Friday, October 9, 2015

SHORT TAKES.....

With Halloween coming soon, I decided to watch a couple of polar opposites when it comes to alien invasion films.

First up I watched the classic 1951 film "THE THING". This is a great example of how film making should be and it NEVER bores me at all. You all know the plot, an alien is frozen in the arctic ice and thawed out and sets out to kill everyone at the arctic outpost.

Kenneth Tobey leads the military while Robert Cornthwaite leads the scientists. James Arness is the alien who needs human blood to feed his evil progeny. Top notch film from beginning to end. Flawless classic that really sets the tone for Halloween.

Then I watched "BIOHAZARD" from director Fred Olen Ray. Scientists conducting matter transferring experiments have a mysterious container sent to them from some future time, and inside the box is a creature that happens to escape and go on a killing spree.

Aldo Ray is General Randolph and his role is very small. William Fair and Angelique Pettyjohn are a scientist and psychic respectively, and they hunt the creature down. It seems the monster is using Pettyjohn's ability to help take over the earth.

The ending is a complete head scratcher and one I have never fully understood, but that is the way of many low budget films of the 80's. I like this film, and I am a fan of Ray. The monster is played by the director's five year old son Chris who has since grown up and directed some low budget films himself including a fave of mine entitled "Two Headed Shark Attack".

Just turn off your mind and you'll enjoy this film. Look quickly for director Ray and assistant director Donald Farmer as medics.

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