Michael - Martin Hewitt! One
of three American tourists trapped in Duarde, Spain. Michael happens to be the number one stunt driver in
Hollywood and he can do a mean Rod Serling impression. By the time the film ends, Mike
has saved the day by retrieving some anti-alien serum, and he even gets the girl in the end too. (Some guys
have all the luck!)
Damon - Dennis Christopher! Mike's best friend and the film's comic relief. At some
point during Damon's childish antics, he gets infected by the alien virus, setting things up
for yet another chest-bursting creature outbreak elsewhere in Spain.
Samantha - Lynn-Holly Johnson! The third member of the intrepid tourist trio. Over
the course of the film, she is torn between Mike and Damon, but in the end she chooses good
ole "stunt driver Mike."
Dr. Tracer - A NASA scientist that's trying to save anyone he can while stopping the alien epidemic.
He ends up getting himself infected with the alien plague, but he's put out of his misery soon after
by a very large truck.
The Alien Predators - When the U.S. government's "Skylab" comes crashing to earth in Duarde, Spain,
alien microbes begin to infect and grow within the local people and animals. They have the
ability to control their hosts and have been known to burst out of people's throats and chests from time to
time.
In May of 1987, the U.S. "Skylab" comes crashing down, releasing alien microbes into Duarde,
Spain. A nearby cow gets infected and soon becomes a large snack for the incubating alien
within. The poor bovine collapses and dies as its insides are eaten away. The cow corpse in turn
gains the attention of a few scavenging dogs (one of which ends up as dessert) and thus, the alien
epidemic begins to spread.
The following day three young American tourists (Mike, Damon, and Samantha) are passing near Duarde, when their camper
suddenly breaks down. With their vehicle temporarily out of commission, they venture into town to
pick up some supplies. They're not there too long before they notice the extremely peculiar behavior
of the locals. Most are quiet and zombie-like, and none of them seem too friendly. Around this time,
another American has entered town: Dr. Tracer from NASA. He and a colleague are aware of what
is happening and are taking measures to stop the alien virus from spreading.
They venture into a futuristic-looking, underground, research facility to obtain an experimental
anti-alien serum when disaster suddenly strikes! Tracer's colleague commits suicide after
discovering that he was infected, leaving the NASA brainiac to stop the alien menace on his own.
Tracer never does retrieve the serum, but luck is on Doc's side because he ends up joining forces with Mike and the gang in order
to escape Duarde. Tracer explains the situation to his fellow countrymen and soon Michael races
off to get the special cure that will save humanity. (And he better get it quick because this
virus can allegedly infect all of Europe in nine weeks... probably sooner once the aliens hit France because
all the French will give up! ZING!)
Mike's trip through town is not an uneventful one however, as he soon has to put his aforementioned
driving skills to the test. An infected human in a crappy foreign car attempts to dissuade Mike from
his quest, but fails, and our hero manages to arrive safely at his destination. Mike goes within
the research facility to grab the serum, and is suddenly attacked by a vicious little critter. Mike ends up
crushing the little bugger in order to escape the lab and quickly finds himself being pursued again
as he drives through the center of town. Mike utilizes his superior driving skills and causes his pursuer
to crash and burn! Upon his arrival at the camper, Mike and the gang find out that Dr. Tracer
is now infected.
Rather than attempt to take the serum, Tracer freaks out and runs off, only to be squashed by
a fig bucking truck, piloted by an infected villager! Seeing as how Tracer is no longer in need of any help, Mike, Damon, and Samantha
hop in the camper and drive like hell. They manage to make it out of town and it's a good thing they
did because a napalm air-strike wipes Duarde off the map mere moments after our heroes escape!
After driving for a bit, the trio of weary travelers stop at a gas station to fill up the tank.
Everything seems fine at first, until the gas station attendant tears open his shirt,
and releases a bloody alien creature from his chest cavity!
The gore-covered creature leaps up on the windshield of the camper, only to be easily knocked off by the
windshield wipers. As it sits screeching on the ground, the Xenomorph wanna-bee
is crushed under the camper's tires. With the worst supposedly behind them, the trio of exhausted
tourists drives toward Madrid. Michael and Samantha sit in the back and cuddle up, which is why
they fail to notice that Damon has been infected! As the camper heads towards the horizon, the familiar
sound a chest-bursting alien can be heard! Sheesh, way to go guys. There goes the human race...
Film Review: Alien Predators
is one of many films I repeatedly watched during my dark and twisted childhood. The movie is oft-times
dark and atmospheric (though that could be partially due to the fact that I watched it on an
old VHS tape) and delivers a few creepy moments, a few cool-looking alien beasties, and some delightful tidbits of gore. (Courtesy of makeup and special effects wizard, Mark Shostrom.) Everyone
in the cast turns in a decent performance, but Dennis Christopher stands out as Damon. He looked like he was having a blast with
his role. I admit that I was shocked when I discovered that he was infected by the alien
microbes at the very end of the movie, mainly because his character is so damned likeable.
Though Alien Predators has quite a bit
going for it, the movie gets dragged down by its lethargic pacing. And it definitely couldn't
have hurt to have more gore-soaked critters running across the screen either, as the "alien predators"
themselves see such little screen time. (They are supposed to be the main draw for the
film, right?) Overall, this is a well made horror film and if you're in the mood for an
obscure cinematic gem (and you manage to track down a copy), then by all means, give
Alien Predators a try. (Heck, if you're a
germaphobe, this could very well be one of the most frightening films you will ever see.)
