Strange Invaders

Amazon.com

Timelessly entertaining and worthy of cult status, Strange Invaders is beloved among sci-fi enthusiasts as an early-'80s tribute to its 1950s counterparts. It's got a touch of satire that Joe Dante fans will appreciate, but director Michael Laughlin seems more intent on honoring alien-invasion classics like The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers while offering a low-budget alternative to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. There's even a quick Steven Spielberg sight gag as an affectionate sign of the times, and the film's deliberately cheap-looking style blends well with eerie special effects and gooey alien makeup. The plot is simple--Paul LeMat investigates the disappearance of his ex-wife (Diana Scarwid) in a small Illinois town that's been occupied by aliens for 25 years--but the movie's creepy atmosphere and well-chosen cast (including Nancy Allen, Louise Fletcher, and The Thing's Kenneth Tobey) make it a fine companion to the films that inspired it. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Retro fun!.......2007-07-09

I grew up watching all the old classic black and white sci-fi films on TV. Those movies seemed so scary to me back then.

I was still a youngster (12 to be exact) when I saw this film at the theater and it instantly reminded me of those old sci-fi films. Now, I'm 37 and I'm seeing the film again for the first time in many, many years.

All I can say is that it's a refreshing change from all of the crap that Hollywood has been forcing down our throats for the past 15 years or so. What all of these so-called blockbusters can't do on a $[...] million budget, Strange Invaders does on shoestring budget. Yes, Strange Invaders is a B-movie. The effects are sort of cheesy, the actors are a bit too dramatic, but this movie is FUN!

The entire film is shot with a slight haze to it to give the impression that it's old. The music sounds EXACTLY like the classic scores of the old sci-fi films of the '50s and the plot is actually pretty good, if not a bit outlandish.

Strange Invaders has a retro-feel to it and is a lot of fun if you don't take it too seriously. Even the kiddies will like this one, but some of the alien effects are somewhat gruesome in certain scenes.

Give this movie a try. For the price it's going for, you can't go wrong.

Back in the 50's Again!.......2006-10-02

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.

Earth girls (and tabloid reporters) are easy..........2006-04-13

I'm sure many of us have had a sinking suspicion at one time or another that aliens have possibly been among us for awhile (you can't tell me that creepy guy who lives down the street from you is of this Earth), having insinuated themselves among our society, perhaps even cross breeding with our species, but few films really had the guts to relate the situation like that of Strange Invaders (1983), the film the aliens, and the gooberment, didn't want you to see...directed by Michael Laughlin (Strange Behavior) and co-written by Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Kinsey), the film stars Paul Le Mat (American Graffiti, Melvin and Howard) and Nancy Allen (Carrie, Dressed to Kill, RoboCop). Also appearing is Diana `no wire hangers' Scarwid (Mommie Dearest, Silkwood), Michael Lerner (Eight Men Out, Barton Fink), Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Brainstorm), Fiona Lewis (The Fearless Vampire Killers, Tintorera), and Kenneth Tobey (The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, It Came from Beneath the Sea), probably best known for his role as Captain Patrick Hendry in Howard Hawks 1951 science fiction classic The Thing from Another World...and keep and eye out for a couple of "Lost in Space" regulars in June `Maureen Robinson' Lockhart and Mark `Major Don West' Goddard in bit parts.

As the film begins it's the year 1958 and we find ourselves in the small, rural town of Centerville, Il. After some establishing shots we soon see a giant space phallus appear in the sky, heralding the arrival of non-indigenous life forms (I hope they brought some moon candy)...fast forward 25 years later and now we're in New York City attending a lecture on bugs hosted by professor of entomology Charles Bigelow (Le Mat). After the class Charles gets word from his ex-wife Margaret (Scarwid) that she has to return to her hometown of Centerville for personal business (a funeral), and Charles has to watch their daughter Elizabeth. After losing contact with Margaret (woo hoo, no more alimony checks!), Charles heads to Centerville to try and find her, which he doesn't, but he does find a whole lot of trouble as the aliens who took up residence so long ago, now posing as humans, give him (and his car) the business. Charles manages to escape and return to New York, but no one believes his fantastic tale, including Mrs. Benjamin (Fletcher), a gooberment bigwig with the National Center for U.F.O. Studies. After seeing a picture in a tabloid rag of a similar alien he saw back in Centerville, Charles contacts the reporter, named Betty Walker (Allen), who wrote the story, but it turns out it was all baloney, and the picture used just was one pulled from the files, received many years ago by some supposed crackpot. After some bizarre incidents (seems the aliens hopped a bus east and have been keeping tabs on Charles) including the return of Margaret and the kidnapping of Elizabeth, Charles and Betty head to Illinois to contact the person who originally took the picture in hopes of getting a lead on Charles' missing daughter, which eventually leads the pair into a conspiracy of epic proportions...

