Alienator 2

THE UNWELCOMED is a typical little B-movie of the early 1990s, looking and feeling cheap throughout. I think the undistinguished performances are the biggest detraction here. It starts off engagingly enough with a good fallen meteorite scene, but then we move into a small scale character-focused drama in which an exposed victim finds himself growing younger after developing a taste for blood. It's familiar stuff for sure, not helped by the uninspired performances, aside from a dependable John Saxon in a small role as FBI agent. This is one of those slow-paced films that only really picks up at the exciting climax.

"The Arrival", not to be confused with David Twohy's mid-90's Sci-Fi gem starring Charlie Sheen, is a modest and slightly underrated (only *slightly *, mind you) alien-invasion story with a couple of imaginative ideas and likable acting performances, but overall forgettable due to a lack of action and distinctive style. The plot is better than you expect it to be, but director David Schmoeller ("Tourist Trap", "The Puppet Master") obviously didn't have the required budgetary means to properly execute the neat ideas. The film opens with a meteor crash-landing in Max Page's backyard on the night of his 73rd birthday-celebration. The next day, an extraterrestrial parasite takes possession of Max' body and nearly causes him to die in the hospital. He survives and, moreover even, Max rejuvenates and develops an incontrollable appetite for Oestrogen-laden female blood. Cut to several weeks later, when the younger and handsome version of Max left his home to travel to San Diego in search for the beautiful young nurse who treated him in the hospital. He leaves an easy to follow trial of female corpses, but still FBI agent Mills (John Saxon!) doesn't know how to stop him. "The Arrival" is a slow-moving and unspectacular film, especially since there aren't any kind of special and/or make-up effects. Max rejuvenates in three major phases and he devours practically all of his victims off-screen. The wannabe melodramatic sub plot (the impossible romance between the nurse and alienated old guy) is pitiable instead of moving and the script also suffers from illogicalness and totally implausible details. For example, the FBI acknowledges the involvement of an alien life form, yet there are simply two men chasing Max. Sure, one of them is John Saxon and he's the equivalent of an entirely army, but still... Shouldn't the FBI give a little more priority to such a case? Speaking of Saxon, he gives away another solid performance and receives adequate feedback from a largely unknown cast. The undeniable highlights of "The Arrival" are a couple of irrelevant (and perhaps even misplaced) humorous cameo appearances of respectable B-movie faces. Michael J. Pollard briefly stars as a simple-minded caretaker, Stuart Gordon (director of "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond") plays a biker and Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (Stuart Gordon's wife) steals the show as drunken customer in a liquor store.

David Schmoeller's 'The Arrival' is a film that could have delivered more than it went out to achieve, but I guess the low-budget restricted Schmoeller's final vision. The main problem came from how mechanical and blotchy (mainly the chase angle with the romance sub-plot) it felt. Some unhinged images and moody atmospherics are competently staged, however how weird these visuals were or the story was in the end it wasn't weird enough. It's plain handling throughout, and it was probably a little too subtle for its own good. The material would have made for an interesting 60 minute episode, because what was stretched out didn't have enough to entirely hold it together. There's nothing particularly confusing about the jumbled story, but there are many questions left untouched and certain illogical developments which actually can frustrate. Mainly focusing on the alien's origins and intentions. What it seems like is an alien parasite that takes up residence in an elderly man Max, after hitching a ride with a meteor. Max dies due to the encounter, but is suddenly revived on the autopsy table. The alien form (which we never see) begins to change Max's health and appearance. His health is exceptional, but also looks younger, but his having hallucinating nightmares and a quench for blood. Soon his on the road to San Diego to find Connie, who he struck a friendship with when he was in hospital. But along the way he murders women for the oestrogen in their blood to help rejuvenate his body and FBI agent John Mills is on his trail.

While cast is hearty, the performances feel phoned in. It's the minor support bits by the likes of Michael J Pollard, Stuart Gordon and Carolyn Purdy-Gordon's slightly amuse. Playing the elderly Max is an heart-warming Robert Sampson and the younger part went to a cold, blank face Joseph Culp. John Saxon makes light-weight of his role and a wholesomely fixating Robin Frates is good in her part Connie.

Schmoeller's low-scale touch and abilities is soundly displayed, but in the end lacks excitement with some of the action occurring off-screen and the effects are quite tone down to some light shows. The pacing is sluggish, but it finishes with an intense closing quarter and the score is quite soft, but remains pulsating.

"The Arrival" has one great thing going for it, a highly imaginative script. An alien parasite from a meteor crash infests a 73 year old grandfather who after coming back from the near death infestation experience begins to rapidly grow younger. A side effect of this fountain of youth syndrome turns him into a killer, who regularly needs estrogen charged blood from female victims. The movie is surprisingly enjoyable for a low budget film. John Saxon, Michael J. Pollard, and Stuart Gordon, are used to good effect. Throw in some nudity, a lesbian love scene, some well placed humor, and all else can be forgiven. Not bad entertainment. - MERK