Captive

CAPTIVE is one of a handful of cheapo sci-fi movies churned out by Californian director Robert Emenegger around 1980. So far, this is the best out of the ones I've seen, as it's the only one approaching a half decent film. That's because the story is a well written hostage/siege scenario, and it doesn't need money or lame special effects to make it work.

The movie features a nice turn from Cameron Mitchell as a violent alien who seems to enjoy killing animals. He finds himself stranded on Earth with a companion, and the two of them hole up at a rural farmhouse while trying to figure out what to do. Plot twists ensue, and it's all handled with pace and flair by Emenegger, who seems to be trying a lot harder this time around. The supporting cast includes a turn from David Ladd, son of Alan. There's some surprising violence in the production which is handled well on the zero budget, and as a whole this one keeps you watching from beginning to end.

Relatively obscure genre film-maker Robert Emenegger happily shares some of Roger Corman's flair for getting as much B-Movie bang for his buck as is humanly possible, since Emenegger's deft, unexpectedly captivating 'Captive' proves to be an engaging, remarkably cohesive and competently made micro-budget 80s Sci-fi thriller that finds belovedly barnstorming B-Movie icon Cameron Mitchell on blazingly bellicose form as the vicious hardline militarist Styrolian 'Gropper' who unexpectedly crash lands on earth with his even tempered, far less lazer-happy 'Tuber' pilot Cal (David Ladd).

After these mismatched aliens hold the Carter family hostage the film takes a decidedly nastier turn with the ill-natured Gropper becoming increasingly abusive, his gleeful cruelty making 'Captive' thematically darker than one might have initially expected! There is a remarkable amount of creative talent involved here, Anne Spielberg is credited with directing the interior 'Earth Space Force' sequences, 'familiar face, not name character actor', Michael Gregory makes an appearance, and luminous Lori 'Blood Bath' Saunders is absolutely adorable as Cal's farm girl next-door sweetheart, with grizzly Dan 'They call me Trinity' Sturkis on point as the prototypically ornery, plaid-shirt-wearing, shot-Gunning Grandpa Carter. Fans of Don Dohler and Norman J. Warren should groove most righteously on 'Captive', and Emenegger's rudimentary, super-squelchy synth score is fuzzy lo-fi highlight!