IMDb > Strange Invaders (1983)

Strange Invaders (1983) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
5.3/10   874 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Michael Laughlin
Writers:
Bill Condon (story) &
Michael Laughlin (story) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Strange Invaders on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 September 1983 (USA) more
Genre:
Mystery | Sci-Fi more
Tagline:
25 Years Ago They Arrived From Another Galaxy. Surprise--They're Still Here. more
Plot:
Charlie's ex-wife disappears, and he goes to where she grew up--a rural town in the midwest--to look for her... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
1 win & 6 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Doctor Who aliens - the truth is out there
 (From The Guardian - TV News. 13 November 2009, 4:10 PM, PST)
Back Catalogue #1 - Synapse Films
 (From Fangoria. 29 April 2009, 1:43 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Kind of fun... more (21 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Paul Le Mat ... Charles Bigelow
Nancy Allen ... Betty Walker

Diana Scarwid ... Margaret

Michael Lerner ... Willie Collins
Louise Fletcher ... Mrs. Benjamin

Wallace Shawn ... Earl
Fiona Lewis ... Waitress / Avon Lady
Kenneth Tobey ... Arthur Newman
June Lockhart ... Mrs. Bigelow

Charles Lane ... Prof. Hollister
Lulu Sylbert ... Elizabeth
Joel Cohen ... Tim
Dan Shor ... Teen Boy in Prologue
Dey Young ... Teen Girl in Prologue

Jack Kehler ... Gas Station Attendant
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
UK:92 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Iceland:12 | Australia:PG | Norway:15 (video premiere) | UK:12 | USA:PG
Company:
EMI Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Two stars from the cult classic sci-fi series "Lost in Space", Mark Goddard and June Lockhart, appear in this film, which is a homage to cult sci-fi. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The red truck at the beginning of the movie that has the teenage couple in it keeps changing. The wooden side rails on the truck box disappear and reappear. more
Quotes:
Betty Walker: Now that we're past this awkward 'getting to know you' phase, let me buy you a drink. Well, come back tomorrow - maybe we can find this photograph. more
Movie Connections:
Features "Let's Make a Deal" (1980) more
Soundtrack:
1,000,000 more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
8 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
Kind of fun..., 7 August 2005
7/10
Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada

In 1958, in an all-too-typically idyllic small town in rural America, aliens came to Earth and staked their claim to the place. 25 years later, Columbia University entomology professor Charles Bigelow (Paul LeMat) follows his ex-wife (Diana Scarwid) back there, and is in for the surprise of his lifetime.

In my own opinion, this was endearingly loopy science fiction, and a true tongue-in-cheek affair. I suspect that if one were to take it seriously, it would not work as well. Co-writer / director Michael Laughlin balances several elements - a highly variable cast, affectionate tributes to popular science fiction culture (including appearances by Kenneth Tobey ("The Thing From Another World") and June Lockhart and Mark Goddard ('Lost in Space')), decent wide screen photography with sometimes faded colors, a wonderful music score by John Addison, and makeup effects that are icky without being over the top or distracting from the story.

I found the movie to be rather amusing (there's a good gag involving Steven Spielberg that's thrown into the mix) and I definitely think that it has its heart in the right place. The actual screenplay isn't as impressive as the other elements in the movie, but it sets up its little set pieces well enough.

At the time of filming, Michael Laughlin was married to the movie's production and costume designer, Susanna Moore, who is also the mother of young co-star Lulu Sylbert (whose biological father is esteemed, veteran Hollywood production designer Richard Sylbert).

Co-writer Bill Condon (who has a VERY small non-speaking cameo as a guy listening at a doorway) has certainly gone on to bigger and even better things, winning an Oscar for writing "Gods and Monsters" and also creating last year's biography "Kinsey".

"Strange Invaders" is likable, at times whimsical, and generally entertaining.

7/10

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Music Score Michaelnlori
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What A Piece of Dreck! Samantha-Kimmel
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Does Heather Locklear appear in this? macemace
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