Xtro

Like director Harry Bromley Davenport mentions on the (very amusing and upfront short) interview that comes with the double pairing DVD of the first two films, it's a mess. Simple as that. It's an incoherent slab of twisted ideas and episodic plots, some quite random (a dwarf in a clown costume springs out of nowhere) in quite a bewildering British low-budget Sci-fi / horror production. No wonder why this is considered a cult favourite. Trashy and nasty junk indeed, but unusually compelling because you just don't know how it's going to go about things. Instead of a clear-cut narrative (as it does have a unique spin on the various materials within), the header is to mainly shock, baffle and weird out. It effectively does that with few creative visuals, bloody make-up FX and crass special effects. Achieved from the eerie imagery and Davenport's elastically wallowing synthesizer (sounding quite second-rate, but uncannily otherworldly) score is a thick dose of atmosphere. Even the film's colouring is drearily painted. Davenport's direction is eccentrically boundless and this helps it move quickly without outstaying its welcome, (even if has that slow-burn style to it). The cast are more than decent. Bernice Stegers provides a strong show-in and lifts it up with her presence. Philip Sayer is capably empathetic and the lovely French actress Maryam D'Abo makes her acting debut. A curiously surreal and sombre uneven (purposely I guess?) b-grade fright feature that from the get-go, leaves you pretty much in the dark.

Xtro (1983) scared me when I was a kid. The very idea of a kid's being tormented by aliens freaked me out big time. The special effects were graphic and sticky from what I remembered. I wish this movie was available to rent because the only copy I could find to watch is the very first one that was released during the early 80's. I am surprised that this film isn't widely recognized as one of the nastiest and bloody horror films of it's time period. Two scenes tripped me out big time, one involving the father and the other with the poor kid and his G.I. Joe doll.

Priceless stuff. I would recommended a viewing of this strange film if you could find a decent copy.

In 1982, following the release of Spielbergs E. T in cinemas, John Carpenter had remade The Thing. The classic story of an alien intruder at a military and scientific base, discovered frozen in a block of ice. While Carpenters version was initially met with disgust and disdain in equal measure, another film, a low budget outer space shocker involving another visitor from beyond, was wrapped in the UK. Somewhat overlooked but finding momentum in the vhs rental shops of eighties Britain and that of course was Xtro. There were some parallels with ET concerning a young boys special relationship with an alien but this film was much darker and disturbing. A father is abducted by a "light" in the sky and, after 3 years, returns home to relocate his wife and specifically his son. The father however, is much different now and conceals alien dna within having being "changed so i could live there" referring to the alien world in which he was taken. Reborn in the most gruesome and notorious sequence in the film ( hands over your eyes) which still stands out as a superb example of practical effects on a shoestring. The rest of the film becomes somekind of kitchen sink drama as the mans wife, her new partner, a french housesitter and the son become implicated in the events that unfold while trying to reveal the true motives of the husband!!! Two sequels were made, neither related to this or each other, some years later by the same director who also composed the soundtrack to the film. Not for everyone but worth viewing if you enjoy your horror or scifi with a serving of splatter!

It's easy to pass Xtro off as a piece of trash; as that's essentially what it is, but those who are well versed in Sci-Fi horror will surely see it's positive elements shining through. It would seem that just about every idea director Harry Bromley Davenport ever had has ended up in this film, and so what we end up with is a disjointed and silly; albeit continually shocking and inventive little movie, which blends over the top images of extreme gore with the corruption of a family unit. The film was a part of the DPP's 'Video Nasty' list back in the eighties, which has ended up meaning that the film has an unfavourable reputation, which it doesn't really deserve; both because the cheesy gore effects can't really be taken seriously, and because the film is too cheerful to be reputed as a shocker. The plot is actually quite good, as it follows a young boy who witnesses his father being taken by aliens. Naturally, nobody believes him; although his story becomes somewhat more plausible three years later when his father reappears and disrupts the mother and her new man with his presence, and murderous new powers.

The film features several memorable scenes, the best of which sees a woman giving birth to a fully grown man! The special effects clearly didn't cost much, but that's not a problem as they fit the film and the director does well in ensuring that the effects are consistent in their style, and that they always fit the tone of the movie. The film was produced in Britain, and take obvious influence from Ridley Scott's masterpiece, 'Alien' as well as a whole range of other Sci-Fi films. The plot is well used in conjunction with the idea of a malevolent alien coming to Earth and killing people, and by keeping the focus on the disrupted family unit; director Harry Bromley Davenport manages to elevate the film above the normal level of B-grade schlock. The film isn't strong on atmosphere, although the poor production values do give it a gritty feel that bodes well with the plot. The acting is typically terrible, with only Bernice Stegers ('Macabre') providing any kind of standout. Overall, this film will no doubt be too silly and inconstant for some; but if you like your films to be weird and high on imagination; you can't go wrong with Xtro!

A man is abducted by aliens and returned to his family 3 years later. Strange and terrible things begin happening almost immediately.

XTRO is an extremely odd movie with loads of jaw-dropping set pieces, including: #1- A woman attacked by a crawling, grasshopper-legged alien! #2- The disgusting birth of a full-grown man! #3- Murder by a 6' tall action figure! #4- An eeevil, homicidal clown! #5- A woman turned into a cocooned egg-laying machine!

This movie has a nightmare quality about it, and weirdness to spare! In addition, the heavenly Maryam D'Abo just can't seem to keep her clothing from flying off!

For those looking for something VERY different...