User reviews

This movie is just insane...

I don't know were to start, its supposed to be about alien abduction but it goes beyond to weird territory, i honestly saw Chistopher Walken become Tommy Wissau in some scenes, it is so surreal you think your watching a comedy when its supposed to be science fiction, i don't know what was in the directors mind when he mixed aliens and Christopher Walken, we get one of the most insane movies ever made i don't know if to compare it with Brazil or Eraser head.

Its not bad or good its in a rating limbo, you have to see it for yourself to believe what your watching and trying to make sense of it, its entertaining specially if you like strange premises, i honestly would say give it a watch and judge it for the craziness that it is

In 1985, sci-fi novelist Whitney Striber had a dream which led to a close encounter. It became the subject for his book 'Communion' which became a best-seller. Four years later he gives us this. True story though it may be, it is clearly too personal for Striber to manipulate (even just a little bit) to make it the right shape and form for a movie. Instead it remains too abstract, and subsequently clumsy. But that is only half the problem.

Communion wins my award for biggest miscast in cinema history. Christopher Walken does everything wrong, starting with the way he delivers his dialogue. He is not even remotely engaged in the story, he is emotionally dead. Walken is portraying somebody who went though what must've been the most traumatic experience that a person could have. The only time he comes close to showing signs of trauma is his ability to make himself cry (a little) at the end of one scene.

Next, there is the matter of visual effects. If you were to walk into a room where this was on TV, and up to the part when we meet the 'little blue doctors' and their slightly taller, skinnier red-skinned cousins, you might think you were watching an Ed Wood flick, or something from that decade. Looking at these creatures, one is more likely to think they are cute rather than creepy or surreal. Anything that looks like rubber on strings belongs in a puppet theatre, not in a sci-fi thriller.

I guess the only crew member who did a competent job in their field is Eric Clapton, who wrote a good theme for an otherwise mediocre score. Communion has much potential, but sadly it ends up being one of those films that you are glad when it is over.

I have always been a Whitley Strieber fan. And when the news broke about his alien abduction people were sceptical, myself included. Then he published the books Communion and Transformation under none fiction. I would like to consider myself broadminded. After all, I've seen a few things that cannot be easily explained away. I've yet to read his factual accounts so I thought what better way to catch-up (kinda) than by watching the film. All things considered, it does have a great cast... what can go wrong.

As the opening credits rolled I noticed Strieber had written the screenplay, so this movie should be sticking close to the book. If this is the case then I'm in no rush to read the novels. Strieber is a strange man, to begin with. He videos practically his every move, even most of his working day. I couldn't think of anything more numbing than watching videos of me typing this or other reviews. I can understand it from the aspect of creativity and idea creation by why while you work? And where was the camera during these abductions?

Walken does his usual wonderful job of adding to Strieber's character. Though, most of the time it makes him more irritatingly bizarre. I also would have thought Strieber to be a little more open to the situation he finds himself in considering the subject matter he writes. He comes off strangely closed and apathetic. Walken's styling only hinders the film and the story.

The strongest cast members were Lindsay Crouse, as Anne Strieber, and Frances Sternhagen, as Dr Janet Duffy. These added some glue to the whole proceedings. Though, at times, some of the scenes were so badly written and directed that no acting skills would have saved them.

Now to the directing. Phillipe Mora (he of those classic films Howling II - Stirba - Werewolf Bitch and Pterodactyl Woman From Beverly Hills) is okay at the normal point and shoot stuff. I have to give him credit for trying to use light and shadows to create atmosphere and tension... which came nowhere close to working. Truthfully, these attempts only caused more problems with the scenes. When the little blue men come and cart off Strieber you recoil in shame - in empathy to the director and the actor. It's not shocking, scary, or tension-ridden. It's laughable. Strieber does little to put up a fight and appears to be a bored crowd surfer at some tiresome third rate garage band rock concert. I'm sure I saw Walken stifle a yawn or two.

Then you get to the aliens themselves. These are the worst looking creatures to ever be filmed. It didn't take too long to realise that each of the alien's facial features was fixed. There's one animatronic blue who's eye's and eyebrows move - wow. The rest, well, is just pure rubbish. Even the grey turned out to be a lovely shade of boring magnolia. Though, towards the climax of the film, we are shown the reason why their features don't move. It's a mask... so what's hiding underneath. Well, by this time you don't care. You just want it to be over.

