Xtro

In 1982, following the release of Spielbergs E. T in cinemas, John Carpenter had remade The Thing. The classic story of an alien intruder at a military and scientific base, discovered frozen in a block of ice. While Carpenters version was initially met with disgust and disdain in equal measure, another film, a low budget outer space shocker involving another visitor from beyond, was wrapped in the UK. Somewhat overlooked but finding momentum in the vhs rental shops of eighties Britain and that of course was Xtro. There were some parallels with ET concerning a young boys special relationship with an alien but this film was much darker and disturbing. A father is abducted by a "light" in the sky and, after 3 years, returns home to relocate his wife and specifically his son. The father however, is much different now and conceals alien dna within having being "changed so i could live there" referring to the alien world in which he was taken. Reborn in the most gruesome and notorious sequence in the film ( hands over your eyes) which still stands out as a superb example of practical effects on a shoestring. The rest of the film becomes somekind of kitchen sink drama as the mans wife, her new partner, a french housesitter and the son become implicated in the events that unfold while trying to reveal the true motives of the husband!!! Two sequels were made, neither related to this or each other, some years later by the same director who also composed the soundtrack to the film. Not for everyone but worth viewing if you enjoy your horror or scifi with a serving of splatter!

XTRO is one low budget flick. So low it's almost breathtaking that they actually finished it and released it to theaters.

The film itself is somewhat vulgar and unpleasant (the low budget quality doesn't help...) but even with the unpleasant aspects of it all, the film is fun to watch because it's so wonky and bizarre that it's impossible to stop looking at it. And the cheap synth music, coupled with the UFO storyline and the odd looking alien all give the film a unique otherworldly feel to it that's more effective than 99% of big budgeted films made in Hollywood. If early David Cronenberg had directed an alien movie, it probably would have looked something like XTRO.

But even all of its good aspects don't hide the fact that the film doesn't make much sense and the acting and dialogue are, for the most part, bad. But if you're a fan of films about UFOs like me, make sure to check this film out.

I had been warned off watching 'Xtro' for years having been assured by everyone who had ever heard about it that it was cheap, awful and nasty trash. Suddenly I found myself with the inexplicable urge to watch it. "MUST see Xtro! MUST see Xtro!" became my mantra. Then finally I managed to find a copy. I held my breath as I fed it into my video player. I expected it to be bad. Real bad. Ted V. Mikels bad. Even Donald G. Jackson bad. (and that my friends is quite possibly as bad as it gets!) But even worse, with lots of added gore. However I was most surprised to find that 'Xtro' wasn't all that bad at all. Crappy acting, no budget, and the "special effects" aren't special or actually all that effective, but despite all that I was hooked from the word go, and satisfied when it ended. This is a superior sci fi video nasty. It's stupid yes, but it knows it is, and it delivers the goods. The plot itself is simple: man abducted by aliens returns years later to reunite with his son, but that in no way conveys just how freakin' STRANGE this movie is! Plus it contains nudity from Maryam D'Abo (the loveliest of the lovely D'Abo sisters), an unforgettably bizarre birth screen, a demented clown, and plenty of gore. It even features obscure 80s synth-poppers Tik and Tok! Beat that for sheer oddness! So forget the anti-'Xtro' brigade and give it a look. Fans of weird sci fi and horror movies will absolutely love this one! Highly recommended to b-movie buffs.

A man is abducted by aliens and returned to his family 3 years later. Strange and terrible things begin happening almost immediately.

XTRO is an extremely odd movie with loads of jaw-dropping set pieces, including: #1- A woman attacked by a crawling, grasshopper-legged alien! #2- The disgusting birth of a full-grown man! #3- Murder by a 6' tall action figure! #4- An eeevil, homicidal clown! #5- A woman turned into a cocooned egg-laying machine!

This movie has a nightmare quality about it, and weirdness to spare! In addition, the heavenly Maryam D'Abo just can't seem to keep her clothing from flying off!

For those looking for something VERY different...

Alien is a haunted house movie in space that has begat a slew of imitators, copycats and outright rip-offs. 1982s Xtro, on the other hand, is truly a movie that has something for everyone: if everyone includes folks who want to see movie about a father reconnecting with his son, as well as a film where Maryam d'Abo is repeatedly naked, a kid discovers his psychic powers with a weird clown, an Alien-style birth scene of a fully-grown man being born out of a pregnant woman ("What is it with all the alien birth scenes in these movies? What is wrong with people?" asked my wife), toys coming to life, a child hunting down people like The Omen…truly Xtro is about ten movies worth of ideas in one scuzzy, scummy exploitation fever dream.

I'll do my best to summarize the plot, but at any point, you may declare, "You're just making this up now." I assure you that what follows is as close to the filmed truth as possible. It truly is that weird film that even surprised a jaded viewer such as myself.

Tony and his dad Sam (Phillip Sayer, The Hunger) are playing fetch with their dog. On the last stick through, much like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Sam tossed the stick high into the air and the screen goes white as he gets abducted.

Three years later, the light appears in the sky again and an alien creature scurries across a British countryside road. It gets hit by a car, yet survives to kill the driver and his passenger, then find his way to a cottage where it impregnates the lady who resides there. Moments later, Sam is reborn, clawing his way out of the woman, even biting into a bloody umbilical cord before he leaves. This is ten minutes into the movie. And if you think this is the end of the craziness, read on….

Sam wants to find his son, who lives with his mother Rachel (Bernice Stegers, Macabre), her new boyfriend Joe (Sinon Nash, Brazil) and a French babysitter named Analise (the aforementioned d'Abo, The Living Daylights) whose sole job seems to be getting naked every time she is on screen. Sam has nightmares about his dad every single night, waking up soaked in blood. Oddly, it turns out that the blood isn't his.

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