Reviewed by Brain #1.
Films Genre: Sci Fi Topics Discussed: Fanboys, aliens, Outer Limits, Star Wars knockoffs
The Alien Factor
Every once in a while, you have to grade on a curve. Especially with something like Don Dohler's 1978 opus "The Alien Factor". While obivously shot in an amateurish fashion using friends and crew people as a cast. Alien Factor also reeks of being a fan boys labour of love, not just some cheapie knocked off to make a couple of bucks. The plot involves a spaceship crashing in rural Maryland, as events unfold we find that the ship was a zoo and many of the captive "animals" have escaped causing the usual "smooching teens" deaths. The alien and Monster outfits are imaginative and quite good given the budget, as are the limited special effects. The editing, camera work and acting are amatuerish but competant, the film itself has a "fan project" feel to it that shows a lot of overtime went into it.. In a time when most SF films were bad "Star Wars" and "Alien" clones, Alien Factor comes off as a lost colour episode of the "Outer Limits" Tv series (complete with downer ending) and I wonder what they could have done with a bigger budget. The DVD i got had a gawdawful intro by Fred Olen Ray but lots of bloopers and out takes. FINAL ASESSMENT: I LIKED IT BETTER THAN "PHANTOM MENACE". *** (out of five) IMDB Death Lands Page Homepage
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