Wavelength

I love to debate with those who claimed this was a rip-off of E.T... While E.T. was good, it was obviously more cute with cute kids and a cute alien. Wavelength is much more adult. I didn't see this as the same film as E.T. at all, if anything, I found John Carpenter's film Starman a replica of Wavelength--it came two years after Wavelength and had the EXACT same silver sphere spaceship hovering in the desert!!

The story of someone discovering aliens in a secret underground government complex may not be new, but it's how the story is told and how the characters affect us that make it work. Robert Carradine is likeable and even sings a few of his own songs. Would have been nice to add those to the soundtrack CD, but I can't complain about having this great Tangerine Dream score (particularly the Church Theme). Former Runaways band member Cherie Currie was a nice surprise in the cast--it's a shame someone felt it necessary to exploit her by having her in a brief nude scene. It's so cliche to have a naked woman get out of bed and never the man...it's as if to say, yeah, we can pull in the male audience by giving them a naked woman to gawk at. Since this was from New World Pictures, I had to check to make sure Roger Corman wasn't listed as producer since his name (like John Landis) automatically means breasts are mandatory. Keenan Wynn adds sass as usual to any film he's in, and doesn't disappoint.

The real stars are the aliens. It's wonderful to see how much can be conveyed without dialogue! One particular moment of brilliance (and a nice comment on religious ideology) is when they are whisked into a church to hide and Carradine and Currie try to get the aliens to put clothes on to disguise them as children. At first the aliens won't cooperate, but when they look up at a statue of Jesus on the cross (and seeing the despair on Jesus' face), they quickly start to grab for the clothes! That scene deserves to be listed as one of the all-time best scenes in film. It's important to note too that the minimalist makeup job for the aliens is very good, I didn't notice any seams or wrinkles on the skin. They seemed naked, but who's to say what beings from other worlds wear?

Nice pacing, believable performances, great Tangerine Dream score, and good use of location (yes, using the desert is economical, but the final sequence is a wow), and the emphasis on the drama of the situation instead of bombastic sci-fi visuals make Wavelength a worthwhile time. I've seen and forgotten many films in my life, and when a film like this is one you think about once in a while, then it did its job well.

I only hope that someday it's re-issued on DVD and given the chance to be re-discovered and acknowledged!

I saw the trailer for this film on an old VHS I was watching, and was intrigued enough to purchase it on eBay. All I can say is it was worth every cent. A marvellous little "unknown", with strong performances from the whole cast and great chemistry between them. The storyline is solid and unique, and is nowhere near a rip-off of earlier films. Of course, the music was another bonus, particularly the quick, sharp cues we get during the most dramatic scenes.

A lot of tension is evident throughout the film, building up as we go along to a most memorable conclusion. The shots of the spaceship in the desert with the stunned Air Force pilots were great! There seems to have been a great deal of effort put into pacing too, and the film flows along very smoothly. Just an excellent movie and very highly recommended!

You can count on one hand the number of "aliens on earth" movies that are well made since the 1980's. "Wavelength", with a plot containing a few elements of several other sci-fi movies, pulls off an intriguing look into why we seem to have no knowledge of alien contact--only our ever increasing suspicions. The short length is perfect, as you care about the characters but don't have to wade through more-than-enough exposition to reach the thrilling denouement. However, if you go in expecting a big-bucks budget and effects you will not get your fill. Instead, enjoy the cast who carry off the narrative through good chemistry and solid, non-flashy acting. The director/screenwriter has given them a sci-fi film with plenty to work with, including an eye-popping finale. As other reviewers have previously noted, the Tangerine Dream filmscore is excellent, too. It is a shame that this little gem isn't available in a widescreen DVD format yet. Catch it some other way when you can.

Tangerine Dream soundtrack, as always, leaves the movie feeling dreamy and surreal.

One of the few films about secret alien bases and experiments that is watchable. The acting and dialogue is top notch. Keenan Wynn makes an appearance and is excellent as usual.

The film all feels like it takes place in a single night and into the following day. It blends together many different science fiction motifs fairly well and tries hard on a small budget to be convincing. It's nice to watch a movie that isn't dumbed down.

Seems to be a kind of holdout from the seventies psychedelic head flicks in some ways. It has that reformed hippie quality about it.

Substituted for expensive, spine-tingling special-effects, are an engaging story and credible performances, particularly from Cherie Currie. If you like seeing what a capable independent filmmaker can do with a limited budget - I recommend this film.