Alien Trespass

This is a nice little silly movie, that really dives into horror movie history. It pays homage some might say by playing tropes and cliches (to a certain degrees) of what can be considered old school horror movies from 60 years ago and even earlier. The characters and the story fit that perfectly and if you have a heart for such things you will be delighted to watch this.

The actors are more than decent and do what we would think is silly or dated in other movies, but work for the sense and sensibility of the movie. The mood it is setting and how you perceive the movie. You can and should decide for yourself - decent movie overall.

For a moment I thought I was really back in my teen-age 1957, the big-finned cars, the flouncy dresses, the sci-fi saturated drive-ins. Okay, I'm nostalgic, but it really is a good flick, well acted, produced and written; plus, entertaining all the way through. So how will space-ranger Urp defeat the man-eating Ghota whose flying saucer has crashed into the North American desert. Good thing Urp borrows Dr. Lewis's body if not his hormones. At the same time, the village towns-people have to overcome their disbelief in alien space craft and shape-shifting monsters. What with all those vulnerable blonde cuties, I was really worried.

There are touches of satirical humor trading on 50's sci-fi, but the flick's too well rounded to qualify as just a spoof. In many ways, however, it does suggest a version of 1951's The Day The Earth Stood Still, from the latter's metal clad Gort to Klaatu's cosmic police force. However that may be, I was grabbed by that suburban house and its grassy yard sitting alone and in the middle of the immense desert, like a surrealist illusion. Actually, it's likely meant to show Lewis and wife's middle-class status among the town's backwoods types. And how about the parallel theatre scene with the panicked audience from 57's The Blob. It's an imaginative touch tying in with both AT's plot and the time period. Sure, the movie's gangly monsters are on the silly looking side, at least before they reduce you to goo. Still, it's an imaginative and well-done sci-fi, and a tribute to its 50's predecessors.

First, this is not a comedy. It's clear that the filmmakers were sincere in making this movie and tried to recreate a movie with the feel of a 1950's sci-fi, including the same kind of humor (for the most part). Sure, a comment that Edsels would be around forever, but there's not even a whole lot of that.

This film was made for people who enjoy watching the monster movies made 50 years ago. This has it all; small town in the desert, unusual goings-on in the hills; teenagers that adults won't believe; even the local scientist. It's an homage in the finest tradition.

As such, if you can't stand watching old '50's sci-fi, then don't bother with this. But if you catch yourself at the video store looking for some forgotten red-scare flying saucer thriller, or if your copy of This Island Earth is in regular viewing rotation, then Alien Trespass is intended for you, and you should see it.

Aien Tresspass is in my opinion a genuine horror movie: not only does it belong to the tradition of horror films in the broad sense of the term but it is a modern recreation of a genre that is pure horror cinema: films meant to scare the audience. This is particularly true of the American films of the 50s that came into existence within context of the Cold War and the possibility of a nuclear war. The ideological confrontation between two "alien" worlds was simply transposed in a S-F kind of setting. This is the innocent homage to that outmoded genre that this film is modestly offering us, succeeding, at any rate, in lighting it up with a delicious vintage flair. I absolutely recommend it.

A 2009 "Creature Feature" film that perfectly captures another time in Hollywood.

I have not seen any interviews with the director, but it seems very obvious to me that this is not a comedy. Yes, by today's standards there is a lot to laugh about, but if you watched some of the flicks it is paying TRIBUTE to, for example It Came From Outer Space (1953), today's 20somethings would be laughing their guts out at them as well.

Granted, the eyeball monster seems to be going into the spoof direction, but once again, there were some very silly movies in the 50s.

Call it what you like, but Alien Trespass is one of my favourite 21st century sci-fi movies! Not since Titanic (1997) can I think of a flick that did such a great job of capturing another time! And the movie is just plain fun.

Just love the vintage cars - a good part of the budget must have been spent on renting them out!