Out There

I was flipping through the channels to find something to watch until another show started, and ended up watching the whole second half of this film as it was so clever and different. I love SF of all kinds, even the really bad stuff, but this was so quirky and fun! There are so many oddball twists that kept it interesting. It's not heavy duty or intellectual in any way, but if you're looking for a fun SF flick to kill a Saturday afternoon, I'd say this would be a good choice for you.

A Pulitzer-Prize winning photojournalist buys a camera at a yard sale to add to his collection and discovers undeveloped film inside. Are these pictures of an alien abduction? And what does he make of the woman (Wendy Schall) who claims one of the abducted men is her missing father?

The saving grace of this flick is its cameos by some heavy-hitting stars. Unfortunately, they're hit and miss. Rod Steiger is hilarious (I bring him up because he's early in the movie and because a couple of weeks back, coincidentally, I watched "Dr. Zhivago," which this ain't). Jill St John is lovely as an annoying realtor (she must have a picture of herself in her attic that's slowly aging). And Associate Producer Cindy Morgan is delightful in hers. And that's good because I hated "Caddyshack" and that's all I've ever seen her in.

I won't go into details because saying anything more will constitute spoilers, but I'm troubled by the movie's unpleasant take on the middle class. Hollywood has the middle class in its crosshairs and is often pot-shotting at its cherished institutions and beliefs. People who work real jobs for a living, who support national defense and the Constitution (all of it, even the 2nd Amendment) and go to church. I'm a defiantly proud member of the American Middle Class and know Hollywood hates me, but they make the best movies.

Disclaimer: I once saw a (technical) UFO. Having busy days I'd go running in the wee hours and once in the corner of my eye saw a fire in the sky. I thought it might be an exploding airplane but turning my head I saw it long enough to realize it was a meteor burning green. It gave me empathy for people who catch no more than a glimpse of such a natural phenomenon and with minds attuned to aliens (which mine isn't) think they've seen flying saucers. Leading to nonsense like Roswell. Before, I'd written them off as kooks and liars when many, I now think, are honestly deluded.

If you're part of the Middle Class Hollywood hates you'll occasionally feel this movie's kick in your solar plexus. After all, most Hollywoid movies are aimed at pleasing people in Hollywood and the one thing they share is a hate for people who ain't them.

But this movie does have laugh-out-loud moments. And much of it is intriguing. Sort of a "Citizen Kane" of the UFO lobby.

And for someone who used to do lots of old-newspaper research in dusty university library basements it was nice to remember the good old days. When the leads were doing their research in old newspapers (though in my experience newspapers were more manageable on microfilm rather than microfiche. And if you're too young to know what microfiche is, watch this movie: it's the transparencies they're playing with).

These days I'm retired. I don't have to go out at night or do microfilm newspaper research in University library basements. I enjoy the sunlight.

Another disclaimer: I like easy listening music. Along with my extensive classical collection I have Montavanni, Paul Weston, Kostelanetz, Nelson Riddle, Jackie Gleason, 101 Strings, etc. And another disclaimer: I was once called evil because I told co-workers I was against forced recycling. Not recycling. Recycling enforced by law, taking free will and choice (which I strongly support) put of the equation. But I don't have any accordion albums. Don't worry, it all ties in. If you see this movie (once is all you need) you'll get it.

This movie has a lot of great references to past and future movies( e.g. Mars Attacks! which came a year after it.)

But one of my favorites is the "Don Polson" character, which so hilariously captures Jean Paul Sartre, that I was puzzled by the name ,until I said to my wife "I don't see why Jean Paul Sartre character is named Don Paulson!" .

Devious minds...

This is a good popcorn movie for lighthearted viewing and entertainment. The reason I give this movie an above average score is due to the use of computer lingo within the script. That may seem like a silly reason at first, but the movie was made in 1994? and released in 1995, so the terminology was state of the art (sort of) for the time, and still better then some of the big name rubbish still being produced.

An interesting, fun take on the whole alien invasion scenario. A bit corny, and the acting is a little loose at times, but that was the point. It was obvious the cast enjoyed making it. The theme and flavor are somewhat reminiscent of, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World" (+or- a, 'mad'). No surprise it's not well known, but it is a cut above most Amazon or Netflix Sci-Fi offerings. Nice seeing some senior actors from earlier Hollywood playing rolls out of their normal range. I enjoyed it and would watch it again with a friend.