Now we're at the juicy part, the abduction scenes... There's a moment in the story when Anne asks her husband if he's on drugs? These sequences backup her need to ask. I think they're supposed to be dreamlike and nightmarish. However, Mora and Walken take them a step further into a weird and outlandish locale. I was flabbergasted at the nonsense I was watching. At parts, it's unintentionally funny, at others it's awkward, but overall, they're dull.

So what we get here is a film with unbelievable characters, plot holes fly a 747 into, continuity errors in script and reason, badly directed main characters, awful special effects, and mind-numbing dream sequences or alien abductions.

The major trouble is the bad stuff doesn't become evident until halfway through the film. So, if you're like me. If you're over twenty minutes into the film you'll stay with it in the hopes it'll get better. BE WARNED: This film doesn't. Even at the conclusion, it stutters to an end.

There's nothing about this film that I would recommend. I am now quite upset that I wasted over an hour and a half watching this film. Well, it's not a total waste of time, hopefully, you've been warned away. Take a look at my lists to see where this film placed in my charts and to find a better film to watch - There's plenty out there.

In "Communion," Whitley Strieber's autobiographical book comes to life...sort of. Viewing this movie is a strange experience, and certainly not for all tastes. It is a very cerebral piece of work from a director who did not wholeheartedly agree with Strieber's interpretation of the events surrounding his so-called abduction. Phillipe Mora makes an effort to give the film an air of surrealism, right down to even having the blatant symbolism of DeChirico paintings on the walls of Strieber's home (whether or not Strieber actually had such paintings is beside the point). The director tries to give the impression that Strieber is suffering a breakdown while simultaneously trying to present the events without too much distortion. Tough task...it's easy to see why the film seems diluted and without chemistry.

However, this also provides the film with an atmosphere that can also help enhance the whole point, which is not "was Whitley Strieber abducted by aliens," but rather "how did Whitley's interpretation of an inexplicable event effect him and those around him?" One of the last scenes, an exchange between Strieber and his wife in a museum, conveys this point perfectly. "It's just God, masks of God." It can be equated with a religious experience, feeling the touch of God. Strieber FELT the touch of an outside presence. Does that mean he was visited by aliens? This is irrelevant, and I firmly believe that this is what the point of the film should be. And let's face it, the film is called "Communion," which means "to be at one with God."

The mechanics of the film are rather well constructed. Christopher Walken is in fine form as Strieber, giving a wonderful portrayal of a writer on the edge (of a discovery or his sanity?). Lindsay Crouse does a good job as Strieber's wife. The acting is slightly flat in some areas, but this might've been another device of Mora's to add to the surrealism. Constant uses of the New York skyline add a sense of foreboding to the film, not just because of the beauty of these scenes, but because it helps give the impression of an outside presence. The music (with Eric Clapton on guitar) is pretty good, typical of the synthesizer-based scores of most '80's movies, but it adds well to the setting. And even though the special effects may seem laughable, Mora has made the case (perhaps pretentiously) that this was also deliberate. The FOX TV version (which seems to be the version being shown on Showtime Digital Cable) adds several sequences, and increases the light contrast in certain scenes, adding a glowing white haze to many scenes. Some have complained about the scene in the psychiatrist's office being so bright, but I think it also helps get the message that there may be an outside presence surrounding all of us, whether we recognize it or not.

"Communion" is an interesting movie that suffered from a view that was perhaps too short-sighted. If the film were made today, one can be sure the message might have been lost on overbloated special effects, and the surreal effect would've been diminished to appeal to the lowest common denominator of movie-going audiences. No matter what your stance on alien abduction, this is a very thought-provoking film. Give it a chance...watch it.

