MOVIE REVIEW . Evil Aliens

by Chris   ⋅   September 30, 2006   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

So these days we know exactly what to do in the event of a zombie apocalypse, impending death at the hands of a technologically inclined long haired poltergeist, or capture by a puzzle mad neo-conservative terrorist. But no film has covered invasion by satanic aliens…until now. Hands down the funniest, goriest film since Peter Jackson’s Braindead (aka: Dead Alive), Jake West’s Evil Aliens is one film true cult enthusiasts will treasure for years to come.

Following the interstellar impregnation of a Welsh country girl, and the death of her beau at the hands of evil aliens (in the ultimate death by anal probing sequence ever committed to film), a crackerjack television crew arrives on the scene to investigate the extra-terrestrial menace. Their ragtag band, comprised of a nerdy SETI fanboy, reenactment stars, meathead sound and camera men, and led by the quintessential busty host, soon finds all is not kosher in the land of back-watersville. Grossly mutilated cattle, satanic markings, and creepy ass farmers await their every turn. But these soon prove to be the least of their worries as the twisted aliens abandon their efforts at bovine butchery in favor of city-folk meat. The carnage that ensues is the stuff of legend.

What’s refreshing about Evil Aliens is how well steeped it is in horror and sci-fi films of the past 30 years. Cannibal Holocaust, Predator, Texas Chainsaw, Aliens, Evil Dead, Braindead, and many many others all get little nods throughout the film. Half the fun is catching the random assortment of references. But references alone do not a good movie make, and more often than not such referencings have lead “homage” films down the dirty path of re-make and re-imagining. That’s why the other half of Evil Aliens is so damn cool. Not only do we get the knowing winks, but wildly inspired additions to the splat-stick genre. Some of these sequences are instant classics. Remember the lawnmower sequence in Braindead? Just wait ‘till you see the combine harvester scene in this film. The spray of alien body parts alone should ensure this flick heavy rotation in the Midnight Madness scene.

And then there’s the humor. Sure, a lot of the laughs involve fountains of gore, but even in the dialogue department Evil Aliens is a damn funny movie. Sure, they may not be quotable one-offs a la Ash, but they have pleasant and witty quality not unlike those of Re-Animator. Make that Re-Animator crossed with Dr. Who. In the interest of staying spoiler free, I won’t bother quoting any of these here, but do make sure to keep your ears open while watching the film.

While I have not yet seen Jake West’s seminal feature, Razor Blade Smile, I can safely say Evil Aliens clearly demonstrates he is the splat-stick horror director to watch in the coming years. While Raimi’s off doing Spider-Man 13 and Peter Jackson’s handling god knows what, it’s nice to know he’s got us cult fanatics covered. It’s certainly the most fun I’ve had at a horror film in recent memory. Evil Aliens is just plain awesome.

About the Author

Chris Nelson has been a film fanatic since age six. A former film and English major, he is now a Java Developer and contract Technical Writer living in the Silicon Valley.