Hybrid (1997)

   
Produced & Directed by: Fred Olen Ray

Written by: Sean O'Bannon

Starring:

Brinke Stevens .... Dr. Leslie Morgan
J.J. North .... Carla Ferguson
Tim Abell .... McQueen
Peter Spellos .... Sergeant Frank Blaine
Ted Monte .... Milo Tyrel
John Blyth Barrymore .... Dr. Paul Hamilton

Special Appearance:

Robert Quarry .... Dr. Farrell

Release Date: Direct-to-Video: 1997 (Russia)

Rating:

 

After an apocalyptic alien attack on Earth, an ion storm hits the planet. A small team of male and female commandos takes shelter in an abandoned research facility. However, something worse than the aliens awaits them in there.

 

The beginning was incredibly effective and well done with an alien space ship flying to planet Earth and then devouring everything by shooting stuff as things looked intense and exciting along with fun type cheesy effects on things being destroyed. Yet this confuses me later on as I wonder what it was all about.
Then later on I enjoyed the moments with two commandos in a facility as the settings looked great with them trying to go on a mission and escaping from something as this leaves moments truly mysterious
as well as one of the commandos trying to escape from the monster with brief shots on this being which leaves things more mysterious till we see more of this thing as well as this commando trying to open an electric door and a good fast camera shot zooming into her with her screaming and a good shot on the window of this door show a bloodshed which is a nice cheesy touch for a low budget horror story.
Then a nice shot on a futuristic commando vehicle charging at full speed in the desert which looked like a cheesy version of a vehicle that was borrowed from the Terminator saga as well as a good shot on a skull getting crushed. While this is happening some interesting interactions with everyone inside the vehicle as well as noticeable moments on Sergeant Frank Blaine being sarcastic and arrogant which worked well into this scene.
More cheesy situations when they stop and spot someone lying there as we're supposed to imagine that he's deceivingly dead and then springs to life which isn't a jumping moment like it was supposed to have been. This character whom is McQueen does some fighting battles between Frank as this needed a bit more inspiration since it didn't look strong enough.
Nice shots on everyone walking through the corridors of the facility being cautious on what might happen as this was exciting to watch along with odd creepy moments on a corpse suddenly dangling down which was yet another failed attempt on a jumping moment. Oh well it was cheesily horror fun to watch.
While people are looking around still both Dr. Leslie Morgan and Carla Ferguson spot a shower as we kinda know what is going to happen next in which there's a suggested lesbian moment during this scene and it's a timw waster with the focus on their bodies too. A typical scene for a Fred Olen Ray flick.
Impressive shot on someone entering a room from the hallway with a brief shot on the creature passing by and not being noticed.
A good shot on Dr. Paul Hamilton being pitted against the monster with him screaming as this offered decent horror timing but not at all scary. Still looked a bit entertaining.
Also an effective moment between Frank being arrogant towards Leslie and tempting to shoot him along with tension between the two fo them as well as others trying to calm her down as this was well put into the story even if the moments looked mildly cheesy and didn't look as intense like it was meant to have been.
Good horror touches when they enter some sort of a chamber and spot a dead corpse and their shocked moments. Plus they discover a computer room and put a VHS tape in to see what is on it. I mean this was supposed to be futuristic movie and already VHS tapes were fizzling out so a case of bad writing. Yet it's impressive on what is told on the tape.
Cheesy situations with McQueen being pitted against the monster doing battles which looked way too campy to be taken seriously as I had to laugh that it looked pretty bad and unconvincing.
Then we have a moment with Carla trying to help him with his injury and suggested to take his shirt off so she can help him better to heal his wounds as I rolled my eyes knowing on what was going to be the outcome between the two of them which was another time waster.
Meanwhile Milo Tyrel is getting his kicks by watching them on a surveillance screener as well as a nice shot on a blood drop landing near him as well as a good shot on him slowly turning his head with a good moment on the monster revealing it's teeth and attacking him which looked impressive.
But later on there's a good shot on Leslie being dragged away and what the creature has plans for. It ends up being stupid when this being takes off her clothes as we know that she is about to be raped which doesn't fit into the story at all since this is not a comedy horror. Just more lame writing for this flick.
Another campy moment that's hard to take seriously is when Frank is trying to dodge this monster but is too smart for him when he tries to find some way on saving himself.
Yet a good moment when Leslie saves his life and they eventually have an understanding with one another which seemed necessary to be put into the story.
Bottom line is that this flick was a loose remake on Creepozoids but really this was a 10 year span and remakes need to be at least some lifetimes. I think the makers were thinking with better creature effects and more things going on they can pull it off but they don't. It offers more skin and more cornballish moments too. Nice picture having almost a grindhouse feel to it but otherwise just as pointless. Nearly made this below average but there's interesting effects on the monster and certain topics too. But not a very good flick regardless.

The acting is very pretty bad and not much to mention here but will do my best..... Ok, so scream queen Brinke Stevens (Dr. Leslie Morgan) always seems to be the same in most stuff I've seen. She's incredibly wooden in this one just saying her lines and not getting into character too much. There's a scene when she loses her cool and showing aggressions which is incredibly rough. She just doesn't pull much off except for a nice type of behavior from time to time. Other than that, no pointers for her. Sorry.
J.J. North (Carla Ferguson) had the lustful pretty girl looks and the soft spoken voice but not the character in which she is stiff in whatever she does especially with her sobbing in a scene. Just was just good to look at and that's it. Poor choice in casting her.
Tim Abell
(McQueen) was the best out of the whole cast in which he seemed to pull his weight fairly well here. Knew on how to act tough whenever he needed to be this way as his aggressions were fairly impressive. Also shows a good hearted and charming type of behavior roo which is another nice pointer for him. His rough looks were a nice bonus for his role and was a good choice for this part.
Peter Spellos
(Sergeant Frank Blaine) was too over the top in his role with his obnoxious, sarcastic and arrogant behavior. Yet he came across good onto the camera with his appearance and motives too. I seemed to enjoy on what he did even if he was rough in his role but he is not much of a character actor in this one. Oh well.

Brinke Stevens and J.J. North shows off their breasts and butts in a shower together
J.J. North
takes it off again while fornicating with someone in a laboratory
A poster of a bare breasted woman is revealed on a wall
Brinke Stevens has her panties and top taken off by the monster

Rotted corpse is revealed hung upside down
Scarred face of a corpse is discovered in a chamber
Cut off hand lies in a hallway
Odd blood splattering

The music score sounds awfully cheesy on a synthesizer which is trying to have a classical score to everything and at times it works but other times a bit obvious. Sometimes it is fun to listen to while watching the story with icy sounds and other types of adventureous music in which the composer Jeffrey Walton definetely makes alot of the pieces sound versatile but at the same time fits in for a low budget for a direct-to-video flick such as this one. Alot of it sounds a bit similar to his other composing in Jack-O like the score for the opening and closing credits which didn't do much for me.