Xtro (1983)

   

Directed & Composed by:

Written by: Iain Cassie & Robert Smith

Story by: & Michel Parry

Starring:

Philip Sayer .... Sam Phillips
Bernice Stegers .... Rachel Phillips
Danny Branin .... Joe Daniels
Maryam d'Abo .... Analise Mercier
Simon Nash .... Tony Phillips
Peter Mandell .... Clown
Anna Goodman .... Mrs. Goodman

Release Dates: Theatrical: January, 1983; Chicago International Film Festival: October, 1984

 

Rating:

 

Tony Phillips (Simon Nash) misses his father as his disappearances was unexplained but only he knew on what happens but three years later his father Sam (Philip Sayer) has returned and was abducted by monstrous aliens and is not the same person as he used to be and starts affecting Tony in frightening ways and slowly starts to change himself.
Sam's wife Rachel (Bernice Stegers) has been seeing someone else named Joe Daniels (Danny Branin) since his disappearance and feels awkward but Joe doesn't trust her husband finding that there's something strange about him.
Tony also gets vengeful on his neighbor Mrs. Goodman (Anna Goodman) and his sleazy caretaker Analise Mercier (Maryam d'Abo) as he seems to have special powers that Sam seemed to give to him and to make his toys come to life and used as killing machines for the people he doesn't like.

 

There's a beginning with the father Sam Phillips playing with his son Tony and their dog as this seemed to look uplifting as well as a nice set of the sunny weather and then a good drawing attention when Sam throws the stick high in the air with a good slow motion shot and then a special effects moment with everything turning black and a bright light happening which made this story look rather strange and unexplained too which is a case of bad writing but good effects shots on what is happening surrounding Sam and Tony.
There's a cheesy effect on a UFO however near some empty fields as well as bizarre shots on the forest with slimy surroundings as well as spotting a monstrous alien which looked cheesy spotting this but yet pretty dark too. Plus we have a moment with two people driving in their vehicle and then hitting this creature which was supposed to make you jump but misses due to the cheesiness that is going on here. Also there's a good dark shot with one of the drivers going outside to chek on what has happened along with the creature attacking which was another miss on the makers trying to make this look scary. It just looked rather lame spotting this moment as well as a suggested surprise attack on this beast charging at the passanger of the vehicle. I knew I was looking for trouble while spotting all of this knowing that I was going to be watching a terrible flick.
More slimy effects with the monster putting something on a residents face while crashing into her home as well as her going in labor and having a born again Sam which looked gross and utterly stupid to watch as well. The creators could've made this in a much better style than for what it was. Pretty twisted stuff and not in a good way except for the effects used here.
However there's a good still moment between Sam returning and his wife Rachel smacking him and getting upset with him for diseappearing for 3 years which seemed to draw in well but that was about one of the very few well done moments that would catch your attention here.
A real sick and twisted moment when Sam grabs some eggs by a snake in his sons aquarium tank and starts eating them which can gross you out big time as well as later on trying to sympathise towards him explaining to him that he's not the same since h was taken away and letting him know where he went which seemed to work in well here as well as him doing something strange to his neck offering more strange and twisted moments here as this did not look entertaining at all.
Of course there's Tony's caretaker Analise whom tries to sneak her boyfriend into his parents bedroom to have a romp which seems to work in bad horror films so others can get a rouse but not in this one proving it to be dull sleazoid trash.
We also have a dispute with the boyfriend Joe Daniels towards Sam and then there's nearly a fight that breaks out which looked cheesily intense here as it was a brief attention grabber while watching.
There's some odd chuckles when we suddenly spot a killer clown in Tony's bedroom making noise with him and acting crazy while a resident below them named Mrs. Goodman hits her roof with a stick and griping about it along with a big soldier toy coming to her suite to snuff her out but not overly hilarious either.
We also spot a moment with the clown attacking and dragging Analise after attacking her in a hallway which does not look horror enough but some shocking moments on what Tony does towards her which seemed icky looking and not in a fun horror way at all.
However neat lighting effects with the boyfriend trying to dodge away from a killer toy army tank as well as a panther ready to attack him. We spot a sick and twisted moment as well with Analise in some sort of a coccoon and laying some sort of slimeball type of eggs which looked gross to watch.
Some mildly entertaining moments when we reveal Sam and his monstrous festures as well as Tony when they are heading to their spaceship which showed some decent special effects and some shocking moments. The scene however from there till the end looked very depressing and you wonder if a sequel will arise but part 2 is a different story in general which is understanding since this movie bit the big one.
Bottom line is that making this cult low budgeter was a waste of time and uninspirational as it looked like the makers tried to steal the monstrous alien effects from the creatures in The Boogens but that film was much better by a longshot. It's slimy, gross, sleazy and a piece of crap with nothing going for it at all. Avoid this one at all costs.

