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A Movie A Day: Quint sees STRANGE INVADERS (1983)
Who takes the train? (Five minutes later) They took the train!

by DigitalBeachWar	Jul 14th, 2008 10:40:10 PM
HAHAHA YES!
You... by Therealumlaut	Jul 14th, 2008 10:50:51 PM
Have a great life that you get paid to do this.
You make this seem fun... by slowgraffiti	Jul 14th, 2008 10:51:40 PM
I bet it is.
Don't even think about it, harveydentisdead by OBSD	Jul 14th, 2008 10:55:09 PM
This a preemptive "Don't post your crap here, you douche" post. Also, I recent caught Strange Invaders on On Demand. I never saw it when it came out, but those trailers were really scary when I was 11. I quite enjoyed it, even though I am now way past the age for movies like this to scare me as much as they would have if I was 11. All in all, a pretty decent homage to silly 50's sci-fi flicks, though.
Holy shit! How could he never have seen that?!? by chipps	Jul 14th, 2008 11:16:40 PM
How dare he call himself a film critic! I haven't seen it either so good call. I might skip this one there are others on the list to watch
messed-up movie by Sir Loin	Jul 14th, 2008 11:25:31 PM
The whole skin-peeling bit and when the kid gets freeze-dried freaked me out in 83. The film was awesome :)
lol Quint channels Vern by aint_it_cruel?	Jul 14th, 2008 11:33:53 PM
"STRANGE INVADERS opens in the ‘50s as a bunch of ‘50s people do ‘50s things, like get a soda at the diner or make out in a truck or cook dinner."
Are You Ready For The Summer? by aint_it_cruel?	Jul 14th, 2008 11:38:24 PM
Are You Ready For The Good Times?
Never seen Meatballs? by fiester	Jul 15th, 2008 12:02:03 AM
No way. Turn in your badge. Ha! I bet you've seen, like, every obscure Kurasawa film ever made or something though, tight?
Uh....okay. by Holeman	Jul 15th, 2008 12:03:40 AM
I can forgive just about every movie on that list, but "MEATBALLS"???? How in the living fuck can you possibly be alive in the U.S. today and have never seen "Meatballs"? HOW? It's not possible! It's like not having eaten at McDonald's or ever had a Coke. That's just fucking bizarre, man.
i got this dvd double feature a few months ago - it kicks ass by JimmyJoe RedSky	Jul 15th, 2008 12:04:39 AM

the "midnite movies" series rules by JimmyJoe RedSky	Jul 15th, 2008 12:10:00 AM
"the land that time forgot/people that time forgot" is a favorite - "at the earths core/war gods of the deep" is great too
Damn,,, by ShogunMaster	Jul 15th, 2008 12:24:58 AM
I accidentally read the Spoiler on who's an alien so I can't watch this movie now. You better not ruin Meatballs for me by telling me who the counselors are...
I graduated High School in '83 by shran	Jul 15th, 2008 12:32:22 AM
How in the name of everything holy on God's green earth did I never see this? We had three friggin' drive- in's in my town at the time too, which I regularly went to on weekends with a girl, some beer, and a bag of weed. I'd drink the beer, fuck the weed, and smoke the girl. High school was a confusing time, man.
shran, me too by JimmyJoe RedSky	Jul 15th, 2008 12:47:04 AM
i graduated in 1983 - in fact, my classes ceremonies were on may 25 - instead of partying that night, me and a few of my fellow nerd friends saw rotj at midnight - Strange Invaders didnt have a long shelf life - it came and went fast - and in not that many markets - your town probably never got a reel - great movie
Holy Cow Quint by Lukecash	Jul 15th, 2008 12:47:21 AM
When you first started this little venture, you were covering some big pictures...and not so big pictures. But the one thing they have in common was they were strongly related to something a moviephile geek should see. But the pleasant thing about this is you're covering hidden a B movie material. Stuff that even a 40 year old geek that was hospitalized all his childhood may never have seen. You might want to rename the Column From Quints DVD Treasure Chest. It's amazing how many great concepts are out there but horribly executed...it boggles the mind.
whatever happened to Chris Makepeace by JimmyJoe RedSky	Jul 15th, 2008 12:50:35 AM
after meatballs, my bodyguard, vamp and his bit in falcon and the snowman - he was a good actor - what happened
Yeah, Lerner's son getting shriveled up... by xavier masterson	Jul 15th, 2008 01:09:54 AM
always bothered me when I watched this as a kid. About the only thing I can remember about the flick. I wonder if that scene is online somewhere? I'd rather not sit through the entire flick, but I haven't thought about how disturbing that scene with the kid was for years and I'm wondering if it would still freak me out.
