User reviews

There are a handful of fine films that have never been released on tape or disk. Sometimes they show up on the few independent TV stations around the country that still have access to the old collections of movies that used to circulate in the days before cable. Nearly lost films, except in the memories of people who saw them at drive-ins or on TV before the current age of homogenous viewing. Unearthly Stranger is a perfect example of this kind of film. Not the masterpiece that Invasion of the Body Snatchers is, Unearthly Stranger is still a wonderful science fiction story with trappings of the paranoia that characterizes Body Snatchers, I Married a Monster, and other, earlier, SF films. Stranger was a throwback when it was new, and that may be why it was pretty much ignored when it was released. With DVD releases of an awful lot of true garbage, there really is no excuse for the continued neglect of this stylish, almost lost movie.

We love digging up neglected low-budget sci-fi films and we really enjoyed this one. In some ways it is quite typical British sci-fi of its period, in other ways it is odd and unusual. It had a feel of an extended TV production, and reminded us of the soon-to-come Patrick Macnee & Diana Rigg series 'The Avengers', not surprising really as several names in the credits later showed up in that series. Overall, this film is an enjoyable entertainment, a cut above the B-movie fayre that characterises the early 60's.

I remember the first time that I saw this SF chiller was at a local drive-in theater in the late 60's as the second feature. I don't remember what the first one was--that's how creepy "Unearthly Stranger" was for me. For a low-budget film it has everything: wit, intelligence, excellent acting, compelling direction, and for it's modest budget more than adequate (minimalist) use of special effects. I've seen it a few times since on t.v., and just recently acquired a second or third generation copy on ebay. I was waiting for the scene where the professor's wife ( whom we already know is a tad unusual) goes for a walk into town and loiters near the public schoolyard, where the nine-to twelve-year-olds are playing. While standing there, the children, one by one, begin to take notice of her, and in a mass, start backing away from her...well, if you haven't seen it, what follows is worth the price of viewing by itself. A bit of info: many years ago a friend told me that this film was actually inspired by the SF novel "To Walk The Night" by William Sloane, originally published in 1938. When I finally got a copy, I was surprised how the closely the plotline of "Unearthly Stranger" hews to Sloane's novel. Hard to understand why the producers would fail to give credit where credit's due...at any rate, find a copy where you can, and pray for it's release on DVD!

Just watched this on Talking Pictures TV, here in the UK, an independent channel that is always screening little known or forgotten movie gems. Unearthly Strangers being a good example. It starts off with one of the main characters running up a superb spiral staircase, had this been filmed in colour instead of black and white the effect would not have been anywhere near as good. But talking of effects, in regards to the aliens they are practically non existent. The only give away signs are that they don't blink, nor do they suffer burns when handling hot casserole dishes without wearing gloves! Acting is good. Gabriella Licudi is gorgeous. The film is very reliant on dialogue and may bore some viewers but the final scene is genuinely chilling and worth waiting for.

Shows what can be done on a small budget and almost miniscule special effects.The storyline is typical of the fifties but well told regardless.Phillip Stone,here in his first film is very good.I remember him batting for the London Theatres cricket XI against my old boys side.Anyway an excellent film well worth seeing.

Enjoyable and a little unsettling but not what you'd call scary. I recognise the interior shots and the spiral staircase in particular as my current workplace. It hasn't changed at all!

To call this modest British film low budget is the worst kind of misrepresentation: the budget on creativity and skill at work here surpasses that found in most multi-million dollar productions.

Filmed in stark black-and-white with virtually no visual effects, "Unearthly Stranger" relies on sheer dramatic power to tell its story of an alien plan to sabotage Earth's developing ability for space travel. The film is written and directed with care and performed with a conviction that brings across the suspense and humanity of this story in a way rarely seen in the genre.

Many of the filmmakers would soon be working on TV's "The Avengers", including producer Albert Fennell and director John Krish. Fans of that series will also recognize many familiar faces among the cast. The strongest performances come from John Neville, distinguished stage actor and teacher, and the almost-unknown and very beautiful Gabriella Licudi who, in the title role, brings the concept of interplanetary communications to an entirely new level.

