Alien - O Terror do Espaço

My review was written in April 1988 after watching the movie on TWE video cassette.

Something went wrong with "Deep Space", a horror send-up that reportedly went through extensive post-production reshooting and tinkering before its recent direct-to-video release. Finished product doesn't fit its title in the slightest.

Both Chales Napier and Ron Glass are typecast as a couple of L. A. police detectives, partnered on a case when a monster from Outer Space crash lands and starts killing people. The monster was created by U. S. scientists for military research that went awry, with project director James Booth feeling the heat from his supervisor, a general played by Norman Burton.\ Pic is essentially a too literal, tired homage to Ridley Scott's modern classic "Alien", which already has been the model of several alien-on-Earth cheapies such as "Scared to Death" and "Alien Contamination".

Helmer Fred Olen Ray goes to absurd lengths to mimic "Alien", including a scene of a guard calling for his kitty cat which is staged identically, the monster dripping KY jelly. It striking with the same rapid movement (but ropelike tentacles), having a young version that is shaped like an oversize scorpion (instead of the octopus look) and even a variaton of the chest-burster scene. It's all silly, not funny or scary.

Cast includes numerous unimpressive cameos, including erstwhiel "Li'l Abner" star Peter Palmer popping up as a fellow copo; he has no scenes with his one-time co-star Julie Newmar, however. Lead players are okay, maintaining a flippant attitude. The monster vaguely resembles the beastie inserted at the climax of Jacques Tournueur's classic "Night of the Demon", and Napier ultimately wields a chainsaw against it.

An American satellite with a new biological weapon gets out of control and crashes onto US territory. A slimy monster emerges and manages to escape, killing everyone who crosses his path.

We have a great cast here, with Julie Newmar, Charles Napier and Bo Svenson. I mean, wow, good job guys, getting such a great lineup of character actors for such a disposable film. This puts "Alienator" to shame! Did you think the vine scene was eerily similar to the tree assault in "Evil Dead"? I sure did. Intentional? Maybe not, but when you are dealing with king of the B-movies, you never know when he might be ripping off "Evil Dead" or "Alien" or any other number of better-known films.

Any movie with Julie Newmar in it is at least worth one watch. She only has a bit part here in an Alien rip-off with a police procedural main plot. Charles Napier & Bo Svenson also star in this movie. Tough cop cliches and Alien cliches are mixed together (one scene from Alien is almost stolen intact) for a time-wasting romp. You might not remember it tomorrow, but it wastes 80 minutes in a not too bad way. One problem that is hopefully fixed with a blu-ray release is how absolutely dark some of the scenes are. I know this was a cheap movie & some of the effects are hidden with some darkness, but this is way over the top. You might even give it another point if you're able to see what is going on for the whole run time. As far as Alien rip-offs go, this one wan't too bad, and the story moved at a fast pace.

A cut-rate imitation of "Alien" that has an air of sloppiness about it (the script could have been written over a weekend probably), but delivers the goods in the end with some good buzzsaw action and lots of slime. Problem is, it's STILL not particularly better than any other of the dozens of "Alien" ripoffs that are floating around.....(**)

A Government experiment from space just landed somewhere in L.A., it's a horde of alien pods that unleashes monstrous baby creatures including one huge mother-^%&$^%&* that go around the city killing people in the alleys and neighborhoods, it's up to a rookie cop ( played by Charles Napier from "Jury Duty", " Rambo-First Blood part II" and " Silence of the Lambs") to stop these monsters.

Pretty much decent for a low-budget Sci-fi flick that changes the whole Cops-and-Robbers theme to Cops-and-Aliens instead, some of the acting is stiff but there is a good apperence by Batman: The Series's Julie Newmar and a cool looking more that makes this an entertaining movie worth checking out.

If you liked " Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn" and " Bad Taste" then this is for you.

6/10.