Kenneth Johnson
Saw this turkey in the theater when it came out, not long after "Star Wars", and it quickly became a "MST3" with audience participation. The tag line for this bomb was "Why did they come"? When a cast member said that line in the film, my buddy stood up and shouted "Why did WE come?" which had the whole theater doubled over with laughter. The only redeeming factors for this film were the sexy female aliens in skimpy costumes and the unintentional laughs. Well, that and the theater was still offering real butter (not butter-flavored vegetable oil) on the popcorn. If you intend to watch this movie, gather some like-minded friends and prepare them for making snippy comments about it. Adult beverages will probably help.
wcavico
HI,Practically every thing in the movie was taken from UFO encounters of some sort reported through the previous years.Whether it was the type of uniform, the insignia, the concept of guardians, the type and location (somewhat) of the base, etc. you get the idea, was made to resemble UFO contact reported information.For me the most catching part of the movie was when one of the robots said "I think I can." when responding to a request for assistance from a guardian vessel under attack.It came out shortly after one of the star wars movies and was labeled in the press as a "star wars" ripoff wannabe.
jmlaird
I saw this film once on afternoon television in the late 70's . I've never seen it screened, rented or sold since. It seems to have sank into obscurity. I remember being disturbed in parts, so as bad as it may be, it could be provocative for ten year old latch key children, home alone in the late 70's. One interesting thing to note, reading the plot summary offered at IMDb, I've seen some of the same elements in UFO abduction lore & accounts. There are some who believe that there has been an extraterrestrial culture occupying the bowels of the Earth for some time, a federation of races I believe, that use this symbol of the winged serpent as their identifying mark. Some believe that this federation ultimately does want control of the Earth and humanity, and will reveal themselves following some type of cosmic or nuclear calamity on the Earth. Also, the ability to exert remote and irresistible control of the human brain through superior technology is a theme I've read frequently in reports, as well as this film's attention to the commonly reported telepathic ability of the ET's. I mention this because it seems like most cinema avoids some of the more fantastic elements of abduction accounts, and concentrates on other elements to the point of cliché. X-files hit on a lot of themes one can find in the reports, to be sure. I'd like to see this movie again, for nostalgia's sake. Sadly this isn't the UFO lore Epic I want. I'd like to see some talented writer/director do for modern abduction accounts what Spielberg did in Close Encounters with Project Bluebook reports. Some of the stuff they predict/report is genuinely terrifying, like, the apocalypse of mankind. The stakes don't get any higher. Perfect for Hollywood. A rich vein for creative exploration and sadly this little low budget film is about as close as it gets at the moment.
data-29
For years I had hoped to run across this film again as I find that certain images of the flying saucers have stuck in my imagination throughout my adult life. Actual recollections of storyline are nil as it seemed to be crude in its storytelling but my impression is that for whatever reason I believe this to be an important film in terms of its longterm effect on the impressionable minds (like mine at the time) who watched it on its release. Robert Vaughn who so memorably appeared in other low budget films (notably Teenage Caveman, a Corman classic), adds to the overall impression that here was something to be enjoyed throughout ones life. Despite its obvious flaws, you should overlook the films limitations and enjoy the fact that here is a film that at its core is about flying saucers. Apart from Forbidden Planet, no other film has remained with me with such a powerful grip on my imagination.
AD
