The Hidden (1987)

A cop and an FBI agent race for answers after law abiding people suddenly become violent criminals.

Director:

Jack Sholder

Writer:

Jim Kouf (as Bob Hunt)

Stars:

Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Nouri, Claudia Christian

4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kyle MacLachlan	...	Lloyd Gallagher
Michael Nouri	...	Tom Beck
Claudia Christian	...	Brenda Lee Van Buren
Clarence Felder	...	Lt. John Masterson
Clu Gulager	...	Lt. Ed Flynn
Ed O'Ross	...	Cliff Willis
William Boyett	...	Jonathan Miller
Richard Brooks	...	Sanchez
Larry Cedar	...	Brem
Katherine Cannon	...	Barbara Beck
John McCann	...	Senator Holt
Chris Mulkey	...	Jack DeVries
Lin Shaye	...	Carol Miller
James Luisi	...	Ferrari Salesman
Frank Renzulli	...	Michael Buckley

Storyline

An alien parasite with the ability to possess human bodies goes on a violent crime spree in LA, committing dozens of murders and robberies. In pursuit of the extraterrestrial criminal is an FBI agent, and the local officer investigating the rash of violence. As they close in on the vicious intruder, the city faces a brutal threat like no other it has ever encountered.

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Plot Keywords:

city | alien pretending to be human | crime spree | alien | alien parasite | 

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Taglines:

It killed 37 people, robbed 6 banks, 2 liquor stores, a record shop and stole 2 ferraris. Now the fun starts. It just took over a police station.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Of all his films, director Jack Sholder says this is his favorite.

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Goofs

State of the broken windshield during the chase of the "uzi woman."

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Quotes

Tom Beck: Oh, thank you. That is illuminating. That solves everything. Christ, Miller doesn't have a chance. Hey, why would he come in here and kill a guy for a lousy hundred bucks and a radio?
Lloyd Gallagher: Because he likes it. He sees something he wants, he steals it. If something gets in his way, he kills it. And right now, he's hiding out in your city.

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Connections

Referenced in I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

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Soundtracks

Your Haunted Head
Performed by Concrete Blonde
Written by Johnette Napolitano (as J. Napolitane)
Published by Happy Hermit Music / I.R.S. Music, Inc.
Administered by Bug Music (BMI)
Produced by Earle Mankey & Concrete Blonde

User Reviews

Yo, hippy, what kind of dude are you?

I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs. Revisited it recently. This was Jack Sholder's third horror film after Alone in the Dark n A Nightmare on Elm Street 2. Expectations were high n this film was worth the time. The plot is about an alien parasite who possesses humans and keeps changing bodies. To stop the alien's killing spree, another alien in a human form along with a cop sets out to destroy the parasite before it takes the body of a presidential candidate. The film has lots of action n mayhem. It has guns, explosions, car chases, shootings n Danny Trejo and Lin Shaye in tiny roles. It is a fast paced, action horror film.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

La créature maléfique

Filming Locations:

MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,492,618, 1 November 1987

Gross USA:

$9,747,988

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,747,988

Company Credits

Production Co:

Heron Communications, Mega Entertainment, New Line Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1