So he never saw Meatballs? by Napoleon Park	Jul 15th, 2008 01:15:08 AM
It just doesn't matter.
i totally remember being freaked out about this movie by slder78	Jul 15th, 2008 01:25:38 AM
that scene with the shriviling up kid in particular. i was just thinking about it the other day too. used to play on HBO all the time. i also remember that it was shot in soft focus most of the time. but yeah between that and the scene in Superman III where the evil sister is turned into a robot '83 was a fucked up year for movie nightmare scenes.
Sleuth by tom_joad	Jul 15th, 2008 01:42:41 AM
I am looking forward to your opinion on this one, it is one of my favorite movies of all time. I hope you didn't watch the awful remake.
don't know if i saw this by El Borak	Jul 15th, 2008 02:22:31 AM
but i keep thinking about "invaders from mars". is that the one where the kid's parents die.
haha vamp!!! by El Borak	Jul 15th, 2008 02:32:11 AM
i remember going to my frien's house next door and seeing all the movies i couldn't watch like vamp, creepshow 2 and the lost boys. my mom would come over and we'd switch over to voltron!! ha ha!!
Slueth? by Boba Fat	Jul 15th, 2008 02:47:55 AM
Would sir like a slice of ham with his movie?
Fiona Lewis by Shoegeezer	Jul 15th, 2008 03:41:11 AM
You left out this lady from your review, she plays the menacing Avon lady. She was in Innerspace, Dr Phibes Rises Again, LIztomania, Drum, The Fury, Fearless Vampire Killers, Stunts, Villain and the awful Jaws ripoff Tintorera. Honestly, she has amazing genre credentials and stand out in every movie she's in. And you call yourself a geek...
I saw Sleuth for the first time last week by PacmanFever	Jul 15th, 2008 03:41:16 AM
Great film. Meatballs is terrible.
Shoe by Quint	Jul 15th, 2008 04:01:34 AM
I knew I recognized her from something. She's totally Kevin McCarthy's creepy ladyfriend in Innerspace! Good call!
Thanks for bringing back fond memories... by tonagan	Jul 15th, 2008 05:37:10 AM
I think I remember first reading about Strange Invaders in Fangoria or Twilight Zone magazine, and then I (with my parents help, of course) had to scour the state of Vermont to find a store that rented it. That was before the internet, of course.
Holy shit! How could you never have seen that?!? by O_Goncho	Jul 15th, 2008 05:40:32 AM
How dare you call yourself a film critic! ...yeah, so, what the fuck is Meatballs? Just looks like some generic Bill Murray 80's comedy.
Bill Condon? by Knuckleduster	Jul 15th, 2008 07:38:48 AM
Wow. So you're telling me there is hope for every shitty filmmaker out there to actually make something of himself. Must look great on his resume: Gods and Monsters, Kinsey, Dreamgirls and... uhm, Strange Invaders. Hey, you gotta start somewhere. slder78, please don't mention that robot lady from Superman 3 ever again. I'm not gonna sleep tonight.
I thought this was part of a planned "Strange" trilogy by skimn	Jul 15th, 2008 08:06:52 AM
Was this also the one that notioned that the Welles' War Of The Worlds broadcast was for real?
I gave you a pass on THE SURE THING by Zombieflicker	Jul 15th, 2008 08:12:52 AM
But you haven't seen Meetballs? Dude!!! I'll say this.. it hasn't aged well.
Meatballs sucks. by Sailor Rip	Jul 15th, 2008 08:18:05 AM
Although Movie Violations with another Murray brother is a guilty pleasure of mine.
should'a watched SPACED INVADERS! by the power of GREYSKULL	Jul 15th, 2008 08:28:15 AM
- unless you've already seen it, I guess - but if not, you don't know what you're missing!
Moving Violations...yeesh by skimn	Jul 15th, 2008 09:07:14 AM
A Police Academy wannabe, with a Bill Murray impression from his younger brother...does he sing "Star Warrss, nothing but Star Warrss..." in it?
Great Glam.com by MCVamp	Jul 15th, 2008 09:34:04 AM
Sorry, Quint. I'm sure you gave a fine review, but the Great Glam ad cycled to the Asian chick with the nice rack in the black titty-strap top. What about Space Invaders?
