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Film: Alien Trespass
Year: 2009
Director: R.W. Goodwin
Writer: Steven P. Fisher
Starring: Eric McCormack, Jenni Baird and Robert Patrick
Review:
This film takes place in the 1950s. It actually starts out as newsreels with the most important aspect of it being about an actor played by Eric McCormack. He is starring in a film that is considered to be the best sci-fi movie of all time, but it won’t be released to the public, because McCormack will not sign with the studio that made the movie. The film and everything with it is going to be burned by Brad Dryborough, who plays the head of the studio. It then goes into the film that was made.
We see a spaceship as it flies through space. We see some sparks and there is something wrong with it. The ship then comes crashing toward planet Earth. We then hear that there is a meteor shower that will be seen that night.
We meet McCormack’s character in the film. He works for an observatory and he’s a doctor. His wife is played by Jody Thompson. They are making dinner and are watching the meteor shower. They see something crash. McCormack wants to go check it out, but his wife reminds him they had plans.
Others have seen the crash as well, including an old drunkard who lives out in the middle of nowhere with his dog, the man is played by Tom McBeath. He is going to go out to the crash. McCormack waits until his wife falls asleep before going as well.
A monster slithers out of the crash sight. A space man who is about 7 feet tall comes out as well. McBeath meets him first and in a panic he fires off a round from his shotgun. The spaceman fires a laser from his gun at his feet. McBeath flees. McCormack has different experience as he is taken inside of the spaceship and we hear a scream.
The next morning we are at the local diner. The man who runs it is played by Jerry Wasserman. A woman works for him is played by Jenni Baird. We did see her the night before. She was painting and saw the crash. Wasserman gets on her to get to work.
We meet two of the local police officers. One is played by Robert Patrick and he hits on Baird. She isn’t having any of it. The other is kind of bumbling and he is played by Sage Brocklebank. They are sitting with a couple of brothers, skinner one played by Jonathon Young and the bigger as well as dumber one played by Michael Roberds. There is talk in the diner about the crash the night before and if Patrick will do anything about it.
Out at a popular make-out spot the night before were Andrew Dunbar and Sarah Smyth. He wanted to go farther and she wasn’t having it. They saw the crash from the night before too. This morning they are outside of the diner. They meet up with a friend; he is played by Aaron Brooks. Brooks is a greaser. They go inside and talk more about the crash. They also put a little pressure on Patrick. There is then a call telling Patrick to go check it out. Brooks wants to go as well. He talks the couple into coming with him.
While they are up there, Patrick tells his partner that it is nothing more than a crashed meteorite. They should go back. Dunbar has hid his car in some trees and while they are waiting for Brooks, they see the monster from the night before. It looks like a slug that moves upright on little tentacles and it has a big tentacle with a feeler on the end. It scares them and they flee to the car. They meet up with Brooks and Patrick, who hears them out. They try to tell what they saw. He thinks it’s a prank and takes them to down to the jail.
We also see McCormack go home in his car. He crashes into their fence and we know something is wrong. He goes inside and talks to his wife, who is making breakfast. He is talking funny and he scares her with it. She knows there is something wrong. It is important to note that he tells her that salt can keep her safe. He asks her if she will help him and she decides to go get a doctor. He leaves to find the other alien.
The trio of teenagers meets the chief, who is played by Dan Lauria. He doesn’t want to hear their story and thinks it’s a joke. He lets them go.
Old Mr. McBeath is attacked by the slug-like alien. It attacks him with its tentacle and his dog flees.
McCormack walks down the road and meets Baird. This part is a little odd in that she is hitting on him, when she knows he is married. McCormack reveals his alien name and Baird just thinks he’s weird. She does agree to help him. They stop by McBeath’s place to find only a pool of goo. McCormack tells her that the alien has eaten him. They have a disagreement and he is left there. She doesn’t entirely believe him.
It becomes a race against time. Will anyone believe McCormack before it is too late? Will they be able to stop the alien before it takes over the world? Will there be anyone to stop it before that happens?
This film is a perfect throwback to the 50s sci-fi monster movies. You have the same build ups those had. You have the alien that no one sees. Those that do see the alien, have reasons for people not to believe them. This one though has the scientist who knows, but since the alien has taken over his body, he talks weird and they think he’s crazy. You also have the teenage kids who know what’s happening and no one believes them. This one also does a great homage to the 50s with little things here and there which I thought adds a little something as well.
Now with that said, this film is very cheesy. You need to expect that with a film that pretending to be during the 50s, as it was considered a better time. The alien is clearly cheaply done, but again, that goes back to sci-fi monster movies where they didn’t have much technology or even the amount of money to put toward it. This is also a comedy, which sometimes can work to a film’s advantage. In this case, it is poking fun at the 50s as well as paying tribute. Being part comedy doesn’t hurt this film, but it personally hurt the rating from me.
I would recommend this film if you’re a fan of the 50s style horror sci-fi monster films. This is a modern interpretation that pays homage as well as mocking it. The acting is good at mimicking how it was done back then, the monster looks like it was right from that era and a story that is as well. With a low running time, it keeps you entertained without dragging on. I would recommend giving it a viewing if this is genre is something you find interesting.
My Rating: 6 out of 10