Starship Invasions (1977)

An advance team from a dying, far-off civilization seeks a new world to conquer and inhabit -- Earth.

Director:

Ed Hunt

Writer:

Ed Hunt

Stars:

Robert Vaughn, Christopher Lee, Daniel Pilon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Vaughn	...	Prof. Allan Duncan
Christopher Lee	...	Capt. Rameses
Daniel Pilon	...	Anaxi
Tiiu Leek	...	Phi
Helen Shaver	...	Betty Duncan
Henry Ramer	...	Malcolm
Victoria Johnson	...	Gazeth
Doreen Lipson	...	Dorothy
Kate Parr	...	Diane Duncan
Sherri Ross	...	Sagnac
Linda Rennhofer	...	Joan
Richard Fitzpatrick	...	Joe
Ted Turner	...	Zhender
Sean McCann	...	Carl
Bob Warner	...	Air Force General

Storyline

Captain Rameses and his Legion of the Winged Serpent brigade are out to claim Earth for their dying race. Out to save Earth is an alien guard patrol located in the Bermuda Triangle, the League of Races. LOR leaders warn Rameses that he's breaking galactic treaty rules. The alien villain responds by launching an invasion which telepathically drives Earthlings to suicide. The LOR implore UFO expert Professor Duncan to help them. Eventually, the two alien forces battle. Will the Earth be saved?

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Plot Keywords:

conquering | evil alien | alien invader | flying saucer | humanoid alien | 

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Taglines:

We know they are there - advanced beyond our imagination. Why have they come?

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alien Encounter

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD2,150,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film had to be re-titled twice. It originally was titled "War of the Aliens," which closely resembled the blockbuster Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). The title was then changed to "Alien Encounter," which resembled the blockbuster Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

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Goofs

Early in the movie the alien leader reveals that he is keeping a fleet hidden behind the Moon. He then attacks the friendly alien base through subterfuge, which does not go particularly well. This is in spite of his fleet outnumbering them by many times, and that they could have just attacked the Earth directly.

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Connections

Referenced in Best of the Worst: Our VHS Collection (2019)

User Reviews

Campy, but story details give it charm

While there's no denying the poor production value and cheap special effects (this is a B movie, after all); I feel the story behind this movie has some value. The motivation of the bad guys is well established. They are not simply evil, but are in a bit of a tight spot themselves. Also, the primary method they use to achieve their goal (a suicide ray) is rather chilling. The use of telepathic communication between the aliens was a nice touch. The cheesiness of this film can easily be embraced as enjoyable camp. It's not a great film, but I think you'll find that it sticks with you after you watch it. The story is fairly rich, with lots of details and connections filled in along the way. It truly has some meat to it. I first saw it as a kid while growing up. Now, over 25 years later, I finally tracked it down and watched it again. I'm still charmed by it.