Zone Troopers (1985)

Director:

Danny Bilson

Writers:

Danny Bilson (writer)
Paul De Meo (writer)

Release Date:

April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

War | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

They take war to a new dimension.

Plot:

In Italy, during World War II some American soldiers find an alien UFO.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Italy | UFO | Europe | WWII

Cast

Tim Thomerson	...	The Sarge
Timothy Van Patten	...	Joey
Art LaFleur	...	Mittens
Biff Manard	...	Dolan
William Paulson	...	The Alien
Peter Boom	...	Col. Manheim
Max Turilli	...	SS Sgt. Zeller
Eugene Brell	...	The Radioman
John Leamer	...	The Lieutenant
Bruce McGuire	...	The Medic
Alviero Martin	...	The Fuhrer
Mike Manderville	...	SS Motorcyclist
Achille Brugnini	...	SS Radioman (as Archille Brunini)
Ole Jorgensen	...	SS Sentry
Peter Hintz	...	SS Corporal

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Belgium:16 (video rating) | Norway:18 | UK:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company:

Altar Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Svengoolie: Zone Troopers" (2002)

Soundtrack:

In the Mood

Does anyone understand what "tongue in cheek" means?

Why are some people reviewing Zone Troppers as if the makers had intended to make a serious sci-fi film? This movie was intended as a satire of both alien invasion flicks and cliched World War II movies. While not all the jokes worked, I found the movie throughly enjoyable, and so did several friends who watched it with me at a later date. Band's Empire Pictures did indeed make some real clunkers. But this is no clunker. This movie reunites most of the cast of the earlier Charles Band production "Trancers." That movie was also a satire, though Band's direction was so flat it was hard to tell. Danny Bilson, who directed Zone Troopers, seems to understand the spirit of fun much better. Some of the movie's best bits have been mentioned by other posters, but I would add the beginning sequence when the young Lieutenant rashly runs over the hill thinking reinforcements have arrived, and is machine gunned by the Germans. "Damn green kid," Thomerson (as the tough as nails NCO) mutters, in perfect deadpan echo of hundreds of B war movies of the late forties and early fifties. And did anyone catch the "Buy War Bonds" tag at the end of the credits? How about the fact that the first shot morphs from the cover of a comic book Mittens (Art Lefleur) is reading? That should have served as a hint of the filmmakers' intentions. This movie is a hoot, and was intended that way. I have never seen Bilson's follow up, the Wrong Guys--equally low rated by most posters. But based on Zone Troopers, I sensed he might have the talent to go a long way. However, it appears he was only able to find a career in TV.