Das Loch im Himmel

A few minutes of well-shot footage of parachute jumps and aerobatic flying seem the real impetus for this British science fiction picture. When there are no bodies hurtling towards the ground or planes shooting past each other, what's left is a bad script with far too many scenes of men in suits talking in offices and not nearly enough science or action. Since it was made for a family audience, there isn't even much in the way of female flesh.

Patrick Allen and his improbably large chin take the lead. His character, a NATO troubleshooter, is big on the sub-James Bond womanising and tough posturing. Yet for all his smooth lines and fetching cardigans, he does curiously little to actually solve the mystery of disappearing military parachutists. Plot development consists of supporting characters waving a Geiger counter over a few things while Allen chases the girls.

George Sanders is normally a reliable figure (see the far superior Psychomania, for instance), but he is wasted here as a personality-deficient general. Hilary Dwyer has the requisite qualities for a female star, being very pretty and a great screamer. Lorna Wilde is quite fetching as a mysterious blonde, but the rest of the cast do little.

This is a competently-made film from people who understood the limitations of their budget, limitations which mean rare special effects and few action sequences. The real problem is an absence of ideas or any ambition beyond filling the screen for 90 minutes. Once all the aerial footage has been used up, what is left is a very unoriginal story with little imagination or characterisation and lots of dialogue of a "The minister isn't going to like this" type. Nonetheless, Reg Tilsley's jazz score deserves a mention, ratcheting the tension even when the most mundane action is unfolding on screen.

It's hard to recommend this film when there are so many better British exploitation films from the era; it lacks even any Austin Powers-ish campness and shows nothing of 1960s Britain. As an attempt at family-friendly science fiction from Tigon, a studio better known for its sexually-frank horror, it's a slight curio of film history. For entertainment, you're better off jumping out of a plane, or even watching an in-flight movie.

In my reassessment process for my early movies watched in the past, I found at Youtube a fine print of The Body Stealers totally restored no subtitles at all, this weak minor Sci-Fi bring the weird plot about missing in air twelve NATO paratroopers thru red-beam without explanation, suspecting about foreign countries on even Alien snatchers, due it they call the hard smoking Bob Megan (Patrick Allen) with that big chin to check out what's going on under orders of Gen. Armstrong (George Sanders), by this task he requires 25.000 pounds as reward, due it a top secret state matter.

As womanizer playboy Bob starts looking on landing field finding a clue a piece of parachute high level of radioactive, according the gorgeous scientist Julie Slade (Hilary Heath), the lab is leading by the old Dr. Matthews (Maurice Evans), the case is faraway to be solved, however Bob used to be walking by night at beach where he meets an eye-candy Lorna (Pamela Conway) whom starting woo her at first meeting, later his friend Jim Radford (Neil Connery) takes many photos over them at beach, however in revealing the girl didn't appear on photos just Bob, letting him know all about, after a pre schedule parachute jumping to check out what really happen during that, he received a bright red beam on the body, out of the blue Jim was found death on the base, but at night Bob has a meeting with Lorna at beach many blanc spaces must be fulfilled.

In the conclusion of the weirdo story the viewers will be baffled over so far-fetched reason of Aliens get those paratroopers, worst how Bob settles this matter, aside a superb casting the lame storyline falls apart the whole thing, some stock footage is used in the movie, a lousy FX is another low point, also a massive beauty girls on the picture improves hardly, on political cabinet, on lab, on field have many young girls driven for male audience, anyway let it see easily to less demanding.

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First watch: 1985 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 5.

An investigator is called in to look into a strange scenario where parachutists seem to be disappearing mid-air during military training exercises. Their bodies do turn up later, but are infected with large doses of radiation. A mysterious and beautiful woman who cannot be photographed seems to be connected to the bizarre case.

This bit of low-budget British sci-fi was improbably made by the production company Tigon, who have become rightfully famous for their impressive 17th century set horror films Witchfinder General (1968) and Blood on Satan's Claw (1971). The Body Stealers is quite a bit away from those both in terms of genre and overall quality. It is a pretty obviously cheap production all round, which is hardly surprising to be fair but it is really a quite limited feature in all departments. The story does have some potential in the early stages but it doesn't really pan out too excitingly and the resolution wasn't all that good. It has something to do with aliens, but it would only be fair to say that it is bargain basement extra-terrestrial activity we have here. I would still say this is pretty watchable, however, and does have a certain British 60's charm to it. Despite the lacking nature of the screen-play, it was an okay watch. Also, look out for a rare acting performance from Neil Connery (Sean's brother) as one of the military types - you can see the resemblance from some angles. Another notable presence was Hilary Dwyer who made a very good impression in the earlier aforementioned Tigon classic Witchfinder General (1968) - she was not as memorable here but it was still nice to see her all the same.

The Body Stealers (a.k.a Thin Air) is truly one of the most dreadful movies you'll ever have the misfortune to see. Simply because there are some notable names on the cast list, you mustn't think that it is remotely good. Everyone in this movie must have needed some fast cash to clear their debts. How else can you explain such a strong cast being lured into such an obvious bomb? OK, that's a bit cynical - nobody actually sets out to make a bad film - but whatever the original intentions were, the resulting film is an utter loss.

It's a science fiction story in which the military investigates several cases of parachutists vanishing in mid-air. For the first ten minutes, the peculiar mystery promises to build up to an intriguing resolution, but the promise rapidly evaporates as it becomes apparent that the answers are going to be childish rather than ingenious.

This is hilariously bad, to such an extent that it makes even the worst episode of Doctor Who look like it had high production values! You'd have to be a disturbed eight year old to figure out what the hell is going on as the solution draws close. Still, why worry about it when clearly the actors involved don't look interested either? One interesting thing about the film is the inclusion of Neil Connery (Sean's brother) in a significant role... believe me when I say this guy is no actor!

This is a fairly typical low-budget British sci-fi from the late 60's, and has as its 'stars' George Sanders and Patrick Allen, themselves quite common in such films. Things kick off to a fairly intriguing start, when parachutists start disappearing mid-jump. It's serious enough to make even the Army put down their cups of tea and investigate - or rather to call in top-whack investigator and philanderer Bob Megan (Allen) to see if he can get to the bottom of it. He sets about his task by doing a good deal of leering at various secretaries and pretty young scientists before waving a Geiger counter around and meeting a mysterious lady on the beach at midnight. She's no raving beauty but Bob has a go anyway, before wandering back to his digs and looking like he might manage a quick one with his over-the-hill landlady. But no, he's got a busy day ahead. Quite what happens next is spoiler territory, and I can't remember anyway. Worth a go if you like wondering how much the actors got paid and why.