Written as part of the blogathon hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Play along by picking three films that fit the week's theme and telling us about them!
The alien invasion subgenre of sci-fi got some seriously good play when I was growing up in the 90s. Even though I don't generally LOVE this kind of story, these three films are some of my all-time favorites.
Mars Attacks! (Tim Burton, 1996) But of the three, this one is probably my favorite. Tim Burton's masterfully silly send-up of old-school B-movies has an incredible All-Star Cast (Annette Bening, Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan, Sylvia Sidney, Pam Grier) and plenty of delightfully absurd moments (what ends up defeating the aliens? Tom Jones's "It's Not Unusual", which makes their heads explode). The martians themselves are perfectly designed, and memorably voiced ("ACK ACK ACK!"). Plus, Burton cast perhaps the greatest First Family of all time: President Jack Nicholson, First Lady Glenn Close (in PERFECT Nancy Regan drag), and sarcastic First Daughter Natalie Portman.
Independence Day (Roland Emmerich, 1996) The prototypical Dean Devlin/Roland Emmerich blockbuster is still their best, largely thanks to an incredibly charismatic lead performance by Will Smith in the first of his string of July 4th hits. Bill Pullman's classic climactic monologue has been spoofed a lot recently, but it's still pretty damn inspiring in the context of the film, which has held up surprisingly well despite its 90s-ness - Jeff Goldblum as a master computer hacker, anyone?
Men In Black (Barry Sonnenfeld, 1997) The glory of this comic adaptation is two-fold: The crackling, surprisingly perfect chemistry between Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, and the fantastic alien designs by master makeup artist Rick Baker. It's also REALLY funny - again, mostly thanks to the dynamic duo that leads the film. Jones's deadpan is a perfect foil for Smith's looseness as the veteran, seen-it-all agent showing the newbie the ropes as they police Earth's hidden alien population and protect "the galaxy" from an alien bug.
I love Mars Attacks but I believe it was Slim Whitman's music that blows up their heads:) I think that movie is hilarious. I am not one for Independence Day even though I like Will Smith-I wanted to smack Vivica Fox and that Smith's character can drive that spaceship which seems to have a wheel similar to a car made me laugh. MIB is funny and the first one is the best. The effects are great and that cockroach is really ugly
Omigod you're totally right about Slim Whitman! I just always associate Tom Jones with it because he's in the movie and that song plays a lot in it. Stupid faulty memory!
Terrific picks. I love parts of Mars Attacks! (Glenn Close and Sylvia Sidney are perfection) other parts are fun although I can't stand SJP but it went on too long. This Men in Black as with all originals is the best of the lot and an enjoyable view, the sequels are meh. LOVE Independence Day! It makes almost no sense, a virus to comprise an alien spaceship. Really? But what a great fun ride. I saw it at the Uptown in DC on their seven story screen and all I can say is WOW!!
This genre isn't one I would say I love but there are many films within it that I do have a great fondness for and that made narrowing down to just three impossible. I ended up with five I just had to include, one of them we share.
Slither (2006)-A meteor crashes outside a small southern town unleashing a plague of parasitic worms that turn the townspeople into zombies. The sheriff and the wife of one of the victims try and figure out a way to fight the slithering danger before it gets to them. Good performances by Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks in this mix of comedy and horror.
The Hidden (1987)-Dealing with a sudden spate of violent crime, perpetuated by people who until the last few days had no history of any wrongdoing, a cop is joined in the hunt by an FBI agent who has a strange aura about him. Turns out he is an alien in pursuit of a murderous intergalactic parasite that is using whatever host is available to cause mayhem until it is so damaged that he moves onto the next. Action packed film distinguishes itself from the pack by being laced with humor, a gritty feeling and solid performances from it cast. Kyle MacLachlan in particular stands out as the FBI agent from another world.
The Andromeda Strain (1971)-A satellite crashes in the New Mexico desert carrying an alien germ that causes the death of all but two people in a nearby town. A group of scientists are whisked away to a secure underground government lab to try and solve the mystery of the survivors and isolate and destroy the life form before it can cause worldwide destruction. This cerebral take on alien invasion based on a Michael Crichton bestseller is set almost exclusively in the underground bunker.
Honorable Mentions-Independence Day (1996)-A belligerent alien society tries to invade the planet and destroy mankind but not if an ass kicking Will Smith and a small band of scientists and soldiers has anything to say about it! Popcorn entertainment is big, loud, showy and a whole lot of mindless fun.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)-A gentle alien lands and warns humans that they must learn to live peaceably or be destroyed to keep them from becoming a threat to other planets. Seminal sci-fi picture that is miles above most genre pics that were being produced at the time.
I could play Sylvia Sidney cackling "THEY BLEW UP CONGRESS!" on a loop for all eternity and never tire of it. I do agree the film is a bit long and drags in spots, but I love it so much overall that I don't really care.
I liked parts of the Men in Black sequels, but neither can hold a candle to the first. I can only imagine what Independence Day must have looked like on a screen that size! The special effects in that are truly spectacular.
I've only seen your honorable mentions, but have long wanted to see The Andromeda Strain. I'm 50/50 on Slither, since I get very creeped out by creepy-crawlies, and gross-out humor doesn't usually sit very well with me. But it does look funny, and I LOVE the cast. Never heard of The Hidden.
The only reason I watched Slither, I share your aversion to the slimy, was because of Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks and their charm compensated for a lot but it still has an undeniable ick factor.
