Space Connection

"Hanger 18" is from Sunn Classic Pictures....a now-defunct studio that brought us some quirky, paranoid films such as "The Outer Space Connection" (a documentary that claimed ancient civilizations were in constant contact with aliens who, apparently, made their cool structures) and "In Search for Noah's Ark". I expected very, very little from a Sunn film...that's for sure. However, the longer I watched the film, the more I realized it wasn't bad at all. Paranoid...yes...bad....no.

The film begins with footage of the space shuttle that looks dated today...but was amazing stuff for 1980. Consider this...years before the creation of Pixar, the film shows a lot of high tech CGI effects of the shuttle. I didn't have any idea how Sunn could afford this. It was only in the end credits where the studio thanked both NASA and Rockwell International....and it's likely they got the footage from them, as studios of the day simply didn't have the money or HUGE computers needed for such graphics. Regardless, it was pretty good footage.

While on a routine mission to deploy a satellite, the satellite accidentally collides with a UFO...and the UFO crashes to the Earth. This portion and the scientific study of the ship...all this was very well done and interesting. But there's another plot...one which seemed too influenced by Watergate...where some presidential aids take control of how to tell...or NOT tell the public. This portion, while interesting in its own way, kept the film from being better...that is until the nice twist ending.

Overall, a solid sci-fi film masquerading as yet another lousy Sunn film. Well worth seeing and highly original.

Classic TV-style movie about a crashed flying saucer and a government cover-up. Gary Collins and James Hampton (how's that for two names from the illustrious past?) are two astronauts who witness the saucer from their space shuttle. On their return to Earth, they find all evidence of the saucer's existence are gone. So they go on a trek to find out what happened. Darren McGavin (yes, the Night Stalker himself!) is a government man in charge of studying the saucer, which crash landed on Earth after being struck by a satellite. It now sits in good old Hangar 18. Joe Campanella and Rober Vaughn (this just keeps getting better) are the government bad guys, intent on eliminating anyone who might know something or discover the saucer's existence. It's an election year, after all. Hokey plot, hammy acting and a great-looking saucer add up to an enjoyable hour an a half of thrills and unintentional laughs. The hairdos alone will keep you in stitches, especially Collins' Beatle bangs. No special effects to speak of, but entertaining nonetheless. And this is light years away from flying saucer films from the 1950s and early 60s.

Ok, no, this isn't one of the greatest movies of all time by any means, but it does have some very interesting theories and suggestions, ala the "X-Files". If you were between 10-14 during the late 70's and early 80's, you'll remember the movies that dealt with such mysteries as Bigfoot, Noah's Ark, and (didn't this one just scare the be-jesus out of you!) Nostradomas, narrated by Orsen Welles. I think the movie is entertaining, even though it is "dated" by today's standards. I also don't think it's a strech to say this could have been the very birth of the X-Files as we now know it.

Consider some of the flying saucer films we have seen over the years. The occupants speak perfect English, often with American accents to boot.

In this film we never get to see the aliens; they have a kind of Satanic presence. Instead we have a control panel that displays photographs of military and civilian installations, weird hieroglyphics, and a synthesised voice that speaks an unknown language. Now that is much better than a couple of humanoids with detectable Boston accents who carry away chloroformed females to father the next generation when they get them home.

Robert Vaughn sheds his affable Man from UNCLE image and makes a vicious government agent.

This is the only UFO film that I have ever taken seriously.

The standard Government cover-up of UFO. If we knew about it too soon it would sway the presidential elections. Part of the containment is to discredit two astronauts Steve Bancroft, Lew Price (Gary Collins, James Hampton) who witnessed the object. If they cannot be discredited, they need to be contained. If not contained, then? What is worse is that it seems that Lew has a real flair for adventure.

Standard conspiracy and obligatory auto chase. They tried to toss in Great Primed theory after it was figured out that people built it and left debris and work records. It sort of puts a damper on the story. Oh no, what about the missing link and where next?

The fun thing is looking at all the old technology of the eighties (some of it was old then). A side benefit is a rather good picture of Big Spring, Texas, where the movie was made. The movie is a good vehicle for TV actors of the time. Putting this film in a time frame the movie "Capricorn One" was made three years earlier. You need to watch this for cultural literacy, but it has lost the original flair and suspense of the time it was made.