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Invaders from Mars (1986)

Started by Andrew, December 27, 2007, 11:31:03 AM

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Andrew

The alien monsters in Tobe Hooper's remake look pretty cool (though similar to cooked Cornish game hens) but it misses the point of the original film.

Andrew Borntreger
Badmovies.org

onionhead

Toby Hooper's remake looks slicker than the 1953 original, but lacks the aura of dread that the first film easily conveyed.  Sure the lead alien looked ridiculous--just a head in a goldfish bowl, basically--and the drones evoked more laughs than gasps what with the zipper-up-the-back velour jumpsuits; but what was truly terrifying was  the sense of helplessnes elicited by little Jimmy Hunt as David  Maclean as he witnessed (or did he?) a tableau of nightmare following the landing of an alien spacecraft on a dark and stormy night.  William Cameron Menzies, director of Gone with the Wind, skillfully used colors, shadows, and one creepy musical score to spin his yarn of paranoia--it was the fifties, after all--and though it has it's faults (beyond the goofy aliens, the climax is a l o oo o o oo oo ooo oo  o ooo oo ooooo ng race against the clock), it's one of the spookier flicks to come out of the bug-eyed-alien era.
Some people like cupcakes better--I for one care less for them

diamondwaspvenom

A decent flick at best. I find that the aliens look more like a cross between a tyrannosaurus and a tick.

not quite my name

Believe it or not, the school used in the film was my elementary school. I was in the school at the time they filmed it. I had NO idea till many years later when I saw it playing on syfi. I think they must have done it during spring break. Another freaky thing is the main characters last name is a slight variation of my own last name - so it was pretty surreal watching this and hearing them yell his name all the time.

JPickettIII

Quote from: not quite my name on September 10, 2010, 11:57:58 PM
Believe it or not, the school used in the film was my elementary school. I was in the school at the time they filmed it. I had NO idea till many years later when I saw it playing on syfi. I think they must have done it during spring break. Another freaky thing is the main characters last name is a slight variation of my own last name - so it was pretty surreal watching this and hearing them yell his name all the time.

That is cool.  I got this movie in two pack from Wal-Mart.  Great movie.  A brain dead movie that you can set back and enjoy.

Great write up.

Later,

John
\\\\\\\"Freedom is not free\"\\\\\\ or ///\"Where ever you go, there you are!\"///

karate-ka

I just registered for an account on this website specifically for the reason to say THANK YOU! I have been trying to remember the name of this movie for quite some time now. I will definitely have to rewatch this sometime soon. I'm sure it won't seem that way now, but this movie literally scared the holy bejeebus out of me when I was a kid!

Parralax view

The original had me looking at my parents necks, my teachers necks, hell, erbody's necks for a month.  As a kid it was a highly psychologically, personal film.  Who doesn't  not want their parents to turn into alien slaves? Well, maybe some of use with trauma in mind.  But it was a very stark film for an impressionable small kid.  The Hooper version isn't to me better, then again, I'm not 6 any more...