They Came from Beyond Space
by Freddie Francis
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Actor: Bernard Kay, Jennifer Jayne, Michael Gough, Robert Hutton, Zia MohyeddinDirector: Freddie Francis
Cinematographer: Norman Warwick
Editor: Peter Musgrave
Producer: Max Rosenberg
Producer: Milton Subotsky
Writer: Milton Subotsky
Writer: Joseph Millard
DVD: Region Code 1
Format: Color, NTSC
Running Time: 85 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-10-03
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Tgg Direct
DVD Reviews of They Came from Beyond Space
DVD Review: 'They Came From Beyond Space' - but they were very polite!
Summary: 3 Stars
Let's talk about that title first of all. Specifically the two words "Beyond Space". Hmmmmm...is it possible to travel from a position beyond space? Well that's too serious a question to consider here but the silly title is an immediate tip-off that you're in for a cheesy sci-fi treat. Actually the aliens in this film come from the planet Zarn and without a doubt they are the most polite alien invasion force ever depicted in any science fiction film I can recall. They are "bodiless mental intelligences representing the highest form of evolution" - with the good manners to match too! The actors portraying the aliens suffer from too restrained direction to be effectively frightening and produce mainly fits of unintentional giddy laughter. All is not lost though as there is an above average quality to the production design and efficient use of sets and location.
Meteorites crash to the earth's surface on a remote farm outside Cornwall, England and an investigation of the site reveals they landed in a perfect V-like formation. Because this suggests an intelligent design scientist and extraterrestrial investigator Dr. Curtis Temple is asked to head up a team of fellow scientists to examine and analyze the meteorites. Dr. Temple though is forbidden to participate by his physician who recently placed a silver plate in Temple's head after a car crash. The rest of the investigating scientists come under the power of alien beings when they first approach the meteorites; soon these aliens construct a barrier around the region of the crash denying entry to inquiring officials. The aliens selectively take over many of these unsuspecting officials, enabling them to effectively carry out their mission. The Zarns have come to earth from the moon where they crash landed earlier. They need to inhabit the bodies and minds of earthlings in order to rebuild their spaceship so they can return to Zarn. Dr. Temple soon discovers that the plate in his head renders him free of the aliens influence and he quickly becomes a one-man-fighting force. He successfully breaks into the aliens' compound, uncovers their plans, recaptures his girlfriend and escapes with her. He enlists the aid of a scientist friend and the two of them devise a way to defeat the aliens - but not before an unscheduled trip to the moon where they will have to affect a mutiny if they are to succeed.
Derivative of other films from the genre, this unpretentious and modest sci-fi thriller was created by Amicus Productions known for their science fiction and horror cheapies during the sixties. A cult following inevitably developed and is still existent today adding new 'members' frequently. Most of the Amicus films possessed a sort of naïve charm that went a long way in making their films watchable, a trait that is immediately apparent in many of these genre films produced in the sixties. The set design of the aliens fortress looks as if it were borrowed from one of the Irwin Allen television series 'Lost In Space' or 'The Time Tunnel'; the location shooting in the English countryside is derivative of a Hammer Studio production; the cast is made-up of familiar faces from previous low-budget features. All of these elements come together to create a typical B-movie that defies the odds and becomes a respectable entry in the genre, albeit a minor one. What works well here is the 'fish-out-of-water' twist by having American scientist Dr. Temple be the hero, a sort of foreign-born junior-grade Quatermass in training (if you are familiar with those films). The understated screenplay based on pulp writer Joseph Milliard's novel "The Gods Hate Kansas" keeps the proceedings on track, being presented as a straightforward scientific suspense story. In addition the actors are all adequate and give sincere performances; there is no attempt at any self conscious humor. What doesn't work so well here is the portrayal of the aliens as I previously stated. Because they have inconveniently decided to land in the English countryside they are forced to takeover the minds of several unemotional British officials and farmers. It's difficult for us to tell if they are possessed or just 'brought up properly' and displaying the most polite of manners! It really doesn't hurt the impact of the film at all; it's just that it is so glaring and obvious - and you will chuckle...you'll see.
Worth noting: Robert Hutton is a veteran of several of these sci-fi and/or horror cheapies, most notably the dreadful 'The Slime People' a perennial participant at Worst Films Of All Time Festivals and directed by Hutton. Michael Gough, seen here as The Master Of The Moon, is probably more familiar to contemporary film audiences as Alfred the butler in the 'Batman' films of the 80's & 90's. And don't you just love that vintage car that Hutton drives around in during the film?
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