Being somewhat of an aficionado of classic science fiction films I found this feature to be fairly enjoyable given how much it had in common to those older films of yesteryear. The pacing of the film can be off at times, and the story uneven at points, but overall, taken in the right context, it's just a whole lot of fun. Paul Le Mat seemed an odd choice for the lead, as I've always thought he did better in more character driven roles like that of the film Melvin and Howard, but I thought Nancy Allen was dead on in her part as the streetwise, somewhat skeptical rag journalist, who apparently has a real affinity for kooks given how quickly she hooked up with Le Mat's character. Incidentally, I think Miss Allen was going through a `braless' phase here, as I haven't seen so much bounce since the last NCAA Final Four tournament. I was sort of puzzled by the end of the movie why so much emphasis was placed on Le Mat's character's profession, as it didn't play much of a part in the overall plot, but whatever...as far as the others, Louise Fletcher has a few scenes in the film, but not much comes of her role, which was too bad as I thought she could have added a lot more and Diana Scarwid does well enough in her part, although every time I saw her I kept expecting someone to pop out and whip her silly with a wire hanger (it had been a brief two years earlier when she appeared with Faye Dunaway in the career killer/cult classic Mommie Dearest). Both Kenneth Tobey and Fiona Lewis pop in and out of the picture, imparting very few lines but certainly passing themselves off admirably as human guised aliens determined to complete their mission, whatever the heck it was...there are specifics within the plot that are never really fully defined, but there is a scene near the end, as the aliens are gathering for some big event, where the head google-eyed space dude fills us in on some generalities towards the reasoning for their occupation, which, in my mind, was sufficient enough. I thought the special effects were decent as far as the true appearance of the aliens (there was a lengthy sequence involving an alien ripping of his fleshy, human covering from his head), and the various mental abilities they possessed, the most spectacular being able to shoot lighting from their fingertips (that'd be fun at a party). All in all I thought this was a fairly entertaining and respective tribute to science fiction features of the past, despite its' unevenness at times, worthy at least 3 ? stars.

The picture quality, presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1), looks decent, even though it appears the film was originally shot with some type of diffuse filter, the effect being to soften the images. As far as the Dolby Digital mono audio, I thought it was slightly lacking, as it seemed the music was mixed louder than the dialog. There were times when I could barely discern what was being said, but I think this has more to do with the way the audio was originally recorded and/or processed, and not a flaw in the transfer. In terms of extras there's a theatrical trailer, French and Spanish subtitles, and an audio commentary track with the director Michael Laughlin (who also co-wrote the film) and writer Bill Condon. If you're interested in this release, I'd recommend searching out the double feature DVD release, also put out by MGM, which includes the feature Invaders from Mars (1986) as it's probably a better deal, especially if you own neither.

Cookieman108

90 minutes of my life that I want back........2005-03-23

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.

Flawed but fun .......2005-01-14

The premise of this movie is that the tales of aliens in our midst are true and indeed that they have been here for over two decades ,preparing the ground for an eventual takeover .They are now getting ready to make their move .
This looks good and the visual style of the movie belies its relatively modest budget .Add to this some impressive looking aliens and a cast of able performers .including PaulLeMat , Louise Fletcher ,Diane Scarwid and the always admirable Nancy Allen ,and the ingredients are in place for a minor classic of the genre .The big problem lies with the script which lacks sharpness and plot development resulting in a movie that is always enjoyable but never quite makes the transition from good to very good

Well worth watching though -but it could have beeb better with a sharper script

Average customer rating:

Only one reason to subject yourself to this junk: Costner at 18
This is the worst movie ever...
"Just remember, try not to over stimulate your libido."
Troma didn't make it, but it still ...
The single worst film from troma

Sizzle Beach, USA
Starring: Robert Acey , Leslie Brander , Terry Congie , Kevin Costner , and Larry Degraw
Manufacturer: TROMA ENTERTAINMENT INC.
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ASIN: B000009RBB
Release Date: 1998-10-14

Customer Reviews:

Only one reason to subject yourself to this junk: Costner at 18.......2006-12-19

Sizzle Beach is not a "movie" at all; it's a piece of film that outlasted
it's original venue -- Arcade porn videos -- because it contains the
earliest views of Costner as a teenager in a movie. Worse than home movies, there are no actors in this film, only anatomy, and the "quality" of color, etc. is deplorable. That said, for fans of Kevin-the-C you will be amazed at
the quality he projects on screen. It's all there, the handsome sexy
persona of the all-American wise guy. He leaps off the screen at you.
Dated 1974, it's hard to believe what he could do with his eyes even
then, and with no help from any skilled director or technician.