The acting is bad for the most part but Philip Sayer (Sam Phillips) seemed to know his stuff in an okay fashion in which he does well trying to act like a sympathetic type and then turning showing a good craving attitude as well. Plus he seemed to do well acting intense at times which shows off in an okay fashion coming across as convincingly violent bring the energy to a fair hype here. Also does a nice job acting romantic and then snapping by acting monstrous and out of control. He also showed a nice silent motive too. He was too good for the movie itself.
Bernice Stegers (Rachel Phillips) was pretty bad in her part as she just said her lines and not getting into character at all. Basically when she speaks she sounds like one of those people over dubbing english for a foreign film for us to understand as we all know how bad those voice over actors are. Shows no emotions when an incident happens acting worried. However she does seem to do well by acting stern in a certain scene but that's about it.
Danny Branin (Joe Daniels) added some spunk into his performance and had the right motive for how he had to be here. Seemed to show a good sarcastic type of behavior. Plus was good with his aggressions along with getting demanding and being in your face too. He also added a nice charm to his personality too. Not all of the cast was bad as he was a fine example on some good acting skills here. Probably the best out of the whole cast here.
Maryam d'Abo (Analise Mercier) got her first acting experience in this one and thankfully moved onto better acting gigs. I wouldn't be surprised if she was embarrassed while doing this one as she had every right to be. She was a bit stiff in her performance by how she delivered her lines but seemed to get into her lustful mode which isn't saying alot here. Showed okay energy while trying to chase someone in a hallway near an elevator of an apartment but that's about it.
Simon Nash (Tony Phillips) seemed to do okay as a typical little kid getting into mischief as he does a good job getting into his activities as well when he changes acting almost evil which also shows off. He seems to have that Omen type of child feel to what he did here. Shows off some good energy with whatever he does here.
Peter Mandell (Clown) seemed to have a silent motive and appearance as one of those bizarre types and seemed to pump his energy at a great pace leaping into action. Shows off a great wickedness with his blocking and what he had to do here. He really grabs your attention with what he does here and an effective supporting role he had in this flick.
Anna Goodman (Mrs. Goodman) was way too over the top with her joyful attitude and doesn't seem to make her character believeable at all. Was too comedic into her portrayal here but seemed to come across convincing as a fruitcake. However she seemed to turn her ways around when she gets irritable during a situation which is a nice change here.



Maryam d'Abo shows off her breasts in two different scene's of the film as well as briefly her butt too while getting it on with her onscreen boyfriend in a bedroom.
who played her onscreen boyfriend exposes his butt.

A person pops out of a woman's stomach with gruesopme results.
A person's face and body gets mangled.
Blood oozes out of a man's ears.

It's amazing on what you can do with a synthesizer as we have quiverring sound especially for the opening credits having that cheesy outerspace sci-fi horror type of sound here. Also we hear some high sounds which seems to be fun to listen to along with the low sounds which didn't seem to be in good taste. Also we have a bit of comedic sounds for the clown killing moments which sounded quite trashy to listen to. But there's good drum tappings for this too. All of this put together by