Spaced Invaders (1990)

Dimwitted Martians drop into a little Illinois town on the day that the local radio station happens to rebroadcast Orson Welles 1938 "War Of The Worlds".

Director:

Patrick Read Johnson

Writers:

Patrick Read Johnson (screenplay), Scott Lawrence Alexander (screenplay)

Stars:

Douglas Barr, Royal Dano, Ariana Richards

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Douglas Barr	...	Sam
Royal Dano	...	Wrenchmuller
Ariana Richards	...	Kathy
J.J. Anderson	...	Brian (Duck)
Gregg Berger	...	Klembecker
Wayne Alexander	...	Vern
Fred Applegate	...	Russell
Patrika Darbo	...	Mrs. Vanderspool
Tonya Williams	...	Ernestine (as Tonya Lee Williams)
Ryan Todd	...	Sid Ghost
Barry O'Neill	...	Clown Kid
Adam Hansley	...	Pig Kid
Casey Sander	...	Radio Announcer
Rose Parenti	...	Old Wife
Glen Vernon	...	Old Guy #1

Storyline

When one saucer of an invasion force has engine trouble, it lands on Earth. It happens to be Halloween and it happens the invaders are only about 4 feet tall. As the bumbling aliens wander around the countryside they are taken to be children and they make friends with two children, one of whom is the daughter of the sheriff. As their troubles mount (it's difficult for five aliens to conquer a world) they begin to give up their plans of conquest, but then there is that nasty killer robot.

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Plot Keywords:

spaceship | martian | misunderstanding | sheriff | farm | 

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Taglines:

For years, science has speculated on the existence of intelligent life in space... Now there is living proof there is no such thing.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Martians!!!

Filming Locations:

Pacific Electric Power Station, Lake Ave. and Calaveras St., Altadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,474,336, 29 April 1990

Gross USA:

$15,369,573

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,369,573

Company Credits

Production Co:

Silver Screen Partners IV, Smart Egg Pictures, Touchstone Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kathy says she expects to grow up to be 5'7" or 5'8". This prediction was close to real life. As actress Ariana Richards actually grew to be 5'6".

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Goofs

In the opening scene, when Sherrif Hoxley is getting a bottle of soda pop out of the machine and talking to Russell on his radio, reflected in the window over the machine are two rather-tall palm trees, trees which are not native to Big Bean, Illinois.

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Quotes

Captain Bipto: What do you make of it, Doctor?
Dr. Ziplock: Well, it's long, flat, and has yellow lines on it; that can only mean one thing ...
Giggywig: A minefield!
Dr. Ziplock: I was going to say, "a country road."
Giggywig: That's what they want us to think. Let me tell you something: one false move and kaboom! You'll be going home in several more pieces than you arrived.

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Connections

Featured in The Cinema Snob: Spaced Invaders (2016)

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Soundtracks

Detail Man
Music and Lyrics by Paul Lacques and Richard Lawrence
Courtesy of Rom Records

User Reviews

Just what is so bad about this movie?

I first saw this movie in 1990 when it first came out on video. I agree that it is total nonsense, but it is also one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. The very idea that a group of "advanced aliens" would be running for thier lives from a bunch of country hicks is totally side-spliting. Why do all science fiction movies have to be about murderous beings? This group of Imperial Martian Atomic Navy misfits reminds me of some of the idiots that I knew in the army! No wonder they were left on asteroid patrol while the rest of the fleet went to war. Leave this movie alone. We need more like it.