Someone I worked with had recommended The Hidden to me long ago when I mentioned I didn't care too much for alien movies and he said this one would be a good one for me because it had a bit of a twist, was action packed, had some suspense mixed in and yet also had a certain gentleness to it. It turned out to be a nice surprise.
Independence Day was a fun joyride; I found it amusing when I was a kid; Men in Black is also a decent one. It's my first encounter with Tommy Lee Jones. Mars Attack, as I said on Brittani's, was a B-movie bonanza with great cast and that's fun!
I never had a desire to see Mars Attacks! Tim Burton generally turns me off, and I just skipped it. Maybe I'll try it one day. Independence Day is a must here. Love that one! And I thought about Men in Black. Will Smith, man!
Nice picks! I also chose Mars Attacks and nearly went with MIB myself.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Mars Attacks is SO fun.
DeleteI love Mars Attacks but I believe it was Slim Whitman's music that blows up their heads:) I think that movie is hilarious. I am not one for Independence Day even though I like Will Smith-I wanted to smack Vivica Fox and that Smith's character can drive that spaceship which seems to have a wheel similar to a car made me laugh. MIB is funny and the first one is the best. The effects are great and that cockroach is really ugly
ReplyDeleteOmigod you're totally right about Slim Whitman! I just always associate Tom Jones with it because he's in the movie and that song plays a lot in it. Stupid faulty memory!
DeleteTerrific picks. I love parts of Mars Attacks! (Glenn Close and Sylvia Sidney are perfection) other parts are fun although I can't stand SJP but it went on too long. This Men in Black as with all originals is the best of the lot and an enjoyable view, the sequels are meh. LOVE Independence Day! It makes almost no sense, a virus to comprise an alien spaceship. Really? But what a great fun ride. I saw it at the Uptown in DC on their seven story screen and all I can say is WOW!!
ReplyDeleteThis genre isn't one I would say I love but there are many films within it that I do have a great fondness for and that made narrowing down to just three impossible. I ended up with five I just had to include, one of them we share.
Slither (2006)-A meteor crashes outside a small southern town unleashing a plague of parasitic worms that turn the townspeople into zombies. The sheriff and the wife of one of the victims try and figure out a way to fight the slithering danger before it gets to them. Good performances by Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks in this mix of comedy and horror.
The Hidden (1987)-Dealing with a sudden spate of violent crime, perpetuated by people who until the last few days had no history of any wrongdoing, a cop is joined in the hunt by an FBI agent who has a strange aura about him. Turns out he is an alien in pursuit of a murderous intergalactic parasite that is using whatever host is available to cause mayhem until it is so damaged that he moves onto the next. Action packed film distinguishes itself from the pack by being laced with humor, a gritty feeling and solid performances from it cast. Kyle MacLachlan in particular stands out as the FBI agent from another world.
The Andromeda Strain (1971)-A satellite crashes in the New Mexico desert carrying an alien germ that causes the death of all but two people in a nearby town. A group of scientists are whisked away to a secure underground government lab to try and solve the mystery of the survivors and isolate and destroy the life form before it can cause worldwide destruction. This cerebral take on alien invasion based on a Michael Crichton bestseller is set almost exclusively in the underground bunker.
Honorable Mentions-Independence Day (1996)-A belligerent alien society tries to invade the planet and destroy mankind but not if an ass kicking Will Smith and a small band of scientists and soldiers has anything to say about it! Popcorn entertainment is big, loud, showy and a whole lot of mindless fun.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)-A gentle alien lands and warns humans that they must learn to live peaceably or be destroyed to keep them from becoming a threat to other planets. Seminal sci-fi picture that is miles above most genre pics that were being produced at the time.
I could play Sylvia Sidney cackling "THEY BLEW UP CONGRESS!" on a loop for all eternity and never tire of it. I do agree the film is a bit long and drags in spots, but I love it so much overall that I don't really care.
DeleteI liked parts of the Men in Black sequels, but neither can hold a candle to the first. I can only imagine what Independence Day must have looked like on a screen that size! The special effects in that are truly spectacular.
I've only seen your honorable mentions, but have long wanted to see The Andromeda Strain. I'm 50/50 on Slither, since I get very creeped out by creepy-crawlies, and gross-out humor doesn't usually sit very well with me. But it does look funny, and I LOVE the cast. Never heard of The Hidden.
The only reason I watched Slither, I share your aversion to the slimy, was because of Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks and their charm compensated for a lot but it still has an undeniable ick factor.
DeleteSomeone I worked with had recommended The Hidden to me long ago when I mentioned I didn't care too much for alien movies and he said this one would be a good one for me because it had a bit of a twist, was action packed, had some suspense mixed in and yet also had a certain gentleness to it. It turned out to be a nice surprise.
Independence Day was a fun joyride; I found it amusing when I was a kid; Men in Black is also a decent one. It's my first encounter with Tommy Lee Jones.
ReplyDeleteMars Attack, as I said on Brittani's, was a B-movie bonanza with great cast and that's fun!
Actually I think Independence Day may be my least favorite of these three, but only because I really respond to the comedy in Mars Attacks and MIB.
DeleteLove Men in Black. Great pick. Still need to see Mars Attacks.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling you'll LOVE Mars Attacks - great send-up of B-movies!
DeleteI never had a desire to see Mars Attacks! Tim Burton generally turns me off, and I just skipped it. Maybe I'll try it one day. Independence Day is a must here. Love that one! And I thought about Men in Black. Will Smith, man!
ReplyDeleteGive Mars Attacks a try - it's a really great spoof, and not really like any other Tim Burton film I've seen.
Delete