Christopher Walken gives a distractingly bizarre performance in this trippy alien abduction movie. At times, he is bizarre and manic, going from a Dad joke making fuddy dud, to a somewhat menacing dangerous character (such as when he shoots up his home, and receives a muted reaction from his wife). He seems unfocused and indecisive, as he is both convinced of his alien abduction but on the fence about receiving therapy. This kind of day to day indecision may be common in real life, but it is odd to see a character change his mind with each scene in a movie. As in Fire in the Sky, the characters' positive traits are overemphasized so as to make them seem like everyday Americans and not alien abduction kooks. This is somewhat undone by the strange nature of Walken's performance. The director also throws in seeming Easter eggs to cast doubts on the story, throwing in references to alcohol and making the dream sequences ridiculous, campy and trippy. We also know the lead character is a writer, and that this would make a compelling book. At one point, when Walken is journeying to the cabin to perhaps commune with the aliens again, he is passed by a Miller Lite truck. The dream sequences are some of the most bizarre I've seen committed to film. They are trippier than David Lynch, and various camp musicals like The Apple. There are costumed gorilla aliens and dancing slim aliens that invite Walken to an orgy replete with anal probing, all while Walken recites lyrics from The Beatles. This makes it rather hard to believe. I have heard the author feels that the movie was not entirely accurate to his story, but his name is all over it, so he could have exercised greater control. I can only recommend this as a camp film. I will say it is far more entertaining than Fire in the Sky, but the one alien scene we get in Fire in the Sky is more frightening than the alien activity we see here.

First off, let me say that I'm a tad biased, as I have never failed to enjoy Christopher Walken's film roles. His characters are always quirky but always Walken...in much the same way every character Cary Grant or John Wayne played was always Cary Grant or John Wayne. He has a personality that is difficult to hide behind another persona, but which always adds a little something to it.

This is a suitably creepy film, but is very realistically and believably handled, given the fantastic story matter. The visitors in this movie aren't quite the sadistic neo-vivisectionists of Fire in the Sky, but they are still unsettling. The blue men almost remind one of something out of Star Wars, but the presence of the willowy aliens keep that impression well in the background.

Walken carries the film, especially in his sojourns aboard the aliens' craft. One is never quite sure what is really happening...oft times it is like something out of an early David Lynch movie...lying on the borderline between funny and nightmarish.

The film does make you think about all angles of the situation, especially when you consider the point of views and personalities of the people at the abduction support group that Walken's character goes to, and his reaction to it.

The special effects are excellent...not gaudy, but quite realistic (for lack of a better term).

I've seen the real Whitley Strieber on television and read a few of his novels. Walken is definitely not Strieber, but I think he is the only actor who could've made this movie work.

I rented this one again after having remembered enjoying it when I was a kid. Man... I don't know what I was thinking back then. Although there are some very interesting concepts discussed in this film (and moreso in the book), this is just an example of a good idea poorly executed. Horrible special effects (the blue creatures are especially laughable) are one of the films biggest flaws, but the absolute biggest flaw of them all is Walken's portrayal of Streiber. I almost couldn't watch the movie because his character was so annoying and, as another poster mention, goofy. Someone smack that stupid hat off his head, please. Maybe it was just the writing, but I actually found most of the performances, Walken's included, pretty bad... Again, I think this is probably just do to really poorly written dialogue. It'd be nice to see someone redo this one.

This movie remains one of Walken's best performances to date. Forget "Deer Hunter", he is one of two things that carry this film. It's him and the aliens, and that's it, but what a great film, anyway. The X-Files, though a good show, never quite reaches the level of freakiness that "Communion" has in moments like those in which Walken confronts the aliens. At one point, he states upon waking up to a suspected abduction that, "I don't want to think about that so, I go back to bed." There are so many classic lines of dialogue between Walken and the aliens that the movie reaches a point where it seems almost like a bizarre, personal delusion--portrait of a madman rather than alien abductions.

I don't even want to waste 2 minutes writing a review. Dang this movie was dull and dumb AF! Especially the part of shaking hands giving a high five then dancing with the aliens. WTF lame sauce.

Wow! If you haven't seen this flick and your a big fan of Christopher Walken, you're in for a treat. Walken plays one of the most bizarre characters in this film. Not only does he get abducted by aliens but he himself is out of this world when it comes to his personality. Check it out, you're gonna love it.

After reading other users' comments, I concur that this film is not for everyone. I, also, am not a believer in this specific subject matter, but I don't let that interfere with my interpretation of the film. Nevertheless, this film absolutely scared the hell out of me. Walken's character, though often bizarre beyond the point of full understanding, is outstandingly well acted. Some may view this film as a silly alien movie. Others, such as myself, will feel absolute terror for Walken's character. Several scenes in the film have made their way into my head and are most disturbing indeed. Fans of this film will agree that specific visual and audio segments are the stuff of nightmares! Walken fans _must_ see this film, as should any alien buffs or film afficionados.

I have read the book and seen the movie and wasn't disappointed by either. I am a Strieber fan so appreciated what risks he took to write this autobiographical novel. It's true the book does have a different feel to the movie. This is mostly due, I believe to, the director Philippe Mora and Christopher Walken's quirky yet memorable acting presence.