I have yet to see Meatballs either. by rbatty024	Jul 15th, 2008 09:56:22 AM
I really like Murray so I don't know why it's taken me so long.
When the subject of Canadian Grant Movies by Big Jim	Jul 15th, 2008 10:16:10 AM
came up yesterday, I thought of Meatballs. I could be wrong but I think it too was one of those. I'm not that surprised Quint hasen't seen The Sure Thing or Meatballs. As sex comedies go, there isn't much sex in them (and I don't think any nudity). For someone who probably doesn't remember a time before home video, these movies would seem tame compared to what was available when they began to explore this genre. Now, if he hasn't seen Fast Times at Ridgemont High that would truly be unfortunate for him. Every teenage boy should have had the privilege of experiencing Phoebe Cates in that pool scene.
Wish I could sit on my ass watching movies every day... by googamooga	Jul 15th, 2008 10:17:10 AM
Must be nice. That said, 'Strange Invaders' was one of those that I remember seeing the trailers for as a kid, but never got to actually see the movie. Might have to look this one up...
Moving Violations? by Powers Boothe	Jul 15th, 2008 10:30:22 AM
Holy shit, that's one of the 20 worst comedies of the 1980s. Almost as awful as a 1981 Chevy Chase comedy titled Modern Problems. Each film stars one of Bill Murray's less funny brothers.
Diana Scarwid was very good in... by Powers Boothe	Jul 15th, 2008 10:33:58 AM
Rumble Fish and Silkwood. 1983 was a busy year for her.
Quint must be way younger than me! by Powers Boothe	Jul 15th, 2008 10:38:18 AM
I'm 37 and it's damn near impossible to be an American male movie geek of my age and not have already seen The Sure Thing and Meatballs.
Wendie Jo Sperber by Powers Boothe	Jul 15th, 2008 10:42:26 AM
She was the only reason I rented Moving Violations. I had a thing for her after watching 1941, I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Bossom Buddies. Great comedic actress. RiP
1941 by Powers Boothe	Jul 15th, 2008 10:47:00 AM
Now THAT's a movie I wish Quint had never seen. I'd love to see a Talkback for that mess of a film. I wonder how many times Michael Bay watched 1941 when preparing for Pearl Harbor. Gotta love 70s Hollywood!
Quint, enjoy the British double whammy by skimn	Jul 15th, 2008 11:04:55 AM
of Sleuth and Frenzy. The "twist" of Sleuth is pretty evident nowadays, but enjoyable just the same, and Frenzy Is Hitch's last great movie. Family Plot just feels too '70s Universal television, like a really good extended episode of their TV Mystery Of The Week series (Columbo, McCloud, MacMillan And Wife, etc.).
I, too, have not seen Meatballs by ImMorganFreeman	Jul 15th, 2008 11:25:12 AM
And have also seen Meatballs II far too many times. I watched it again recently, like 2 months ago. God that movie's terrible. But I still watched it.I'm a sad man.
I've seen parts by Bloo	Jul 15th, 2008 11:40:45 AM
of meatballs, but you knwo I didn't see any of the Porky's until 97, 98
Meatballs by reddwarfcas	Jul 15th, 2008 11:59:38 AM
"Is that a bra, or are you expecting an assassination attempt"? Modern problems sucked, but love the part where Chevy makes some guys nose bleed. Reminded me of the Julia Child skit on SNL (and Python's Holy Grail).
why is my back all wet? by chokinonrhodes	Jul 15th, 2008 01:45:58 PM
Moving Violations...god, i wore that VHS tape out when i was a kid.
Strange Behaviour rules!! by Darthkrusty	Jul 15th, 2008 02:11:27 PM
So glad they relesed a widescreen dvd of that a few years ago.... had a bad pan & scan version of "Dead Kids" on vhs that was barely watchable. Love that spacey Tangerine Dream score. Fun, spooky, cult-film title I'd highly recommend. Now I have to check out Strange Invaders.
Prepare to Die Earth Scum! by ltgalloway	Jul 15th, 2008 02:22:01 PM
Rewatching Spaced Invaders asap
Bigelow? Is that you? by The Alienist	Jul 15th, 2008 03:49:11 PM
My friends and I have enjoyed "Strange Invaders" for many years now. Mosty cause of its campy dialogue. There is an amzing scene in the back of a cab between LeMatt, Allen and Louise Fletcher that is priceless. Diana Scarwid. Oh my dear god. Nancy Allen is near and dear to my heart ONLY because of "Strange Invaders". Wallace Shawn talking about his mother dying gets this response from Allen: "Well, you can't criticize her for that." !!!!!!!!
