From Out Of Space... A Warning And An Ultimatum

Starring: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray, Frances Bavier, Lock Martin,

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I'm afraid there is no alternative. In such a case, the planet Earth would have to be... eliminated." - Klaatu, when Earth's scientists reject his proposals

Why watch this? This chilling sci-fi classic holds a warning for humanity regarding how we treat our planet... and each other.

Plot Summary: During the Cold War, a humanoid alien named Klaatu lands on Earth with a powerful robot and an urgent message for humanity. He seeks to warn the world's leaders about the dangers of their aggressive tendencies, particularly regarding nuclear weapons, and the potential consequences for Earth's future in the universe. Facing suspicion and hostility, Klaatu must find a way to convey his message of peace and cooperation, highlighting the need for humanity to be responsible and accountable for its actions.

Dad's Preview: This film asks "What would aliens determine regarding humanity's use of atomic and nuclear weapons?", "Are Earthlings now a galactic threat to be eliminated?", "What will it take for humans to stop killing each other?" This is the true essence of science fiction - to ask these questions about our scientific conduct. We know humans can't resist pushing the limits too far. But someday, we may be made to answer for this conduct.

20th Century Fox

Beware of the Blob! It creeps, and leaps, and glides and slides across the floor!

Starring: Steven McQueen, Aneta Corsaut, Earl Rowe, Olin Howland, Stephen Chase, John Benson, George Karas

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"There's a man here with some sort of a parasite on his arm, assimilating his flesh at a frightening speed. I may have to get ahead of it and amputate. No, I don't know what it is or where it came from." – Dr. Hallen

Why watch this? It's a creepy, slimy, oozy horror flick that will make your skin crawl.

Plot Summary: An alien lifeform crashes on Earth in Pennsylvania inside a meteorite. It resembles a giant blob of red jelly. As it consumes living beings, the blob grows larger and becomes more aggressive. Teenagers who witness the creature's destructive power struggle to convince the disbelieving adults and local authorities.

Dad's Preview: The BLOB... the more it eats, the bigger it grows! It will take the combined efforts of law enforcement and some local wise-cracking teens, including hunky Steve McQueen, to find a weakness and stop the BLOB! It's campy, spooky and gelatinously wonderful!

Fairview Prod., Tonylyn Prod., Valley Forge Films; Paramount Pictures

The original nightmare that threatened the world

Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"There's no emotion. None. Just the pretense of it. The words, the gesture, the tone of voice, everything else is the same, but not the feeling." - Wilma Lentz

Why watch this? It's truly terrifying to learn that the human race is being replaced.

Plot Summary: In a small town, a doctor notices a peculiar phenomenon: his patients believe their loved ones are impostors. What initially seems like mass hysteria soon reveals itself to be a sinister alien invasion where humans are replaced by emotionless duplicates grown from pods. As the truth unfolds, the doctor must desperately try to warn others before he too falls victim to the silent takeover.

Dad's Preview: This brilliant film concept is based on a book by Jack Finney called "The Body Snatchers". It follows a small town doctor who learns that something is wrong on a massive scale. Several of his patients insist relatives have been replaced by imposters (a real condition called Capgras delusions). Then he's summoned to a friend's house where a dead body has appeared in the home. The body has no discernable facial features or fingerprints. Sounds darn creepy, huh? When the doctor learns the truth, this film takes off like a rocket.

Walter Wanger Productions; Allied Artists Pictures

You are not welcome here.

Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Vanessa Haywood, Mandla Gaduka, Nathalie Boltt, Sylvaine Strike

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"When dealing with aliens, try to be polite, but firm. And always remember that a smile is cheaper than a bullet." - MNU Instructional Voice

Why watch this? Benevolent aliens reach Earth, and humans are never gracious hosts.

Plot Summary: After aliens arrive on Earth seeking refuge, they are placed in a segregated internment camp near Johannesburg, South Africa, known as District 9. A government bureaucrat, tasked with relocating the aliens, is exposed to an alien substance that begins to transform his DNA. This leads to him being hunted by his own government and seeking refuge within District 9, where he learns more about the aliens and their treatment.