For Costner connoisseurs only.

This is the worst movie ever..........2006-08-04

...that's why I gave it five stars. Induce mild-altering substances and then subject your friends to this movie. You'll laugh, and you just might cry because it is so horrible.
To the first reviewer... isn't Dit the cousin of Steve, not Janice ? This movie IS decidedly horrible, but I don't think they added incest just for kicks. But then again I have only ever seen it in French so maybe I missed something. Anyway, WATCH THIS MOVIE for a bad time.

"Just remember, try not to over stimulate your libido.".......2005-03-24

From the file `Everybody has to Start Somewhere', we are graced with Oscar winner Kevin Costner's first film...now, everyone has to pay their dues, especially in Hollywood, so there are probably a lot of films that now popular actors wouldn't mind if they never saw the light of day. Tom Hanks appeared in a relatively lame horror film called He Knows You're Alone (1980), while Tom Cruise made an early starring appearance in the teen sex romp/road trip type comedy Losin' It (1983). And let it be known that one of Billy Bob Thornton's early on screen appearances includes the seminal schlock/sleaze film Chopper Chicks in Zombietown (1989), one I'm sure he'd rather forget. Seems only fitting that Kevin Costner should have his first starring role come from a soft-core sleaze film titled Sizzle Beach U.S.A. (1986) aka Malibu Summer, aka Malibu Hot Summer (I believe the film was produced and released at an earlier date than what's listed here, probably sometime in the late 70's/early 80's). Directed by Richard Brander (Hell's Bloody Devils), the film stars, along with Mr. Costner, Terry Congie (Shadows Run Black), Leslie Brander, whom I think is married to the director, and Roselyn Royce (Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams). Also appearing is Robert Acey (Angel) and the diminutive Peter Risch (Ghoulies).

The film begins with still shots from the film, while playing in the background is some truly hideous ubiquitous rock music common in the early 80's, sounding a little like Jethro Tull but only if lead singer Ian Anderson suffered castration and the rest of the band forgot how to play (get used to this particular song, as you'll be hearing a whole lot more of it throughout the movie). Soon we cut to a roadside diner, where a woman named Janice (Congie) finds herself locked in the ladies room because the doorknob fell off. She's rescued by two other women, Cheryl (Royce) and Dit (Brander), who apparently had the same problem earlier, and ended up missing their bus to who knows where. A thankful Janice recommends the two girls come with her, as she's going to a beach house inherited by her and her cousin, Steve (Acey). As the three arrive, we come across the first of many nekkid scenes as Steve's trying to boink the neighbor lady, who also happens to be a call girl, entertaining men in her home (I think Steve was getting a freebie). Introductions are made, and so on...later on the Cheryl and Dit go to check out the beach, while Janice decides to shower, and we get a nice shot of Steve ogling her through the semi-transparent glass...did I mention Steve and Janice are supposed to be cousins? Yuck...from here various loosely connected threads involving the women begin. Cheryl, who's a fitness nut, meets some schlub on the beach who helps her get a job as a high school girls gym coach, Dit, who likes riding, meets up with John Logan (Costner), a young and wealthy ranch owner, and Janice, who seems interested in pursuing a singing career enlists in a local contest in hopes of landing a recording contract.

