Jun 2015 *
A perfect mash up of horror, sci-fi, action, this film is so fun & action packed. It’s a true 80’s gem that demands a viewing. Roger Ebert described it as: “A cross between Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Terminator,” which is an accurate statement I think.
The film’s essentially a creative reworking of the buddy cop formula that was popular in the 80’s. The premise is really cool and involves an alien parasite in LA body hopping and committing violent crimes with each new human host it infects. Our two main protagonists are: Beck, a human cop (Michael Nouri) and Gallagher, an alien posing as an FBI agent (Kyle MacLachlan). They have to work together to stop the alien menace and learn more about each other in the process. Both protagonists are well developed and bond quite well over the course of the film despite some ahem, “differences”. They manage to keep Gallagher’s true alien identity a secret for a good chunk of the film and let it slowly come to light through his quirks and odd behavior. For example, his awkward behavior when invited over to Beck’s house for dinner hints that he might just be too odd for this world. The conflict that develops between the two is inevitable because Gallagher has all the knowledge and his own motivations, but how can he explain it and expect Beck to understand and believe him? There’s a real sense of urgency and exhilaration with each new human the evil alien parasite infects because it too has its own sinister intentions. You find yourself having so much fun watching and hope that the two protagonists succeed.
Thanks to taut directing from Jack Sholder, a great script, and great performances from the two leads, the film works. It’s a perfect mash up of genres with the right touch of humor and is entertaining for its entire running time. Also, you can’t get more 80’s with its awesome soundtrack!
A perfect mash up of horror, sci-fi, action, this film is so fun & action packed. It’s a true 80’s gem that demands a viewing. Roger Ebert described it as: “A cross between Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Terminator,” which is an accurate statement I think.
The film’s essentially a creative reworking of the buddy cop formula that was popular in the 80’s. The premise is really cool and involves an alien parasite in LA body hopping and committing violent crimes with each new human host it infects. Our two main protagonists are: Beck, a human cop (Michael Nouri) and Gallagher, an alien posing as an FBI agent (Kyle MacLachlan). They have to work together to stop the alien menace and learn more about each other in the process. Both protagonists are well developed and bond quite well over the course of the film despite some ahem, “differences”. They manage to keep Gallagher’s true alien identity a secret for a good chunk of the film and let it slowly come to light through his quirks and odd behavior. For example, his awkward behavior when invited over to Beck’s house for dinner hints that he might just be too odd for this world. The conflict that develops between the two is inevitable because Gallagher has all the knowledge and his own motivations, but how can he explain it and expect Beck to understand and believe him? There’s a real sense of urgency and exhilaration with each new human the evil alien parasite infects because it too has its own sinister intentions. You find yourself having so much fun watching and hope that the two protagonists succeed.
Thanks to taut directing from Jack Sholder, a great script, and great performances from the two leads, the film works. It’s a perfect mash up of genres with the right touch of humor and is entertaining for its entire running time. Also, you can’t get more 80’s with its awesome soundtrack!