This film is very eerie, frightening, surreal and disturbing. It's not a feel-good movie but is definitely thought-provoking, just like the novel.

This is definitely one of Walken's best movies. I was impressed! Also Joel Carlson does a great job as Strieber's son, Andrew. The scenes involving his son and the other dream sequences are perhaps the most disturbing.

I felt empathy for Strieber in Walken's very convincing performance. I felt drawn to the character and his family.

I find myself watching this film every few years and as I do it is more rewarding each time. There are some very memorable lines in this movie that will stay with you long afterwards.

If you like thought-provoking, eerie, movies involving alien abduction then this may be well worth your while.

Christopher Walken gets an anal probe in this alien abduction movie. This movie (and the original book) is actually the origin of that bit of alien lore. The film is not that good. It kind of has the opposite problem of Fire in the Sky. There are a lot of scenes with the aliens, but they're quite poorly done. The aliens look like crap. The big skinny ones (the grays) look like balloons (like Fire in the Sky, it's suggested that these are actually aliens wearing space suits) and the short, stumpy ones look like rejected costumes from a Star Wars rip-off (one of them always has its lips pursed, because, you know, that's the way the animatronic mask was made). The alien scene at the end also gets pretty silly, with the aliens dancing with Walken and high fiving him. Walken himself is pretty good. Definitely Walken at his hammiest, but I think the film would have been unbearably boring if he hadn't gone that way.

The film depicts the personal and professional crises a writer experiences after a series of encounters with non-human beings.

The film strongly benefits from the performances of Christopher Walken and Lindsay Crouse. Walken (always engaging) manages the challenging task of making Whitley Strieber a compelling character; you care about him even if you don't necessarily like him 100% of the time. Crouse succeeds as Whitley's wife; the two together are immediately believable as a married couple.

The film is arguably the most intelligent film about the alien abduction/ visitor phenomenon. Unlike countless cheap, made-for-TV films, where the emphasis is on the sensationalistic, "shocking" aspects of the subject, COMMUNION focuses on the psychological and emotional harm the experience does. We see Strieber describe his experiences to his medical doctor, and then to a psychiatrist. Once his own mental health has been established, then (and only then) does he begin to consider the possibility that the creatures he has seen are actually real.

After questioning everyone from medical professionals to fellow abductees, Whitley realizes the only ones with the answers are the visitors themselves. At the film's climax, he willingly presents himself to the visitors. This is what makes COMMUNION transcend every other film about the phenomenon.

Director Phillipe Mora successfully creates a "you-are-there" atmosphere, letting the actors improvise a lot of their dialogue. There are two distinct moods: one, where things are brightly lit, secure, and normal; and secondly, the dark, unsettling world Strieber inhabits only with himself and with the visitors. Mora's direction is subtle, with cues in both the dialogue and a detailed, occasionally wry visual style.

Another plus is Eric Clapton's opening and closing theme music.

This is a seriously underrated film.

The director's cut (with commentary by Mora) is recommended.

-- The Book:

I just read the book last month, and it was a very anticipated read (with me having seen the movie years prior and the book being a best seller and all). And in this case, I wasn't all that thrilled after reading it. Don't get me wrong, it's a great book. Whitley has a clever writing-style. He fights a constant psychological battle, on the one hand coming up with evidence that he really was abducted by aliens, while otherwise trying to refute the experience with other, more rational explanations. He also, at times, delves into folklore and mythology, though he only scratches the tip of the iceberg and doesn't really develop nor support any theories. This book's really about him and his experience. Makes up for an interesting read, but the downside is, that the book becomes very repetitive after a while. Strieber keeps on going over the same events that happened on two nights in such a way that after a while he really isn't adding anything new. Not a new angle, nor a new light on the matter. And at such times, it gets a little harder to sit through his whole story. Nevertheless, it's an interesting read, and great material to compare to the screenplay of the movie (also written by Strieber).