On a commentary track, producer Eric Louzil (Class of Nuke 'Em High Part II: Subhumanoid Meltdown) claims there was no concept when they were making this movie, and that becomes obvious about five minutes into the film. It's really just a series of lame vignettes propped up by numerous scenes of T & A...and lots of it...and all the women in this film are well endowed, either artificially, or naturally. The notion of three women and the guy staying together fostered a bit of a `Three's Company' feel (I know there was four of them), as well as the few scenes that could have come from script of the show. One scene involves Steve and Janice trying to fix a leaking bathroom sink, and Dit, having to use the washroom, finds herself listening to the two from the other side of the door, as Steve tries to work the pipes with a wrench, with Janice assisting. From her vantage point, Dit hears things like, `It won't fit', `Have you ever done this before?', and `Wow that's tight' which she assumes to be in the context of their making with the boom boom, but they're actually just fixing the sink...get it? Har har...sadly, there's really not much of this humor throughout, as the film tried to interject a great deal of lame drama like Janice having to deal with a sleazy recording promoter, and Cheryl having to chose between love and her career...there were any number of creepy parts throughout the film, like when Cheryl is interviewing for the job of gym teacher and she finds the principal is preoccupied by overactive libidos, but the creepiest part by far is the relationship that develops between Steve and Janice (they're supposed to be cousins) as they're forced to share a bed, and end up sharing bodily fluids....ick. Well, at least if you're looking for the action of the nekkid kind, there's lots of it here, as even Mr. Costner gets in on it, doing the boingy with Dit, who happens to be the director's wife...I've changed my mind, that is the creepiest element of the film, the director filming his wife getting it on with another...ew.

The full screen picture (1.33:1) on this DVD (which claims to be the `director's cut') looks okay, but the audio is lousy. I think the poorness of the audio is inherit to the film, rather than a poor transfer, as often the dialog is soft and overshadowed by the background music, which didn't really matter as the dialog was awful. There's a ton of special features, mostly involving Troma material, but there are a few extras relating to the film itself, including a commentary track by producer Eric Louzil, who essentially cops to the fact the film was made more so to see nekkid women rather than telling a story.

Cookieman108

Troma didn't make it, but it still ..........2002-08-29

The previous reviewers of this film intimated that this was "bad even for Troma," without realizing that the movie was made years before Costner's stardom by a group of indie filmmakers. Troma bought the movie, then called "Malibu Hot Summer," and re-released it as "Sizzle Beach U.S.A." just as Costner was becoming a household name. Even with a new name, it's still a stinker. The film about 3 women "discovering themselves," and for one of the women (the director's wife!) that involves getting it on with Costner, who plays a young, wealthy ranch owner. Check out his midget sidekick! Silly and full of awful, early-era breast implants.

The single worst film from troma.......2002-02-19

O.k. I know tromas famous for produceing bad films but this went to far.Three girls going to california to make their dreams come true and thats the plot almost sounds the same to the new britny spears movie but that ones probly worse.Yes Keven Costeners in it but not as much as the cover suggests.The film has lots of naked women in it with implants the producer says in the commentary.

Extras are great as with any troma dvd.There is a commentary,2 interviews,troma related materal and t.i.t and tour of troma.

Customer Reviews:

HalleLulu!.......2005-01-29

Here's the second volume on DVD of CINAR's The Little Lulu Show, the wonderful series that ran on HBO Family (see also The Little Lulu Show Featuring The Green Girl). Fans of John Stanley's Little Lulu comics for Gold Key and Whitman will be pleased to know that the majority of stories are nearly verbatim from Stanley's classics. In fact, the producers worked from the Gladstone hardbound Little Lulu Library, which reprinted all the comic books. Oddly enough, these two DVD volumes do not include the episodes released on VHS, so you still may want to track down the videos of Potato Kids and Bogeyman, which hopefully will eventually make it to DVD. Unless you're a completist, however, stay away from the Valentine's Day video, the show's low point.

The five shows (fifteen cartoons) on this DVD are: Friends and Enemies, with The Beauty Contest and Rich Little Poor Boy; Boy Cannon Ball, with Noses Off and Hairy Day; The Popcorn Thief, with The Little Tornado and She Flies Through the Air; Space Kids, with The Case of the Disappearing Drum and From Hero to Zero; Tiny Tot's Syrup, with The Night Before Christmas and The Piggy Bank Guard.

Average customer rating:

The Book of Lulu
Starring: Ddslt 9848
Manufacturer: Sling Shot
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305556954
Release Date: 2001-08-21

Average customer rating:

Magical story
Fabulous

The Book of Lulu
Starring: Romain Victor-Pujebet
Manufacturer: Harbor Electronic Pub
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Science Fiction | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: 1584480424
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Customer Reviews:

Magical story.......2006-05-16

A whimsical interactive story with hidden elements and magical transformations about a robot, a little girl, the nature of friendship and readers falling in love with their books.
Narrated by Laurie Anderson because she saw the story and fell in love with it in Japan, where it was a best-selling book and CDROM. Original score by a talented and unusual composer.
Only on a computer could you experience this! See Organa.com for more details about it.

Fabulous.......2002-09-26

Uniquely creative use of interactive storytelling. . .magical and delightful.
Great for adults as well, if you love a touching story.

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