La morte scarlatta viene dallo spazio

I think both the '50s and '60s were a golden age for Sci-Fi films and after Roswell, it seemed everyone was having a try at 'alien invasion' films. Okay, this film isn't going to set the World alight with its plot, acting, music, or anything else but it's still a delightful watch for fans of the genre, either as a nostalgic look back at Sixties Britain, or for those interested in the history of such films. Incidentally, being a big fan of TV and film from that time, probably as I grew up with it, I kept recognising classic sound effects, many of which probably also 'served' in other movies and ITC TV series of the time.

OK look ...this is not a studio blockbuster, or classic in the sci-fi genre by any stretch of the imagination. But this movie has an interesting plot, moves along very quickly, has a fun musical score and the acting isn't terrible. I wasn't expecting much when I put it on, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it is. There are a million worse ways to spend an hour and a half of your life. Ignore the negative reviews and give it a chance.

Nine meteorites land in perfect formation in a field in Sussex, and in a plot device that bares no resemblance to Stephen King's The Tommyknockers, aliens take over the bodies of some scientists and some locals and start building a base in order to fire rockets into space. Only Britains top American scientist can stop them, as he's got a steel plate in his head that stops the alien frequencies taking over his body (told you – nothing like Tommyknockers).

This guy has got a special reason for trying to break through the alien's electric fence (which they acquired using taxpayers money!), his girlfriend's in there and she's all possessed by the aliens. Actually, the aliens are rather polite with the guy and frequently tell him to get off their property. They've also got these ray gun type things that knock the guy out. Turns out there's other government departments involved and they're all out to get into that compound and give those aliens a bally good thrashing, what.

Our top scientist is as persistent as an NPower salesman and gets into that compound, but not before a plague breaks out in the local village (in rather freaky fashion), so now he's got a girlfriend acting like a mysteron, people dropping dead everywhere, and a crazy sci-fi film set to run around. You'll have to watch the film to find out what happens next (and kick your television screen in depending on what you make of the ending).

Although tame and so very English in it's execution (it's charming in the formal way the aliens interact with our hero), the whole film is a lot of fun. It didn't take long for the aliens to set up their compound so it was nice to see how they could fill out the rest of the running time, which they do successfully, with gun fights, chase scenes and a funny bit where the scientist and his pal make their own versions of alien weapons.

So, if you like people wearing silver on their heads, cheesy alien stations and dodgy visual effects, this film is for you.

In looking at this movie, it seemed to me that this was pretty close in concept to It Came from Outer Space, the sci-fi classic starring Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush. It was later remade as Night Slaves, a TV movie in 1990.

However, it was good seeing Robert Hutton, a perennial favorite in sci-fi films.

On the negative side, the editing seemed rather haphazard, with cuts and clips not blending together to add coherence and continuity. Also, the film lacked any of the background characters who were so good in what have turned out to be sci-fi classics. Made in England, They Came from Beyond Space has the location, but not the interest of the Quatermass movies.

This movie is passable at best. It has an interesting plot: some aliens are trying to find a way to survive by building a base on earth. They are seen as hostile because, for heaven's sake they take over people's brains and use them to construct their stuff. A scientist who has had brain surgery and has a silver plate in his head, is immune to this. Later, a buddy of his puts a colander on his head with a silver plate and is able to infiltrate the "evil forces." Along the way, our hero, who suffered his initial brain damage in a car accident, drives around in a classic roadster (he must be trying not to be conspicuous) which he is always parking somewhere and setting the hand brake. He flies in the faces of the aliens who seem to tolerate him a lot more than they should. His girlfriend, who finished in third place in the Lucille Ball look-alike contest is a scientist who is carrying the soul of an alien around with her. There is so much coming and going, we never quite understand what the heck they're doing. Only that they seem to make frequent trips to the moon. The ending is full of emotion and good will and, yes, overacting. Captain Kirk would have been proud. Sometimes you see a film that has a good skeleton plot and with a few bucks and a little imagination, it could have been OK. What is lacks is the human element.