-- The Movie:

The 1989 adaptation is one that grew on me. I just finished watching it for the 3rd time (after quite some years), and I like it better now. The film itself is actually more entertaining than the book, so again, Strieber managed to write a clever adaptation. True, near the end the story gets quite fragmented, and results more in the telling of anecdotes than actually trying to wrap up an already incoherent story (note that I'm not using the word 'inconsistent', because Strieber is very consistent in his way of telling the events, both in the book and the movie). It's fun, though, noticing little details that he left out of the movie. Sometimes Strieber devoted a whole chapter in the book to a certain anecdote, while in the movie it gets reduced to nothing more than one line of dialogue (obviously carrying a lot more weight than you'd at first imagine). Christopher Walken plays Strieber, and he simply owns the film. It's great to see him walk and talk through this whole movie. The special effects are really neat and surreal at times, which fits the atmosphere of the movie. I'd say COMMUNION is really worth a watch. Reading the book gives you a more in-depth look on what happened and might help you to understand how the movie came to be.

Is it a comedy ? Is it meant to be funny? It's just silly . Boring .i can't believe the standard of acting .i felt that the cast were as embarrassed to be in it as I was to watch it.Some say the film had " hidden depth and meaning " ..well I agree ..it was certainly hidden ... well hidden .seriously though ..I looked forward to watching this film and it was a Sunday evening with nothing else on the tv but still felt that it was 87 mins wasted ...it's was just silly ..childish and not worth watching ...

Whitley Strieber is a writer who goes off with his family and couple of friends to his holiday home in the woods. During their first night there they experience a strange sensation involving a blinding light and they all had the same startling experience. Whitley shrugs it off as a dream, but then he starts hallucinating and seeing unearthly figures. Is he going mad or was he abducted? So, he sees a psychiatrist to go under hypnosis to see what really did happen to him.

How strangely surreal can this get! I was simply bug-eyed to what the hell was going on and Christopher Walken's spontaneously intense performance just kept you guessing and totally riveted. The story is supposedly based on true facts and lifted from Whitley Strieber's novel, which also did the screenplay for the film. This touchy subject matter will have a lot of its sceptics, but this piece I found to be an engrossing format that builds an authentically sincere approach to its controversial nature, even despite its very outlandish, quite silly and largely dreamy nature. But anyway, that's surrealism for ya! The story is emotionally moody and that can be attributed a lot Walken's erratic character - who rambles on until the cows come home about whatever he's thinking and cracking out rather humorous jokes. At times I didn't have a clue what he was going on about! But Walken is simply ace in a role that's fits him perfectly.

The first half of the film is actually creepy with its atmospheric lighting, bone rattling sound effects and stinging score. This side of the story is psychologically powering as we watch the realistic deterioration, traumatic stress and the denial of Whitley. When we get our first (and vastly memorable) glimpse of our out-of-town visitors too- it's visually surreal and eerily unnerving. It gave me the shivers! But that very feel changes course in the second half of the film were it becomes uneven and we get a break down on Whitely coming to terms and accepting his fate. But there's one thing that hits you and that this whole joint feels like one large dream with it's change in moods, bizarre hallucinations, blurry intentions and that you'll forget about large chunks of it after experiencing it. Yeah, it's rather forgettable with only a couple of scenes that stick with you and that's basically the whack-out sequences. I don't know, but I was expecting a little more to come out of the layout and it does clock off with some meandering scenes, but if Walken was on screen it was hard not to be compelled. The script can get a bit self-indulgent and distant, while the sweeping guitar riffs are terribly dated. Although it's a low-budgeted flick the special effects are well implemented and the rubbery alien designs are adeptly crafted. Philippe Mora who brought us such films like "The Howling 2 and 3" adds his distinguishable style and generates some extremely haunting and effective build-ups. His confidence in the production and that in Walken makes his direction one of the film's standing assets. The rest of the cast pale in comparison to Walken, but Lindsey Crouse as Whitley's on-edge wife and Frances Sternhagen as Dr. Janet Duffy work off him greatly. I got to say that the best time to watch this one - is late night… I guarantee.

It's not totally successful, but it's an interestingly odd project with capable direction by Mora and a sensational central performance from Walken.

I saw this in original release and recently viewed it again with a friend who'd never seen it. What I remembered about the film was obvious in seeing it again. This is the most bizarre performance Christopher Walken has ever given on screen. It's as though he personally finds the story insanely funny (and for many, Streiber's visitors in the night schtick is a joke), and he seems to be winking at the audience and barely restraining himself from rolling his eyes. Whether or not this movie works for you depends almost solely on whether you buy into Streiber's personal alien abduction mythology. I don't. Alien abduction may be an open question, but I see Streiber as an opportunistic huckster. So for me the film is third-rate sci fi. It's a little spooky in the beginning, but as it unfolds you'll understand why Walken seems to be laughing at a private joke all the way through the movie.