The odd man out in this production is certainly scenarist Rex Carlton. On the basis of this film, it is almost inconceivable that he is the same man responsible for the lurid "Brain That Wouldn't Die" and "Blood of Dracula's Castle", among others. One is tempted to give credit to Jeffrey Stone, who penned the original screen story. But this is a claim that's impossible to support, because Stone was involved as a writer on no other films. So, one can only say that none of Carlton's other screen work would ever approach the level of this, his most subtle and affecting accomplishment.

It is well worth tracking down for any fan of fine science fiction or, indeed, any fan of quality filmmaking.

I noticed that the reviews for "Unearthly Stranger" are almost uniformly good, and I do agree that it's a very good and atmospheric sci-fi horror film. But while very good, the film is essentially a reworking of the plot from an earlier film, "I Married a Monster From Outer Space", and the film has one serious plot problem that hinders it just a bit.

Dr. Mark Davidson is a man working on a top secret space project in Britain. He soon learns that several top scientists working on similar projects in the USSR and USA have died weird and unexplainable deaths...their brains literally exploded! So it's obvious SOME force is trying to stop their work, though who or what is uncertain. Eventually, Mark begins to suspect that his lovely new wife is an alien as she neither blinks nor has a heartbeat when she's sleeping!

While I love the music and look of the film, I found it odd that Mark suspects his wife of being an alien and even tells his boss this...and yet soon after begins defending her and insisting she's human. This, to me, looked as if the story was poorly edited or the plot changed as they filmed it. It is a real shame, as without this, I might even give this low budget sleeper a 9...as it's otherwise an intelligent and compelling picture.

Even though I'm a fan of obscure movies, it's amazing to me that I even heard of this movie, much less find a copy, but I consider it worth the effort. The stark minimalism technique makes this like a slightly extended episode of an anthology series like "The Twilight Zone" (and the running time is still quite short at 75 minutes). The one word I think that best describes this movie is "competent." In other words, the filmmakers knew exactly what they were doing; they had to, I suppose, working with what seems an almost non-existent budget. They knew how to elicit an emotional reaction of claustrophobia from the audience - something few filmmakers can do exceptionally well in the sci-fi genre - Ridley Scott's "Alien" is one other film that comes to mind. Every bizarre angular shot composition, every set piece, every facial close-up, every soundtrack cue, is blended seamlessly to make the viewer sweat.

For science fiction, this movie is very unique - even for a typically-cerebral British sci-fi production. There are no slimy aliens to look at, no space craft, and no robots. Instead, like the storyline itself, all the suspense comes from the viewer's own imagination. If you can find it, I highly recommend seeing this at night. The only other movie I can think of which demonstrates such continuous suspense with scant resources is Edgar G. Ulmer's 1945 film noir "Detour." I almost think they should show this as a primer to film students on how to make a film successfully with little or no money.

As yet another film featuring 'aliens mimicking humans to derail our space program' (which in this case seems to involve some kind of 'astral projection'), this slow-moving sci-fi mystery doesn't offer much new other than an interesting 'twist' in the final shot. The never-seen 'duplication' process doesn't make much sense - the boffins (Dr. Mark Davidson (John Neville) and Prof. John Lancaster (Philip Stone)) knowingly discuss how an astral-traveller would have to create a body physiologically compatible with the new environment, yet the aliens don't have a heartbeat, which would be essential for their human form to function. The aliens also supposedly don't blink or close their eyes when they sleep, which is explained away as being due to their mental focus slipping (or something to that effect). They also seem to have acidic tears, which makes no sense but is poetic in context. The film has a nice, moody look and some good performances, especially rotund Patrick Newell, who seems to have fun with his sweet-eating security officer character, but is far too 'talky' and slow-moving. There is insufficient story to fill even its brief 78 min run-time so we get a lot of pseudo-scientific discussions and circular squabbles about Mark's oddly behaving wife Julie (Gabriella Licudi) (Mark initially brings up her strange, unblinking eyes and lack of a pulse, then inexplicably gets irate when Lancaster eventually believes him and postulates that she is an alien). On the plus side, the cinematography is effective and the shots of nervous schoolchildren backing away from a saddened Julie are very well done. All in all, one of the weaker of the sober sci-fi films to come out of England in the 1960s, which is unfortunate, as with some tightening of the script and fine-tuning of the premise (especially with respect to the aliens' 'tells'), it could have been a reasonably entertaining, albeit not overly novel, low-budget paranoia-film.