So how radioactive is this Alien-inspired rip-off?
Geiger Counter Reading:
- THREE 'RADS' -
WARNING: This movie is radioactive! Though it lacks the thrills and monster
action of the films it "borrows" from, Alien Predators is still a worthy addition
to the "chest-bursting alien creatures" film genre!
DVD Review: Bad news folks,
this film is currently out of print and not on DVD. (Note: The Alien Predators boxed set for sale on Amazon does not include this film! It
instead contains: Day of the Triffids, Little Shop of Horrors,
Graveyard Tramps, and Track
of the Moon Beast.)
Damon: "I'm so hungry I could eat a ..." [Scene cuts to shot of a dead cow.]
Damon: "I can definitely fall madly in bed with you."
Damon: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning!"
(Reviewer's Note: Lt. Colonel Bill Kilgore would definitely agree with Damon on that! Hahaha!)
- Beginning - Well MIR finally came down...
- 03:45 - Mad Cow Disease, graphically portrayed!
- 08:00 - Duarde now had one less stray dog running about.
- 20:31 - Damon pretends to be a secret agent.
- 33:00 - This isn't a lab, it's a futuristic McDonald's playground!
- 41:00 - Little did Mike know that is was demolition derby night in Duarde.
- 47:00 - This guy's corpse fell right on cue.
- 58:00 - A tender moment between Michael and Damon.
- 69:00 - Stock footage of fighter jets.
- 81:00 - SPLAT! Say goodbye to Dr. Tracer.
- 85:00 - An alien bursts out of a gas station attendant's chest.
- 87:00 - Damon's infected?! Say it ain't so!
- 87:40 - The End Credits.
Recommended Viewing:
- The producers of Alien Predators
were
obviously trying to cash in on the popularity of the Alien franchise (as well as 1987's Predator)
with this film. The Alien series currently
boasts four feature films and two crossovers: Alien (1979),
Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992),
Alien Resurrection (1997), Alien vs. Predator (2004),
and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). The main star of these films are the "aliens"
who gestate in human hosts and burst out of people's chests when they grow large enough. Just like the
little buggers in Alien Predators!
Italian film makers have tried their hand at copying Ridley Scott's Alien with
varying results. Contamination (1980), directed by
the legendary Luigi Cozzi, featured exploding "alien eggs"
that are filled with a highly corrosive acid. Anyone who makes contact with said eggs ends up
as a screaming puddle on the floor. (I should note that the eggs themselves very closely
resemble the ones seen in the Alien series.) One of
the most sought after Italian "Alien clones" is Alien 2 sulla Terra (1980).
This obscure films shows up what would happen if a xenomorph made it to Earth and starred in a bad
Italian movie. For more information on this "gem" check out MonsterHunter.com's review.
This isn't the first film to feature people suffering the effects of an unknown or alien virus.
Eli Roth's Cabin Fever (2002) features a cabin full
of partying kids that suffer the wrath of a nasty flesh-eating virus. In Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor (1990)
people in a research center are attacked by a former colleague that has mutated into a giant, flesh-eating
monster after being exposed to an alien virus! An alien virus/fungus causes a group of hunters
some grief in the cinematic adaption of Stephen King's Dreamcatcher (2003). I should
note however that the climax of the film is terribly stupid. Do watch it at your own risk.
Alien creatures love to invade small, quiet towns across the planet. For more alien invasion
hijinks check out the Critters (1986 - 1991) films, in which
killer furballs from space invade a small Midwestern town. Also check out The Deadly Spawn (1983)
which showcases a vicious invasion of man-eating, tadpole-like beasties! And how could I fail to mention
one of the best alien flicks of all time, John Carpenter's The Thing (1982). In that
awesome flick, an alien absorbs the members of an arctic military outpost in order to hide amongst
its human prey!
Useless Trivia:
- Alien Predators was filmed in 1984, but
didn't get released until February 8, 1987! The film was released for one single weekend on three
screens, and only grossed $2,554.00!
- Actor Luis Prendes who portrayed Dr. Tracer in Alien Predators died of cancer in Madrid, Spain on
October 27th, 1998 at the age of 85. Alien Predators turned out
to be one of his last films.
- Martin Hewitt (Michael) beat out 5,000 actors for the lead role in
Endless Love
. How he ended up in this
film is still a mystery to me.
- Alien Predators
is partially based off
an original screenplay by Noah Bloch, entitled "Massacre at R.V. Park."
- Mark Shostrom did the makeup
and creature effects for Alien Predators
.
Mark has worked on the effects for a ton of cult faves including: The first three
Nightmare on Elm Street (1984 - 1987) films,
Phantasm II & III (1988 & 1994), Evil Dead II (1987),
The Beastmaster (1982), and most recently, John Gulager's Feast (2005).
LEAVE YOUR OWN COMMENTS ABOUT THIS MOVIE IN...
And feel free to e-mail me at vault_master[at]bmoviefilmvault[dot]com if you have any
questions, personal recommendations, or information about the films reviewed here on the site! Don't be shy! Your
feedback helps make The Vault better!
Review posted on April 19, 2001.
(Review last updated on November 16, 2007.)
|
