconic sci-fi franchise. ALIEN DAY is a nod to planet LV-426 from the landmark ALIEN film. For more information on all ALIEN DAY activities go to AlienUniverse.com.

About Pure Imagination Studios
Pure Imagination Studios is an award-winning independent entertainment studio that brings content and experiences to life across existing platforms while at the same time forging new ones. Through the combination of proprietary technology and groundbreaking storytelling the studio brings the next generation of entertainment to audiences of all ages across all platforms. Pure Imagination is led by an experienced group of storytellers, dreamers, doers, mad-scientists and experiential engineers who have designed, built, produced and worked with some of the most iconic brands in the world from clients including Warner Bros., FOX, DreamWorks, Marvel Entertainment, LEGO, Universal Studios, Merlin Entertainments, Six Flags and others. Their portfolio of projects have expanded fan engagement on multiple platforms including a diverse slate of animated television shows, cultural experiences, digital-series, theme park attractions, virtual and augmented reality immersive experiences, projection mapping shows and more. Pure Imagination Studios is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. Visit:  pistudios.com

About FoxNext
FoxNext expands the storytelling universes of our most cherished franchises at Twentieth Century Fox Film and Fox Networks Group through virtual reality, games and location-based entertainment. FoxNext pushes the boundaries by enabling the best creators and innovators to share their stories across an ever-growing spectrum of emerging platforms. The division consists of FoxNext Games, FoxNext VR Studio and FoxNext Destinations.

About FoxNext Destinations
FoxNext Destinations, a division of FoxNext, is developing themed entertainment destinations that immerse guests in the company's iconic film and TV brands. Current projects include 2017 THEA winner Springfield, USA and 2009 THEA winner The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando, Alien: Descent, a free-roaming VR experience, and Avatar: Discover Pandora, a new interactive exhibition inspired by the breathtaking environments and inspirational cultures of Pandora. Other projects include FX's American Horror Story at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights and the 20th Century Fox World theme park in Malaysia, currently in development.

"ALIEN: DESCENT" Location Based VR Experience Announced Today

"ALIEN: COVENANT" First Redband Trailer Released! Plus New Pics

Witness the Creation of Fear

ALIEN: COVENANT  Hits Theaters Everywhere on May 19, 2017

Directed by: Ridley Scott

20th Century Fox has released the first trailer for ALIEN: COVENANT! Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise.

The crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. Check out the trailer and film stills below!
 
        Watch the NEW REDBAND TRAILER


Cast: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby

Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise.  The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world.  When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.  

ALIEN: COVENANT Official Channels
SITE:
AlienCovenant.com
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"ALIEN: COVENANT" First Redband Trailer Released! Plus New Pics