sol-
Abducted by aliens, a family man returns home to the delight of his doting son, but his time in space seems to have changed him in this gloriously uncanny horror movie. Underwhelming at first, the film stands up slightly better upon revision when viewed as more of a mood piece than a narrative. Largely shot in the dead of night with imaginative creature effects and a sound design that creatively fuses music and sound effects, the film simply drips with atmosphere. There are also several unsettling moments that impressively do not rely on effects, lighting or music, such as lead actor Philip Sayer swallowing snake eggs (just one of the many strange things he does upon returning). Creepy as it may be, 'Xtro' does not exactly spin an airtight narrative and as the boy's toys randomly come to life and as he turns homicidal, one gets the distinct feeling that the project exists as mainly an excuse for director Harry Bromley Davenport to experiment and be as creative as he can when it comes to shocks and horror. That said, the film does play with some very tangible themes and issues - most notably, the void a parent leaves when away for a long time and the uncertainty of whether someone is still the same after being away for so long. Indeed, were it not for all the deaths, the whole film could be read as a manifestation of the boy's anxieties after being separated from his father.
gavin6942
Tony's father Sam, abducted by aliens three years earlier, returns to earth and seeks out his wife and son, but Rachel has since been living with Joe and the reunion is awkward. Joe does not trust Sam, and Rachel cannot quite decide what her feelings are for her two men. Sam is not the same as when he left, and he begins affecting Tony in frightening ways.This is one of the strangest films I have seen. And I have seen many strange films, wading as I do in horror, fantasy and cult flicks. This one is... well, hard to say. Definitely horror and definitely science fiction, but far too strange to be a straight narrative in either genre.One suspects the budget was zero, as nobody of note was involved in the picture. Bob Shaye produced for New Line, but this was before New Line had really gotten to be a big name. And yet, budget or not, we have some of the finest practical effects and creature designs you may ever see.
Smartnick100
You have got to love a classic campy Sci-Fi film! Even though this movie is from 1983, it still reminds me of 50's scifi horror!So here's the plot. From the beginning, it barely makes any sense as we see a father and son playing in the yard with their dog. When the father, named Sam, throws a stick in the air which EXPLODES!!! What the heck? Anyway, then you see some flashing lights and then next thing you know, the father's been abducted by aliens. It's pretty crazy! The mom doesn't believe the alien story, and thinks that Sam ran off with another woman. So she plans to marry some other guy. But then a UFO comes back and drops off a small disgusting looking alien which goes around killing people and impregnates some girl. Then the alien dies and the girl that got knocked up by the extraterrestrial gives birth to the father Sam. What the hell kind of movie is this?! So when Sam reunites with his wife, it turns into a battle between him and the new boyfriend. That's as far as I'm going to go with the plot, if you want to know the rest of it then go watch the movie because it's too crazy to describe!The special effects are a gore fest. When the father gets reborn, it's pretty gnarly. Especially since he bites through his own umbilical cord.Also, the special effect on the alien is really good too. Overall, the effects are what you'd expect from an 80's movie. Their nice and organic, but disgusting (in a good way if you're into that kind of stuff).Overall, it's a trashy, deranged and sleazy science fiction movie with gore and crazy special effects! I say go check it out!
TheExpatriate700
Xtro is one of the most interesting-and fun-bad movies ever made. It takes the concept of a dozen Alien rip-offs, combines it with E.T., and pours on the surreal imagery in order to make a genuinely unique movie. Although it is not very well known, it definitely earns director Harry David Davenport at least a minor place in sci-fi / horror history.The plot follows a man who is abducted by aliens in front of his son, who is unable to convince anyone of what he saw. Three years later, the man returns, but something seems off. Perhaps it's the fact that he can't remember the past three years, perhaps it's the fact that he's just been born fully grown out of a woman who's been raped by an alien monster, but things just don't seem to add up.What follows is one of the most bizarre horror movies ever made. Rather than follow the typical arc of an alien monster emerging, much of the plot emphasizes the transfer of the man's newly acquired powers to his son. In particular, the son gains the capacity to make his toys come to life. What ensues is a mixture of dwarf clowns, clockwork men, and bloody chaos all around. Alien knock-offs have never been this hallucinatory!The film gains a disturbing edge from this hallucinatory imagery, along with heavy overtones of molestation in the transfer of powers to the child. Although Davenport, the director, claims this effect is unintentional, the film can be read as a metaphor for the impact of child abuse on a family. The film also benefit from decent special effects. Though they are hardly Oscar-quality, they are far better than those found in other Alien riffs, such as Contamination.Don't come to this film expecting a coherent plot or award winning acting. Still, if you're looking for a night of gory, if stupid, fun, this is definitely worth checking out.
AD