I think the idea of the movie was good and the and interesting. But that all the movie practically is one long flashback told by Dr. Mark Davidson who we see in panic in the start does take some of the excitement out of the movie. It is a bit like reading the last chapter in a book first to see if you want to read the rest.

That said I think the idea was good enough and I could live without knowing how, why, and who. The actors did a fine job too. The movie is not fast paced and it is talky. I did not mind it being talky but would have liked more filling as there was a clear hint where it would end.

All in all I do not regret watching it. I have seen both much better and much worse sci-fi.

I would recommend to sci-fi lovers that care more about story than special effects and do not mind that the movie is a bit talky.

This is a film that is well worth watching, and is in danger of being forgotten. I suspect this is because for whatever reason, it has been completely overlooked by not being issued either on video or DVD. I know that there ARE copies to be had, but these are usually from questionable sources and are of inferior quality. The only time I have seen a decent copy is when it has been shown on TV. Certainly, if I was to compile a list of films that have been neglected and are overdue for release, this would way up there on top. Sci-fi films are not usually my bag, but this film holds your interest all the way, and has fine performances from all concerned.

Wonderful sci-fi thriller that managed to slip past me for too many years. An interesting story with interesting little details that keep you locked in...and keep you guessing. Some exciting camerawork as well. Performances are good throughout with "the Major" being a standout. The friendship between the two male leads, Davidson and Lancaster, is a little off. Lancaster is more than a bit of an ass, but maybe I can chalk that up to the time and place the film was made. Sure, the main premise is old fashioned sci-fi nonsense, but if you've stumbled onto this film...you came here knowing what to expect. Recommended.

This could almost be a conspiracy thriller but is really 1950's SF paranoia writ large for a tiny budget. It's very 'British' and of its time but does deliver a good character driven story.

If you enjoy 1950s and '60s British science fiction you will probably like this one. For some reason it rarely appears alongside lists that include X the Unknown, Devil Girl from Mars, Village of the Damned, and the Quatermass movies. As is typical of these movies, Unearthly Stranger is deliberately paced, and and those unfamiliar with this brand of British sci-fi horror will consider it talky and even boring. There are very few special effects and it is concept rather than action-driven; and yet I found it compelling and very entertaining. (Fyi, despite it having been overlooked over the decades there is a decent region 2 Blu-ray available if you have a region free player.)

Despite its current unavailability, Unearthly Stranger enjoys a considerable cult following among dedicated sci-fi fans—and no wonder! Admittedly very low budget, but nonetheless highly entertaining, this movie represents science fiction horror at its very best. True, the basic idea seems at first a trifle ridiculous, but it's developed with such logic, precision and acumen employing sharply dramatic dialogue and intriguing situations, it quickly becomes both meaningful and acceptable. In fact the suspense was so electrifying, my palms were sweating, my hair prickling. I wanted to get up and turn the lights on, but I couldn't move. My eyes were riveted to the screen.

The cast is small, but this concentration enhances rather than dispels atmosphere. All the acting comes across as uniformly excellent, with every performer contributing outstanding work.

Director Krish is obviously a television graduate, yet here the close-ups are not only strikingly handled and dramatically most effective but used with both imagination and economy. Krish actually knows when to use close-ups and when to fall back on long shots and medium angles. Believe me, this is a rare quality among television men!

Unearthly Stranger is a low budget talky science fiction thriller that is short on special effects and thrills.

It opens with Dr Mark Davidson (John Neville) who works for a British space research facility seemingly running for his life.

In flashback it begins with the sudden mysterious death of Professor Munroe (Warren Mitchell) who working on space/time travel.

The death is being covered up as well as the fact that other scientists might also be in danger.

One of them is Davidson who had a whirlwind romance and married to a Swiss woman called Julie (Gabriella Licudi.)

Only Davidson notices some strange behaviour from his wife. She does not blink, sometimes appears to be dead. A colleague saw her taking something out from a hot oven without gloves.

Maybe she is an alien but what do they want from humans?