Dad's Preview: This film features illegal aliens, that are real aliens! These otherworldly creatures are nicknamed "prawns". There are obvious political parallels to real-life events in South Africa, a basically racism in general. Somehow it's easier when the "they" are not humanoids. This CGI-infused sci-fi film works on so many levels: namely believable hard science effects and a thought-provoking storyline.

TriStar Pictures, QED International, WingNut Films; Sony Pictures Releasing

A message. A warning. A sign...of things to come.

Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, Cherry Jones, M. Night Shyamalan

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Swing away Merrill. Merrill... swing away." - Graham Hess

Why watch this? This rich, character-driven film gets really scary when unwanted guests arrive.

Plot Summary: After a tragic loss of faith, a former reverend, Graham Hess, lives on a secluded farm with his children and brother. One morning, they discover large crop circles carved into their cornfields, initiating a series of increasingly strange and frightening occurrences. As the family grapples with these unexplained phenomena and news reports of similar events worldwide, they must come to terms with the possibility that something otherworldly is happening.

Dad's Preview: Out of the gate, Shyamalan was on a roll, with The Sixth Sense (1999) and Unbreakable (2000). Signs combined his intense direction with stars Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix. The result is a terrifying film about first contact. However, the film's strength is its character development. Gibson is a preacher who has lost his faith. His brother, Phoenix, is a young man who never reached his potential. These stark emotional scars play out as the "signs" begin to manifest, indicating something has landed on earth, and it's not friendly.

Touchtone Pictures, Blinding Edge Pictures, The Kennedy/Marshall Co.;
Buena Vista Pictures Dist.

He has traveled from a galaxy far beyond our own. He is 100,000 years ahead of us.
He has powers we cannot comprehend.
And he is about to face the one force in the universe he has yet to conquer.
Love.

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, Richard Jaeckel, Robert Phalen, Tony Edwards, Dirk Blocker

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Shall I tell you what I find beautiful about you? You are at your very best when things are worst." – The star man

Why watch this? This John Carpenter film surprised me. It's deep, thought-provoking and very beautiful.

Plot Summary: An alien crash-lands on Earth and assumes the form of a recently deceased man. The alien, needing to reach a specific rendezvous point in Arizona in three days, forces the deceased man's widow to drive him across the country. As they journey, a bond forms between them, while they are pursued by government agents determined to capture the alien.

Dad's Preview: For a brief stretch, director John Carpenter was red hot. This film takes a simple premise: a benevolent alien crash lands on earth and wants to go home. Then it evolves into a broader statement about our very humanity (or lack thereof). The film is warm and a little terrifying at times. There is a sweetness to the interaction between the alien and Jenny, the first human he meets. Some parts are funny, some romantic, some unexpected. All of it is wonderful.

Industrial Light & Magic; Delphi II Prod.; Columbia Pictures

When you've got Critters... you need all the help you can get.

Starring: Dee Wallace, M. Emmet Walsh, Scott Grimes, Billy Green Bush, Don Keith Opper, Nadine van der Velde, Lin Shaye

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"We're here for the Crites." - Ug

Why watch this? Just sit back, suspend belief, and have a blast with these nasty little alien creatures.

Plot Summary: A group of small, carnivorous alien creatures, called Crites, escape from prison and crash-land near a Kansas farmhouse. They begin terrorizing the family living there, eating everything in sight. Two shape-shifting bounty hunters arrive on Earth, hot on the trail of the fuzzy little creatures. This all leads to a chaotic battle between the aliens, the family, and the bounty hunters.

Dad's Preview: This is a rare example where the lower-budgeted "idea rip-off" film is actually better than the original - and I am comparing this film to Gremlins (1894). Any way you slice this movie concept, it should not work - its premise is absurd. But I am here to tell you, it does work! A ship full of tiny, fang-mouthed creatures from space crash land on earth and terrorize a small family farm. They roll along the ground then shoot their prey with poison darts! Then they eat you. Space bounty hunters, who just happen to be shape-shifters, are in pursuit. Please stay with me here. This excels because it hits that "sweet spot" blend of sci-fi comedy and horror!