Quint by d_fens1969	Jul 15th, 2008 04:09:05 PM
You arent a movie critic. Youre a guy who sits around and watches bargain bin DVDs, afterwards writing a couple paragraphs about them.
never saw meatballs...dude are you gay? by RICO OLD BUDDY	Jul 15th, 2008 06:43:17 PM

John Addison's Score is AWESOME - Deserves a release! by dkfuel	Jul 15th, 2008 06:44:46 PM
The ending is wonderfully scored. I'd buy this soundtrack if someone like Intrada or Varese Sarabande released it.
Kenneth Tobey by wilbur gray	Jul 15th, 2008 08:41:37 PM
Kenneth Tobey(Howard Hawk's The Thing)is also in this and gives the best performance of his twilight career,before he was relegated to welcome,if brief cameos in Joe Dante's movies.Also look for the late character actor great Charles Lane and another Lost in Space alum in a scene with June Lockhart.You were a little too harsh on this one,Quint,especially compared to the generally favorable reviews at the time.It hasn't aged that badly since.
you know what movie you should add to this list by Magic Rat	Jul 15th, 2008 10:21:20 PM
The Gate, the 1987 kiddie horror movie starring Stephen Dorff when he was just a kid. It was on cable tonight and I had completely forgotten about it.
The Gate by Quint	Jul 16th, 2008 12:05:37 AM
Scared the shit out of me as a kid. The dude in the walls... the "parents" returning home "Yooouu've beeeennnn bbaaadddddddddd!!!!" That's a really goddamn creepy movie, still holds up. Gate 2 on the other hand... not so much, either then or now. d_fens. I take offense. I paid top dollar for some of these DVDs! Top. Dollar. As far as MGM's Midnite Movies series, I fully agree. I wish we'd get more like 'em, especially in high def.
WTF, you forgot Kenneth Tobey and Fiona Lewis!! by otis von zipper	Jul 16th, 2008 12:30:52 AM
How can you even discuss this film and not mention these two? It's like reviewing "Pulp Fiction" and talking about every other actor except Chris Walken and Harvey Keitel. Plus you didn't even bother to mention one of the key plot points that made this film a real treat. The town the aliens occupied remained just like 1955 in the year 1985. The scene where the aliens start to surround Paul Le Mat's car and then disappear only to have a bug-eyed alien zap it as he drives off is a classic moment. Forgive my irritation, but this movie is a favorite from this era.
Strange Invader's Effects by jtcummins	Jul 16th, 2008 09:49:35 AM
Gee whiz, who the heck is Ken Brooke, and why is he credited for my work on STRANGE INVADERS? Anyone who knows anything about STRANGE INVADERS knows that I was responsible for designing and creating the Invaders as well as the other make-up effects for that film. Why Ken Brooke – who I don’t remember, and I can only assume was a straight make-up artist on the flick – should be credited by Quint with the make-up effects work is beyond me. For the uninitiated, my name does not appear on the credits because of an internal disagreement with the director over how he one day decided to shoot the Invaders in broad daylight – even though they were originally created (at his wish) to be shot in low, contrasting light to preserve their mystery. This sudden change of tune forced us to shoot the aliens in a way that I did not agree with, or sign up for. In order to let the powers-that-be know that I was unhappy, I asked that my name be removed from the film. Luckily however, after executives at Orion screened the daylight effects footage, they were as unhappy as I was and agreed to let me reshoot the effects as originally intended. Of course bad blood resulted between myself and the director and my name was never reinstated in the credits. Such is life. That said, I am, and always have been proud of the work that I and my talented crew of up n' comers achieved on STRANGE INVADERS.
Strange Invader's Effects Part 2 by jtcummins	Jul 16th, 2008 09:56:20 AM
The special effects were created under the name JAMES CUMMINS. http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0192 009/
^Wow. Someone who actually works in the movie business... by googamooga	Jul 16th, 2008 03:06:34 PM
Unlike the wannabe posers who write for this site, dreaming of their "big break"...

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A Movie A Day: Quint sees STRANGE INVADERS (1983)
Who takes the train? (Five minutes later) They took the train!

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A Movie A Day: Quint sees STRANGE INVADERS (1983) Who takes the train? (Five minutes later) They took the train!

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A Movie A Day: Quint sees STRANGE INVADERS (1983)
Who takes the train? (Five minutes later) They took the train!