Unearthly Stranger

This film's basic premise isn't dissimilar to that for I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE (1958), so that I deliberately watched them on consecutive days. However, while I liked the latter well enough, UNEARTHLY STRANGER proved something else entirely; it also stands as a testament to how different American and British film-makers treat the same theme – the former usually take a common man's view of things, while the former tend to adopt an intellectual (and, therefore, more intriguing) approach.

Anyway, I knew beforehand of the film's reputation as a minor classic of sci-fi cinema – which is why I decided to acquire it in the first place (though I almost had to make do without it, as it took quite a while to get the DivX copy to work properly!), but I was genuinely surprised by the result. This, in fact, has to be the most satisfying 'B' movie I've watched in a long time! Above all, it's marked by a literate and intelligent script, imaginative monochrome photography (by NIGHT OF THE EAGLE [1962]'s Reg Wyer) and a splendid second-tier cast. John Neville – perhaps best-known for his starring role much later in Terry Gilliam's THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (1989) – is an atypical hero, character actor Philip Stone surely has his most significant role – otherwise some might remember him as Malcolm McDowell's meek father in Stanley Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971), Gabriella Licudi – whose mix of exotic looks and sweet-natured countenance suggest the inherent ambiguity of her character and, playing other key figures, Patrick Newell and Jean Marsh.

The story is told in flashback and bookended by the violent deaths of two officials involved in a space program – which immediately draws one into the proceedings; in retrospect, though I was aware of the identity of the titular figure, it was interesting that the director opted to reveal it in the character's very first appearance! The unexpected denouement, too, was a brilliant touch – taking care to provide one more devastating and downbeat twist to a tale which had already reached a satisfactory climax (the idea that aliens are already among us and in large numbers was rarely this chillingly presented, though it could well be a case of collective hysteria on the part of an understandably distraught Neville and Stone!). The earlier scene, then, in which Licudi herself displays a similar sensation of confusion and loneliness (through her own weird effect upon a group of schoolchildren) probably constitutes one of the more sublimely mysterious passages in all of sci-fi cinema! Even if the production's low-budget is betrayed by the fact that the aliens' true selves are never shown (being restricted merely to subtle indicators of flaws in their human 'form', which then simply disintegrates in death!), it's not much of a liability – since such appearances are usually disappointing anyway. That said, the ruse of having a swishing sound ("like telephone wires in the wind") anticipate their presence while on the prowl is a clever and more-than-adequate substitute.

In the end, considering the fuzzy video quality and the constantly distorted soundtrack of the print I watched, UNEARTHLY STRANGER's unavailability on an official DVD (though, being an independent feature, I concede that its rights may not be so clear-cut after all this time) is not merely baffling but criminal – given that fans of the genre are being deprived from enjoying a veritable gem!

Even though I'm a fan of obscure movies, it's amazing to me that I even heard of this movie, much less find a copy, but I consider it worth the effort. The stark minimalism technique makes this like a slightly extended episode of an anthology series like "The Twilight Zone" (and the running time is still quite short at 75 minutes). The one word I think that best describes this movie is "competent." In other words, the filmmakers knew exactly what they were doing; they had to, I suppose, working with what seems an almost non-existent budget. They knew how to elicit an emotional reaction of claustrophobia from the audience - something few filmmakers can do exceptionally well in the sci-fi genre - Ridley Scott's "Alien" is one other film that comes to mind. Every bizarre angular shot composition, every set piece, every facial close-up, every soundtrack cue, is blended seamlessly to make the viewer sweat.

For science fiction, this movie is very unique - even for a typically-cerebral British sci-fi production. There are no slimy aliens to look at, no space craft, and no robots. Instead, like the storyline itself, all the suspense comes from the viewer's own imagination. If you can find it, I highly recommend seeing this at night. The only other movie I can think of which demonstrates such continuous suspense with scant resources is Edgar G. Ulmer's 1945 film noir "Detour." I almost think they should show this as a primer to film students on how to make a film successfully with little or no money.

Just watched this on Talking Pictures TV, here in the UK, an independent channel that is always screening little known or forgotten movie gems. Unearthly Strangers being a good example. It starts off with one of the main characters running up a superb spiral staircase, had this been filmed in colour instead of black and white the effect would not have been anywhere near as good. But talking of effects, in regards to the aliens they are practically non existent. The only give away signs are that they don't blink, nor do they suffer burns when handling hot casserole dishes without wearing gloves! Acting is good. Gabriella Licudi is gorgeous. The film is very reliant on dialogue and may bore some viewers but the final scene is genuinely chilling and worth waiting for.

There are a handful of fine films that have never been released on tape or disk. Sometimes they show up on the few independent TV stations around the country that still have access to the old collections of movies that used to circulate in the days before cable. Nearly lost films, except in the memories of people who saw them at drive-ins or on TV before the current age of homogenous viewing. Unearthly Stranger is a perfect example of this kind of film. Not the masterpiece that Invasion of the Body Snatchers is, Unearthly Stranger is still a wonderful science fiction story with trappings of the paranoia that characterizes Body Snatchers, I Married a Monster, and other, earlier, SF films. Stranger was a throwback when it was new, and that may be why it was pretty much ignored when it was released. With DVD releases of an awful lot of true garbage, there really is no excuse for the continued neglect of this stylish, almost lost movie.

I remember the first time that I saw this SF chiller was at a local drive-in theater in the late 60's as the second feature. I don't remember what the first one was--that's how creepy "Unearthly Stranger" was for me. For a low-budget film it has everything: wit, intelligence, excellent acting, compelling direction, and for it's modest budget more than adequate (minimalist) use of special effects. I've seen it a few times since on t.v., and just recently acquired a second or third generation copy on ebay. I was waiting for the scene where the professor's wife ( whom we already know is a tad unusual) goes for a walk into town and loiters near the public schoolyard, where the nine-to twelve-year-olds are playing. While standing there, the children, one by one, begin to take notice of her, and in a mass, start backing away from her...well, if you haven't seen it, what follows is worth the price of viewing by itself. A bit of info: many years ago a friend told me that this film was actually inspired by the SF novel "To Walk The Night" by William Sloane, originally published in 1938. When I finally got a copy, I was surprised how the closely the plotline of "Unearthly Stranger" hews to Sloane's novel. Hard to understand why the producers would fail to give credit where credit's due...at any rate, find a copy where you can, and pray for it's release on DVD!