Sho Films; New Line Cinema

The paratroopers of the future are here... and their enemies aren't HUMAN

Starring: Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Muldoon, Michael Ironside, Seth Gilliam

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"This is for all you new people. I have only one rule. Everybody fights, no one quits. If you don't do your job, I'll kill you myself! Welcome to the Roughnecks!" - Lt. Rasczak

Why watch this? Space marines vs. giant alien bugs - Count... Me... In!

Plot Summary: Set in Earth's distant future, Earth is attacked by an alien race, hell bent on annihilating our species. Everything is in flames. Earth's Federation sends our best space marines to destroy the invaders on their home turf. The aliens, called "bugs", prove to be more than a serious threat.

Dad's Preview: CGI technology was just ramping up, and I imagine that the filmmakers met and said, "Let's turn it loose and make something uniquely bad-ass!" This film is right up my alley. There are some very gross moments, bloody dismemberments, heads rolling, etc. So, yea, loved every second. For what it lacks in acting expertise, it more than makes up for in thrilling action.    

Touchstone Pictures; TriStar Pictures

Giant Excitement! Giant Terror!

Starring: Akira Takarada, Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Jun Tazaki, Akira Kubo, Yoshio Tsuchiya

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

DML Top 50 #50 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Monster Zero

"We need an exterminator, one that would drive away King Ghidorah. We need from you Monster Zero 1 and Monster Zero 2, Godzilla and Rodan." - The Controller from Planet X

Why watch this? ... 'cause it's one of my favorite Shōwa-era Godzilla flicks.

Plot Summary: Astronauts from Earth journey to a newly discovered "Planet X" where they encounter an advanced alien civilization, the Xiliens. The Xiliens reveal they are plagued by the three-headed space monster King Ghidorah, whom they call "Monster Zero". They request to borrow Earth's monsters, Godzilla and Rodan, to defeat King Ghidorah in exchange for a cure for cancer. After Earth agrees, the true intentions of the Xiliens begin to unfold as a series of suspicious events lead the astronauts to question the aliens' motives.

Dad's Preview: For some reason, a 400-foot radioactive Japanese dragon has occupied much of my thoughts and energies from age ten to, umm, present day. My top films list would feel incomplete without ONE Big G entry. This late-nite drive-in treasure features the nasty alien three-headed dragon, King Ghidorah. The movie takes us to space, to Japan and back again. To save the Earth, man and Earth's monsters will have to work together to figure out the alien's weakness. This hidden gem has every element a young boy needs to feed his beastly soul!

Toho Co., LTD

The show has been cancelled... But the adventure has only begun.

Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, Enrico Colantoni, Missi Pyle, Jed Rees, Justin Long

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Never give up. Never surrender!" - Commander Taggart

Why watch this? ... it's a parody of Star Trek's campiness, but has a heart of its own.

Plot Summary: The alumni cast of a canceled space opera television series, known for their roles on the spaceship NSEA Protector, find themselves stuck attending conventions and making other trivial appearances. However, their mundane lives are disrupted when they are approached by an alien race, the Thermians, who, having watched the old show, believe it to be real historical documents. The Thermians enlist the cast's help in battling a formidable reptilian warlord, forcing the actors to navigate a genuine interstellar conflict while pretending to be the heroes they once played.

Dad's Preview: An all-star cast makes this Trek parody a laugh-a-minute. I was pleasantly surprised by the comedic chops displayed by Allen and Weaver. Alan Rickman also slays it as the Spock-like character. However, a big surprise is Sam Rockwell, as red-shirted Crew Member #6 who is convinced he's going to die, because all red-shirts get killed in the TV episodes. He steals every scene!

Gran Via Productions; DreamWorks Pictures

The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe has been answered.

Starring: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, Margaret Colin, James Rebhorn, Harvey Fierstein

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution, but from annihilation." - President Whitmore

Why watch this? The best alien invasion/action thriller ever!

