I've really enjoyed director Freddie Francis' work with Hammer Films over the years, and it was intriguing to see him attached to a lower-budget project and see how he'd do, with lesser-quality actors and production values. It's not bad, just lagging in places, and seems a tad too close to Stephen King's 'The Tommyknockers' later on, for comfort (though that could be due to the novel it's from 'The Gods Hate Kansas' rather than the film). The apparently high degree of sexual attraction the two hot ladies in the film have for the protagonist, Dr. Curtis Temple, is hard to believe--unless they simply went for his bankroll or had 'daddy' issues. Although Robert Hutton, who plays him, was only 47 at the time of filming, and the actresses who portrayed his assistant Lee Mason and the girl attendant at the gas station were 36 and of unknown age respectively, he looks at least 55 and that he could be the Mason's father and perhaps the attendant's grandfather. Bad casting in that regard, although they're more than capable for the modest complexity of their parts. I liked the fact that unlike most other science fiction films, the potential of working together with the invasion force as a possible alternative to the tired, seemingly inevitable probability of war with the invading force was explored. Science fiction and horror are extremely popular filmmaking genres that have stood the test of time because they offer us clever avenues as metaphors for examining closely issues that affect society today. The time has certainly come in which people have to stop and intelligently discuss topics that concern us, rather than cling doggedly to our dogma, and to Hell with anyone that dares think any differently than we do. Frankly I feel that it's the only hope that we as a civilization have.
When a group of meteors crash into Southern England in a perfect formation, scientist "Temple" (Robert Hutton) is determined to investigate. Thing is, his doctors won't allow him, so it falls to "Mason" (Jennifer Jayne) to lead the team - and after a few moments at the site, we realise that something distinctly fishy is afoot. Requisitions start to come in for expensive equipment, people start to behave oddly and pretty soon "Temple" concludes that he simply must get down there and see what's happening. There is little jeopardy here - we know from the start what is actually going on and so we are really only following the footsteps of the inquisitive scientist as he follows the scent - all the way to the moon and a shaggy haired Michael Gough in a shiny cape. It has clearly been done with very little budget, and although some effort is made to film outdoors, most of this is stage-bound and reminded me of one of the Peter Cushing "Dr. Who" films from earlier in the 1960s. Aside from some torches tarted up to look like ray guns, and a cleverly converted colander used to deflect mind-bending rays, there are no special effects to speak of and after about an hour of this, I was really quite bored. There were plenty of cheap and cheerful sci-films coming out of Hollywood at the time and this is certainly no worse, but as an action or adventure film it falls woefully short.
Galaxina is a lifelike, voluptuous android who is assigned to oversee the operations of an intergalactic Space Police cruiser captained by incompetent Cornelius Butt. When a mission requires the ship's crew to be placed in suspended animation for decades, Galaxina finds herself alone for many years, developing emotions and falling in love with the ship's pilot, Thor.
The Arizona Territory, the 1870's. Marshal Frank Wilcox, along with a Buffalo Soldier from the U.S. Army, must galvanize a group of survivors to fight back when the living dead rise and seek the flesh of the living. It's a world gone mad and a battle against the unthinkable. Joined by an Apache Chief and an outlaw prisoner, the group must learn how to survive in a time where the dead walk.
When Dr. Von Altermann's wife Lila dies mysteriously at his spooky mansion her relations suspect murder. They also suspect the doctor is turning her into a zombie, to join the army of living dead he hopes to devote to the Nazi cause. However, Lila, though dead, has developed a will of her own.
Jake's Closet takes you back through childhood in a suspenseful and deeply moving story that dives deep into the mind of a little boy under the stress of a fractured family.
A man searches for his daughter after a bad argument, only to end up at an abandoned building surrounded by monsters.
A year has passed since Matthew said goodbye to his alien friend, and in the summer holidays he meets Albertine, a mathematical prodigy, with whom he discovers he can communicate telepathically. One day Chocky returns to warn Matthew that they are both in danger. When he returns to tell Albertine, he finds she has disappeared.
After a horrifying PredAlien crash-lands near a small Colorado town, killing everyone it encounters and producing countless Alien offspring, a lone Predator arrives to "clean up" the infestation.
An investigator seeking the cause of an airline disaster discovers the involvement of an organisation of time travellers from a future Earth irreparably polluted who seek to rejuvenate the human race from those about to die in the past. Based on a novel by John Varley.
Five Spec Ops, Alpha Squad, head a simple Recon Mission that turns into an all out war for survival against a wave of undead experiments. Alpha Squad must fight, not just for the sake of their own survival, but the fate of the world.
A zombie apocalypse comedy about the last boy on earth and his robot friend, who seek out the last woman on earth in order to repopulate the planet. The only problem is that he's 14 and she's 25, and she has no interest in sleeping with a teenager.
The President's Daughter has been kidnapped by the brilliant super-criminal Blood Mamba. All rescue attempts have been thwarted by the evil genius. There's only one thing left to do: send in the Robot. The Robot must fight zombie-monsters and insecurity in order to complete his suicidal mission. This marks the directorial debut of Rob Schrab (Creator of Scud: the Disposable Assassin and Heat Vision and Jack).