Strange Invaders Movie Review

Most modern pics that want to recreate the attitude of ‘50s alien flicks try too hard and tip far into camp silliness, but this one gets the deadpan tone just right. Grotesque space beings conquered the midwest town of Centerville in the ‘50s and body-snatched the locals’ appearance and attire. Twenty-five years later, Paul LeMat's ex-wife, a Centerville native, disappears, and when he hunts for her the longtime coverup/conspiracy starts to unravel. Some details, notably the gimmick that supermarket tabloid tall tales about flying saucers turn out to be TRUE! aren't so fresh anymore, but the special f/x are still startling – well, maybe not the spaceship interior that looks like a boiler room. Sort of a companion piece to director Michael Laughlin's earlier mad-science tale Strange Behavior with some of the same actors.

1983 (PG) 94m/C Paul LeMat, Nancy Allen, Diana Scarwid, Michael Lerner, Louise Fletcher, Wallace Shawn, Fiona Lewis, Kenneth Tobey, June Lockhart, Charles Lane, Dey Young, Mark Goddard; D: Michael Laughlin; W: Michael Laughlin, Bill Condon; C: Louis Horvath. VHS, Beta, LV VES