Plot Summary: Large, mysterious alien spacecraft arrive on Earth and position themselves over major cities, initially causing wonder which swiftly turns to terror as they unleash destructive attacks. Humanity's attempts to counter the invaders' superior technology initially fail, forcing a desperate fight for survival and unity among a diverse group of individuals, including the President, a scientist, and a fighter pilot. This unlikely group must devise a plan to overcome the seemingly unstoppable alien threat.

Dad's Preview: All reservations I had about Will Smith quickly evaporated watching this exciting action flick. He's the perfect fighter pilot with lots of sass and determination. One by one we are introduced to the characters as the invasion tension ramps up. When it finally occurs, it's a cinema spectacle right up there with War of the Worlds (1953). Earth scrambles a desperate team to find a way to defeat the alien attacking force. Can they find a way to stop ships and weapons that out-match humanities best?

Centropolis Entertainment; 20th Century Fox

They're already here.

Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins, Justin Chatwin, Rick Gonzalez, Lenny Venito, Gene Barry, Yul Vazquez

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"This isn't a war any more than there is a war between men and maggots. This is an extermination." – Harlan Ogilvy

Why watch this? This remake is action-packed, terrifying... and visually jarring.

Plot Summary: Ray Ferrier, a divorced dockworker and estranged father, struggles to connect with his two children during a weekend visit when strange lightning storms strike their New Jersey town. These storms mark the beginning of a devastating alien invasion, as colossal tripod war machines emerge from the ground, incinerating everything in their path. Ray must now protect his children and navigate a world descending into chaos.

Dad's Preview: The War of the Worlds first saw the light of day in H. G. Wells' novel in 1898. In 1938, filmmaker Orsen Wells would read the story live on radio, and cause a nationwide panic. The original classic film had its impact. However, this version, by master filmmaker Steven Spielberg, is very realistic and truly disturbing, as a real alien invasion would be! The invading aliens are brutal harvesters, reaping earth's vast resources and filling their massive hoppers with a plentiful supply of human meat.

DreamWorks Pictures, Amblin Ent., Cruise/Wagner Prod.; Paramount Pictures

LIVE DIE REPEAT

Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way, Noah Taylor

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Find me when you wake up." -  Rita Vrataski

Why watch this? The film's premise will blow you away. That and Emily Blunt.

Plot Summary: In a future where Earth faces an alien invasion, a reluctant military public relations officer, Major William Cage, is thrust into a combat scenario. After dying in the ensuing battle, he finds himself in a time loop, repeatedly reliving the same day and being killed over and over. He seeks out a formidable Special Forces warrior, Sgt. Rita Vrataski. Together they must utilize the time loop to learn, adapt, and ultimately find a way to defeat the overwhelming extraterrestrial threat.

Dad's Preview: The hard-working Tom Cruise has done his share of sci-fi thrillers. Thanks to a creative story, excellent CGI effects and a stellar cast, this intense, time-jumping alien-infested fare is really a blast. You will have to re-watch it a few times to see what you missed. Cruise impresses, but Emily Blount caught me off guard - she oils up the muscles and makes a pretty good action hero herself! Bill Paxton, who portrays Master Sgt. Farell - and is one of my favorite actors and he's superb. Sadly, he would pass away three years later in 2017.

Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac Ent., 3 Arts Ent., Vis Productions; Warner Bros.

He is afraid. He is alone. He is three million light years from home.

Starring: Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, K. C. Martel, Sean Frye, C. Thomas Howell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"He needs to go home; he's calling his people. And I don't know where they are, but he needs to go home." - Elliott

Why watch this? This is the OG 80's sci-fi movie that created the Stranger Things vibe.

Plot Summary: After an alien is accidentally left behind on Earth, he is discovered by a young boy named Elliott. From the beginning, the two of them share a deep bond. Elliott, along with his siblings, endeavors to keep the alien, whom they dub E.T., a secret from their mother and a determined group of government agents seeking to study the over-worldly being.

