Invasion

The 60s was probably Britain's finest hour for well-made, believable science fiction and "Invasion" is no exception.

This tense, moody little masterpiece is a joy to watch. No wobbly sets, laughable aliens or flying saucers on strings. Just lots of moody set pieces enhanced by little incidental music and some stark lighting effects.

Co-scripted by Robert Holmes of "Doctor Who" fame, this film bears more than a little resemblance to Jon Pertwee's debut DW story "Spearhead from Space" - also scripted by Holmes. However, what do not have here is any of DW's trademark bad points: wobbly sets, bad acting and cardboard monsters!

Catch this if you can. A real must see for early, British sci-fi fans.

This is one of a cycle of low-key British Sci-Fi movies of the early to mid 1960s (see also UNEARTHLY STRANGER, NIGHT CALLER FROM OUTER SPACE and NIGHT OF THE EAGLE for other examples) which are technically unspectacular, but which establish and maintain an effectively eerie atmosphere. Its setting is a remote hospital under siege by humanoid aliens whose motives are initially unknown. The morning after I first saw it (on TV in the middle of the night), I thought I had dreamt it. An unheralded gem.

Made with a shoestring budget ,without stars (at least unknown to me),with very few special effects (Ed Wood style),the story takes place in a hospital where an E.T. (who looks like an Asian person)is cured.We learn he was actually a prisoner and that pretty soon,"the others" are going to take him away.An invisible wall -which is very economical in the end!-surrounds the clinic and the temperature rises and makes the staff sweat.

Shot in black and white ,it is a curious little film ,more MTV style than a flick for movie theaters.An Asian nurse has been added for good measure.

I have seen Invasion a couple of times and found it rather eerie. I taped it when it came on Channel 4 during the early hours.

A spaceship crashes near a rural, English hospital and its occupant, who looks human, is taken there to be treated after being run over by a car. Just after, a force field appears around the hospital, obviously something to do with the aliens. The army are called in to help to investigate. Strange things then start happening in the surrounding countryside as two mysterious Chinese looking women kill a man and head for the hospital. These are more aliens. They are searching for their colleague. They find him and they head back to their home planet in a flying saucer.

This is a well shot, British sci fi and must one of the last to be shot in black and white.

The only actors I am familiar with in this movie are sci fi regular Edward Judd (Island Of Terror, First Men In the Moon) and Barrie Ingham (Dr Who And the Daleks).

This movie is worth a look if you get the chance, but it does not seem to be available on VHS or DVD anywhere.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

This film had a kind of haunting effect on me for over 25 years.

There is a scene in it where a man (later to be realised a doctor) drives his car away from a building in a manic fashion, trying to get away from something, and crashes, he stops dead, literally dead as his car hits an invisible barrier. Then other people come out of the building and comment on how it's their turn next etc. You know that moment in time has come back to me on a number of occasions through life and until last year I didn't have the faintest idea what film it came from. Then one night I stayed up until the early hours - the vegetable slot - and started watching this Very Low Budget but Very Intriguing film. Good lord, it must have been put together for a few shillings in the old money but HEY was it watchable. And then this same scene came up and it was like a sheer relief that a question that went unanswered for so long was finally solved.

If you get the chance, see this film. Don't expect Hollywood budgets or special effects 'cos they're not present - what you will see is the kind of solid acting and credible performances that only come from a cast who take pride in what they are doing; committing something to celluloid for the benefit of others and something sadly lacking nowadays - real movie art.

Not a masterpiece but certainly very worthy.