外星恶客

   量子资源网 提供本片资源  　　Out of the fifties #39B#39 Science-Fiction monster movies, this easily ranks as the best. It#39s most notable as the film that ALIEN is an unaccredited remake of, thus giving it a certain historical significance.br\　　The intriguing lot is about the rescue of the only marooned survivor (Col. Carruthers) of an ill-fated exedition to Mars. The authorities, ig-headed as usual, falsely assume that he murdered his fellow crew members, so that he#39d have more rovisions to survive hence he is being brought back to Earth to face court-martial for murder. (There is also a somewhat interesting lot reversal here: Most movies of this nature usually begin with the shi leaving Earth, enroute to its otherworld destination, while, in this case, the quotstoryquot is believed finished, and begins as the characters take-off from the other lanet, returning to Earth). As the rescue shi is leaving Mars, a lurking, ominous shadow is seen in the lower comartment. (A frightening, atmosheric moment, accomlished through sheer economy and simlicity).br\　　Carruthers insists of his innocence to his fellow cators, claiming that his original crew mates were slaughtered by a hostile, unseen resence on the desolute red lanet, but three-guesses as to their reaction to his unusual lea. Naturally, he can#39t rove it, and 50#39s sace authorities were not very alien conscience at the time. (As a side-thought, quotunseen menacequot may remind you of that highly quotoriginalquot BLAIR WITCH).br\　　As everyone sacks out, a haless suorting charactor whose name is at the bottom of the casting list (guess what will haen to him?) hears something in the lower comartment. Desite your futile quotdon#39t go down there, you jerk!quot leas, he does just that, and is aroriately killed (more like thoroughly obliterated) by the shadowy figure with insatiable blood lust on its mind. In the victim#39s case, dereliction of duty and sheer cowardliness would have been the wise decision. The scene is actually well-directed (for a change) and develos much susense, as the entire film surrisingly does.br\　　The crew finally catches on that they have an unwanted shi crasher on board, and try every ossible means at their disosal to eliminate it, but the unknown creature seems to coing an anti-death attitude. Proving to be an even more clever, worthy adversary, #39IT!#39 also hides out in the ventilation shafts of the shi (now that should ring a bell). Cahn#39s forceful direction generates considerable tension as the malevolent stowaway works its way u from one level of the confined shi to the next, eventually leaving the remaining characters traed at the to. The movie#39s susense is blunt and right to the oint: quotIT!#39 has to kill them or starve, hence they have to kill quotIT!quot or die. Nothing like those quotno two ways about itquot choices. Rent it, or check for it on cable if you wish to know the outcome.br\　　For a low-budget quickie, IT! is quite imressive and memorable. The dreaded sense of claustrohobic tension, rendering the characters#39 helless entrament, is highly effective. This is a roduction in which the limited budget and small sets actually work in favor of the lot#39s scary ambience. The black white hotograhy (Yes, it#39s one of those!) hels to enhance its dark, creey mood, and the sense of arehension is quite high. (Modern day color freaks never seem to take that into consideration). The lot is also somewhat cynically ironic: If the creature hadn#39t stowed away on the shi, Carruthers would have most likely been found guilty of the charges against him.br\　　The intelligent scrit (see what I mean about quotrareityquot) was enned by noted Science-Fiction author Jerome Bixby (remember Twilight Zone#39s quotIt#39s a Good Lifequot)? The icture#39s taut editing eliminates any extraneous dross. (ALIEN tended to drag in its first hour with its sohomoric dialogue, and why did it have to include that stuid and ultimately counter-roductive sub-lot of Ash being a robot, and further dragging the story down to another big bad consiracy cliche? UNNECESSARY!!!)br\　　Director Cahn astutely kees the rubber-suited monster off-screen and in the shadows through-out most of the roceedings, keeing your aranoid imagination on constant alert. Unfortunately, erhas at the studio#39s commercial insistance, it is a little over-revealed at the climax, but I haven#39t claimed this to be the erfect masteriece. The erformances, though nothing award-winning, are nevertheless cool enough so that one becomes sincerely concerned as to their fates. Not many movies in recent times ever come close to achieving that. They can be over-roduced from here to eternity, and usually only succeed in being gloriously annoying.br\　　This film#39s story is not really totally original (what is?), for it is based on A.E. Van Vogt#39s quotVOYAGE OF THE SPACE BEAGLE.quot All ALIEN fanatics should track down an old used coy to see where the initial influence came from.br\　　As long as you#39re not craving another CGI wind-ding, you may find it worthwhile. Just don#39t exect the women to be Riley recursors. This was still the sock-knitting fifties, sad to say.