Dad's Preview: Spielberg's first alien film was Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and this flick takes a natural next step. Here he gives us a wonderful children's film about a being that is stranded on Earth. He encounters a typical 1980's family, taking particular interest in a young boy named Elliott. The benevolent creature is curious and quickly learns to communicate with the children. The film's glowing strength is really the heart-felt interactions between E.T. and the innocent children. This film will make your heart glow, too.

Amblin Productions; Universal Pictures

It came for the thrill of the hunt. It picked the wrong man to hunt.

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jessie Ventura, Elpidia Carrillo, Sonny Landham, Shane Black, Richard Chaves, Kevin Peter Hall

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man.... we're all gonna die." - Billy

Why watch this? ... Schwartzie and his biceps are at the top of their game in this action-sci-fi thriller.

Plot Summary: An elite paramilitary rescue team led by Dutch goes on a mission in a Central American rainforest. During their operation, they discover they are being hunted by a technologically advanced, extraterrestrial warrior. The film follows the team's fight for survival against this formidable foe, which hunts them for sport.

Dad's Preview: The ascension of Arnold Schwarzenegger from Austrian youth to body builder to action hero is amazing - talk about the American Dream. Part of his movie career success was his superb choices of material... namely the Terminator films. This sci-fi action film was so creative that it would go on to spawn a slew of sequels (none with Arnold). Predator begins as an action movie, but quickly turns into something else entirely - an alien collector hunting human heads. The energy from this film is incredible. Hold onto your head.

Davis Entertainment; 20th Century Fox

An entire universe. Once and for all.

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Josh Brolin, Paul Bettany, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Zoe Saldana

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I offered a solution... With all six stones, I could simply snap my fingers; they would all cease to exist. I call that... mercy." – Thanos

Why watch this? Its span and scope are huge, yet it still has a lot of intimate moments.

Plot Summary: A powerful being known as Thanos seeks to collect six ancient and incredibly powerful artifacts called the Infinity Stones. He believes that by using the stones to eliminate half of all life in the universe, he can save it from inevitable destruction. The Avengers and their allies across the galaxy must band together to stop him, leading to the ultimate confrontation for the fate of existence.

Dad's Preview: Marvel teased Thanos, a very powerful intergalactic entity, for awhile. This film is the awesome pay off. Josh Brolin is excellent as the massive, purple tyrant, who is certainly evil, yet actor Josh Brolin gives him enough intelligence so that we can almost sympathize with his cause. I must point out Captain America, in black, sporting a full beard - made fans scream in the theaters. As the film builds, all the Marvel heroes and teams are assembled on Earth for a huge final battle to save the planet. The ending, which is perfectly setup, is a brutal gut-punch that leaves you wanting the sequel all the more.

Marvel Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Avenge the fallen.

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I think you look great, Cap. As far as I'm concerned, that's America's ass." - Scott Lang

Why watch this? The perfect ending for the MCU's Phase Three.

Plot Summary: After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the remaining Avengers must find a way to reverse Thanos' actions and restore balance to the universe. With the help of allies and a potential new method, they embark on a crucial mission to undo the chaos caused by the Mad Titan. This final stand will determine the fate of the universe and conclude a long-running story arc.

Dad's Preview: I can't say enough about this film, and those that preceded it. This amazing conclusion may be remembered as the last great Marvel Studio film. Our defeated heroes discover a way to reverse the damage done by Thanos. However, it only requires a little time travel. No problem! Back in time they venture to find the Infinity stones and restart our universe. But can humanity and their allies stop the legions of Thanos a second time? The ending will blow you away! Frankly, I am not sure where how another super-hero film top this one - it will appear as wasted effort compared to this.

Marvel Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Watch out! They get you while you're sleeping!

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I keep seeing these people, all recognizing each other. Something is passing between them all, some secret. It's a conspiracy, I know it." – Elizabeth Driscoll

Why watch this? The original 1956 film was creepy. This remake is downright terrifying.

