As part of our Simple Life formula, Marie and I have a few standing traditions that help us appreciate one another and enjoy life. One such is Schlocky Sci-Fi Friday.
Every Friday evening Marie fixes Chinese food and we curl up together on the sofa with our tray tables to eat the Chinese food and watch an old B grade (we prefer the term ‘Classic” ) science fiction movie. Movies from the 1950’s and 1960’s and in black and white are preferred. Among our all-time favorites are such classics as The Day the Earth Stood Still, Destination Moon and Rocketship XM but we have a large collection of movies on DVD and VHS, the majority of them Sci-Fi. Another “classic” joined the file last night. (No spoilers here)
Alien Trespass, staring Eric McCormack, Jenni Baird, Dan Hauria and Robert Patrick is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the golden age of sci-fi movies. Released in 2009, but set in 1957 it is done in the style of the science fiction classics; a hard-boiled, ex-military police chief, the egg-head scientist, a plucky waitress, and a trio of rebellious teens form the core of the movie cast.
The show begins with a news reel documenting a feud that broke out between the star of Alien Trespass and its producer, in the end the film; R.W. Goodwin’s masterpiece, was destroyed; forever denying the world the pleasure of seeing his crowning achievement. When a portion of the Goodwin studios were being torn down to make room for an apartment complex, an underground vault was located in which was found a metal film case containing one, pristine copy of Alien Trespass. This part is all rather comical.
The basic premise of the movie: an alien spacecraft crash-lands on Earth after suffering mechanical trouble. Aboard are two aliens: one a bloodthirsty monster bent on consuming all organic life, the other a keeper who must recapture it before it begins breeding and decimates the population of the sleepy small town near the crash site (and eventually, the whole planet). To accomplish its mission, the keeper needs help from the town folk.
| Just one element of the movie is a love triangle between the alien keeper, the egg-head professor, his overly sensual wife and the plucky waitress. But wait, you say, that’s four. How can you have a triangle with four elements? Ahhh… that’s the catch. And I’d spoil it if I told.
While the movie is deliberately cast with the wooden, stereotype roles I mentioned, the acting is atypically good, the story is strong and the movie is well done, even the requisite rubber suit monster with one huge eye and tentacles is laughably realistic.This was one of the best ‘Schlocky” sci-fi movies we’ve seen in a long time. It is rated PG for Sci-Fi action and brief historical smoking (grin) so it is suitable for viewing by the whole family. This one is just good clean fun with a surprisingly good story. It even has a decent ending. We highly recommend it. |