At times the movie deals with high brow concepts but in a laborious manner. Humans exploring space and might come into contact with others.

It does come across as The X Files meet the Body Snatchers. Neville became well known in later years for his guest appearances in The X files.

This film's basic premise isn't dissimilar to that for I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE (1958), so that I deliberately watched them on consecutive days. However, while I liked the latter well enough, UNEARTHLY STRANGER proved something else entirely; it also stands as a testament to how different American and British film-makers treat the same theme – the former usually take a common man's view of things, while the former tend to adopt an intellectual (and, therefore, more intriguing) approach.

Anyway, I knew beforehand of the film's reputation as a minor classic of sci-fi cinema – which is why I decided to acquire it in the first place (though I almost had to make do without it, as it took quite a while to get the DivX copy to work properly!), but I was genuinely surprised by the result. This, in fact, has to be the most satisfying 'B' movie I've watched in a long time! Above all, it's marked by a literate and intelligent script, imaginative monochrome photography (by NIGHT OF THE EAGLE [1962]'s Reg Wyer) and a splendid second-tier cast. John Neville – perhaps best-known for his starring role much later in Terry Gilliam's THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (1989) – is an atypical hero, character actor Philip Stone surely has his most significant role – otherwise some might remember him as Malcolm McDowell's meek father in Stanley Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971), Gabriella Licudi – whose mix of exotic looks and sweet-natured countenance suggest the inherent ambiguity of her character and, playing other key figures, Patrick Newell and Jean Marsh.

The story is told in flashback and bookended by the violent deaths of two officials involved in a space program – which immediately draws one into the proceedings; in retrospect, though I was aware of the identity of the titular figure, it was interesting that the director opted to reveal it in the character's very first appearance! The unexpected denouement, too, was a brilliant touch – taking care to provide one more devastating and downbeat twist to a tale which had already reached a satisfactory climax (the idea that aliens are already among us and in large numbers was rarely this chillingly presented, though it could well be a case of collective hysteria on the part of an understandably distraught Neville and Stone!). The earlier scene, then, in which Licudi herself displays a similar sensation of confusion and loneliness (through her own weird effect upon a group of schoolchildren) probably constitutes one of the more sublimely mysterious passages in all of sci-fi cinema! Even if the production's low-budget is betrayed by the fact that the aliens' true selves are never shown (being restricted merely to subtle indicators of flaws in their human 'form', which then simply disintegrates in death!), it's not much of a liability – since such appearances are usually disappointing anyway. That said, the ruse of having a swishing sound ("like telephone wires in the wind") anticipate their presence while on the prowl is a clever and more-than-adequate substitute.

In the end, considering the fuzzy video quality and the constantly distorted soundtrack of the print I watched, UNEARTHLY STRANGER's unavailability on an official DVD (though, being an independent feature, I concede that its rights may not be so clear-cut after all this time) is not merely baffling but criminal – given that fans of the genre are being deprived from enjoying a veritable gem!

One of the most entertaining films to come out of British studios in the Sixties which sadly has never been given the plaudits it richly deserved. Both Neville and Stone (who played an excellent part in "The Shining"), demonstrated total commitment and kept the pace and excitement of the plot going right to the end. And we shouldn't neglect to mention Patrick Newell, who played the 'sweet-toothed' security bod, with precision-like reality. I too was surprised by the similarity to the plot of William Sloane's "TO WALK THE NIGHT", an eerie and thought-provoking story I first read in 1959 and have read a dozen times since. The similarity is just too close to be coincidence and it is nothing short of criminal not to have Sloane's name on the credits. The film was excellent; the novel is superb, both deserve a place in any SF collection.

UNEARTHLY STRANGER is one of those low budget British sci-fi chillers that propped up bigger films during the mid 1960s. This one has cool cover art that promises a lot, but sadly it turns out to be a more intellectual film in which the concepts are discussed but never realised on screen. John Neville, who I think a lot of, plays a pioneering scientist who investigates the strange death of a colleague and soon learns that aliens may walk among us. It's nice to see Philip Stone, of THE SHINING fame, being given a prominent role as his colleague. Sadly, despite the short running time this does go on a bit which makes it somewhat laborious to sit through, although it does evoke a certain level of tension.