Plot Summary: A San Francisco health inspector, Matthew Bennell, and his colleague Elizabeth Driscoll discover that residents are slowly being replaced by alien duplicates. These duplicates appear identical to the humans they replace but are devoid of emotion and empathy. As the alien takeover spreads throughout the city, Bennell and Driscoll, along with two friends, must attempt to survive and warn others of the impending global invasion.

Dad's Preview: The premise alone is too unbearable to imagine. The filmmakers succeed in creating the sense of dread from the original 1956 film, but it is much more unnerving, which elevates this masterpiece. The ending will stay in your mind for quite some time.

Solofilm; United Artists

Alien (1979), Director: Ridley Scott, rated R for sci-fi gore, violence, language

In space no one can hear you scream.

Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #24a - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Alien

"Wait a minute. If we let it in, the ship could be infected." - WO Ellen Ripley

Why watch this? It introduced cinema sci-fi to a xenomorph and Sigourney Weaver.

Plot Summary: The crew of a commercial space tug, Nostromo, is awakened from cryosleep to investigate a distress signal from a nearby planetoid. They discover a derelict spaceship and a lower chamber filled with strange eggs. When one of the eggs is disturbed, a deadly extraterrestrial creature comes aboard the Nostromo and proves to be quite lethal.

Dad's Preview: In the wake of Star Wars (1977), this film gave audiences a very different sort of alien encounter. Director Ridley Scott went to great lengths to create a futuristic space setting anchored in realism. The creature they encounter is what you might call a "worse case scenario" - deadly, unmerciful and all but indestructible. Sigourney Weaver, in her first starring role, steals every scene as a strong, confident, capable leader in a crisis. There are lots of scary moments as the crew tries to find the alien, only to realize that it is hunting them.

Brandywine Productions; 20th Century Fox

The Ultimate in alien terror.

Starring: Kurt Russell, Keith David, Richard Masur, Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, Richard Dysart, David Clennon, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Donald Moffat

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #44 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Thing

"You see, what we're talkin' about here is an organism that imitates other life-forms, and it imitates 'em perfectly." - Doc Blair

Why watch this? ... the blood test scene is worth the prices of admission alone.

Plot Summary: A team of American researchers stationed in isolated Antarctica encounter a hostile alien life form that can perfectly imitate other organisms. The creature's ability to seamlessly impersonate their victims creates an environment of intense paranoia and distrust among the nervous crew. As the researchers struggle to identify and destroy the shape-shifting alien, they face a harrowing battle for survival.

Dad's Preview: Unlike film critics in 1982, I instantly was gaga over John Carpenter's updated version of The Thing from Another World (1951). Seriously, what's not to like? The story is science fiction gold. Kurt Russell shines when he's mean and in command. This film is intensely scary. It's gory, bloody and slimy. Hell, even the ending is wonderfully nebulous. It was certainly ahead of its time, and has since received the recognition (and imitators) it so richly deserves.

The Turman-Foster Co.; Universal Pictures

Aliens (1986), Director: James Cameron, rated R for sci-fi gore, violence, language

THIS TIME ITS WAR

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Carrie Henn, Lance Henricksen, Bill Baxton, Jenette Goldstein

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #24b - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Aliens

"We better get back 'cause it will be night soon and they mostly come at night... mostly." - Newt

Why watch this? The Alien sequel brings the action and a lot more aliens to deal with.

Plot Summary: After surviving the alien attack, Ellen Ripley is rescued from deep space after 57 years in stasis. She reluctantly agrees to return to the planet where the creatures were first encountered when contact is lost with a terra-forming colony established there. Ripley and a group of Colonial Marines face an overwhelming threat as they attempt to rescue the colonists and battle, not one, but many aliens.

Dad's Preview: James Cameron took over as director and blew the lid off the franchise with this thrill-packed sci-fi mega-hit. Again, at its center is the very capable Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), but this time she's an observer on a mission accompanied by a unit of bad-ass space Marines. Their objective - find some missing colonists on the planet where Ripley and her crew first encountered the original xenomorph - Ripley and the marines have no idea what they are walking into. Fortunately, it's wonderful chaos for film audiences!

Brandywine Productions; 20th Century Fox

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