MovieChat Forums > Alien Trespass Discussion > What is the point, exactly?

What is the point, exactly?

posted 15 years ago by jnorrisclay
16 replies | jump to latest

I saw a poster for this movie and I thought it was a parody of all the 50s sci fi flicks. I was really excited when i saw eric was in it cause i LOVE will&grace, but i just saw the trailer and it looks like its done pretty seriously. which makes me wonder, what is the POINT? why do we even bother moving forward in the movie making industry if the goal of this film is to look exactly like one from 50 years ago? im just wondering why the heck they made this movie because i would have rathered it be a comedy.

[–] KRhetor 15 years ago

Because the people who made it genuinely love Fifties science fiction movies, and wanted to pay respectful tribute to them instead of mocking them. If you're fan whose actually seen enough movies from the era, you'll be in on the joke. If not, and you only know the movies from other parodies, then of course you'll won't get it.

[–] noahtenzin 15 years ago

http://shareddarkness.com/2009/04/03/alien-trespass.aspx

^ Sounds terrrrrible... neither parody nor loving homage, really.

Sad.

[–] beersandshots 12 years ago

And fully 50% of the people that voted on the review "didn't like it", and only 33% "liked it". Have you got a better review that the majority of readers/voters like or agree with?

"In a time of universal deceit,
telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
George Orwell

[–] VulcanDax 15 years ago

How about you go see the movie first and complain after, if you absolutely must. I don't see the point of asking the question just to ask something

[–] jnorrisclay 15 years ago

i wasnt trying to just ask something! i honestly wanted to know! but you didn't exactly help so i guess your comment was the irrelevant one...

[–] Frostrose 15 years ago

Because older movies had the charm that new movies lack. Today they just try and percfectionize everything and focus too much on a hot, young cast as well. That sort of cr*p makes movies bad. Sometimes the beauty is in the imperfection - older, more "flawed" movies were often better.

I want MORE funny horror movies in the 80s style.

[–] Ithilfaen 15 years ago

Well... although I don't agree with the OP really I agree on the general idea... I loved I mean LOVED 50ies scifi movies... Tarantula, THEM, Black Lagoon... so many great movies. I was pretty excited when I heard about that one because RW Goodwin directed some awesome Xfiles episodes and I looked forward to the movie.

I was disappointed though... tremendously. I wasn't expecting a parody but I was disappointed in the crafting of the movie. The old movies had small budgets and limited technical means... what they couldn't do with effects, they more than made up in style and atmosphere... this movie simply lacks ambiance... They have the costumes and props of the era, they act like it but honestly what is the point of having such a horrible looking alien creature if you're just going to film it full frame in broad daylight without a semblance of setting? The great scifi directors of that era knew that showing too much was killing the movie and yet here, we see too much from the start... The photography is inexistent (anyone else think this movie should have been made in B&W?), the lighting is crude and the direction too modern for its own sake...

That bad CGI earth in the shot where the UFO crashed towards Earth made me shiver... a real homage to the genre would have required a little more... why not use one of those big ass geography globes like they used to (like in the opening shot of Casablanca for instance)? That would have looked like an homage... this only looks like a low budget movie that surfed the homage wave to pretend it really tried to look that bad...

For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco

[–] jeepnman 15 years ago

Popcorn, drink, and a 50’s style sci-fi movie at a theater. When was the last time a 50’s sci-fi was shown at a theater? I know there is some theater some where that might have shown one, but not where I live. Now as far as owning the DVD, the jury is out. See my review on this movie at Amazon.com

[–] ChairHugger 15 years ago

I was disappointed, i expected something .... more? It was like looking at a photograph of an old master painting, recognisable, but no soul.
It occasionaly brought a wry smile to my face in it's attempts at homage to several classics, but in the end, i did say to myself, 'what was the point?'.

[–] ninfar 15 years ago

I totally agree..those older movies had sort of a "magic" to them that they dont have today.Now its just all action with no heart,no real feelings.Those classics made you feel like you where inside the movie with them.Like part of the players.Today,its sort of just looking in and they are all "out there"..I can hardly waite to see this movie as I am a hardcore lover of 50's sci fi movies.I went ahead and pre-bought it on dvd.I know I will want to watch it over and over again.Great for part of any dvd collection.

[–] slackertommyx 15 years ago

do you think we need another parody???

[–] kenneth-r-close-1 15 years ago

"What is the point?" is an outstanding question. These people made a perfect replica of a 1950's sci-fi flick using current technology. The result. . .a 1950's sci-fi movie in color. They blew huge opportunities for satire and comedy based on the monumental differences between our two time eras. It's sad, but screenwriters from the 1950's are undoubtedly better and more imaginative than people writing most of the scripts today.

[–] prbronx5 15 years ago

Agreed.

I LOVE 1950's sci-fi, and I thought that this movie was actually poking fun at 1950s sci-fi not respecting them.

I didn't think it was funny nor clever.

It wasn't the worst, but it should have been alot better.

[–] mam13143 15 years ago

Just watched this movie -- and they hit some things right on - like the music akin "It Came From Outer Space " (and even the whole set and scene of the doc and wife when the ship lands); the deep color of War of the Worlds and other George Pal movies; and all the cars etc were spot on too. And the cute "Blob" movie in a movie was nice touch also.

Having said all that, there was something lacking as many others have said. I love and own nearly all of the 50s sci-fi movies and I have been trying to think of what it was and I think much of it was said above.

First, the characters in the oldies were always decently developed so that you cared what happened to them, not so in this one. Secondly, the monsters were always rarely seen because they were so bad looking, but it also added to the mystery of it all. Finally, there is no real scary tension in this movie. Most remakes miss this last element completely - people were really scared when they saw the original sci-fi movies (and the horror ones too). Not so in this one. Maybe we are too jaded now.

This was a real honest to goodness homage to the 50s sci-fi movies -- and unfortunately it was boring.

[–] packro 15 years ago

you said:

"First, the characters in the oldies were always decently developed so that you cared what happened to them, not so in this one"

I think you hit the nail on the coffin with that comment because back in the 50's, this was something new. People acted the way they did because they never saw hundreds of movies like our generation has. Even if the acting was bad, it 'added' to the film because noone really saw films like that before. I was born in 1972 and as a child, I saw films like The Blob and War of the Worlds and thought they were absolutely awesome.

[–] 15 years ago

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