I don't think Communion would work nearly as well, in its own sort of warped-entertaining way, without Christopher Walken. Its budget would appear to be pretty low despite the pyrotechnics and veneer of effects; watch those scenes with the aliens, as weirdly cute and obviously fake as they are, for proof of that. And other actors around him, including Lindsay Crouse as the main character's wife and their son Andrew (Joel Carson), don't impress much except in their rigid one-dimensional parts, she as the shrill wife, he the precocious/scared kid.

So it falls on Walken to steal the show, and really, how could he not with this? Another actor might play Whitley Streiber- named after the author and supposedly based on the author's actual experiences with aliens- with a straight face, maybe like Richard Drefuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a down-to-earth father and husband who is good to his kid (more or less) and loves his wife and has wisecracks and an original sensibility as a novelist to spare. But Walken, when he walks in (see what I did there), does his own thing with his unique, sometimes awkward and hilarious vocal inflections, and a way of looking at things that can be over the top as dead-pan, if that makes sense.

Actually, to give a better example of what Walken can do here better than anyone, watch the scenes where he reacts first to the blazing lights of the alien ships (a kind of detached amusement, some interest when his son screams, and even a smirk of "hah, you don't amuse, me" to the aliens when they arrive). Then, when he's on the ship, oh boy: this is when we get to the bizarre stuff, as Walken talks to the camera ("I am me, I am here, we are all together" like in I Am the Walrus or something), or sits back reading a magazine, or has an ambiguous response to the aliens advances with shaking hands. Probing him, of course, turns out to be another matter, albeit we see this all when Whitley is under hypnosis.

So a lot of this, plus some random scenes where we see Whitley's writing process writing under different characters and voices on a monitor, or those hypnosis scenes (or a classic scene where he sees everyone on a bus as a giant bug - Walken in the midst of sci-fi comedy Kafka), makes for some classic Christopher Walken bits. Hell, the guy even dances from time to time! This and a few creative touches as director from Philippe Mora help make this a kind of guilty pleasure. I can't recommend it the same way I could Close Encounters, since that one genuinely inspires and awes and gives great performances and music. This one has Eric Clapton on an off-day, low-rent alien fx and lighting cues, and it just kind of... ends really, on a note that should have been a few minutes before. But if you love Walken being "Walken", and want some cheesy alien-abduction sci-fi, you can surely look here for the goods - certainly it's a big step up from a more recent self-serious "true story" alien movie, The Fourth Kind.

I saw this movie when I was a kid. Only two movies have images and scenes that will stay with me forever. One is 'Saving Private Ryan' which I was devastated by just last year in my 20's, an the other is 'Communion'.

Telling people to see this film just doesn't work, it really is something you have to discover yourself. Also seems like one of those films you either 'get' or 'dont'. I've had two types of reactions from friends/people I've told to see this film:

1. What a hokey piece of rubbish, etc...

or

2. Why did you make me watch that? I can't sleep now.

I'm became a complete Walken fan after this movie (my first Walken experience if you will), and I won't reiterate the already spot-on comments. The kid in the film is incredibly amazing and real too, however Lindsay Crouse lets Walken influence her too much (starts doing a Walken at one point). Only failing of the film.

So many classic lines...

Well, look, the thing is, if you're reading this trying to figure out whether or not to hire this video, I have these words of advice. You'll either hate it, or...

I've seen 'Fire in the Sky', I've watched and been a fan of 'The X-Files' since the beginning, I've seen that Roswell movie with Kyle MacLauchlan, and that TV special 'Intruders'... none of them have been able to do what Communion did. I've never been abducted by aliens, and I hope to God I never am, but god damn 'Communion' is the only movie I have ever seen that has absolutely captured the primal fear, freaky mind-bending bizareness, and profoundly life changing aspects of what one of those experiences might possibly be like. Those aliens are the single most evil special effects I've ever seen, with their black eyes. And as you just begin to laugh slightly and think Walken is freaker than them, the mood just -turns- sickeningly... ok, I've said enough.

Watch it alone, with the lights out, very late at night, and it may very well change your life.

My vote for the most underrated film of all time. Definitely one of the most disturbing, and I'll never, ever look at the corner of my cupboard in my bedroom at night the same way again. :)

Nice attempt this. What seems to be a honest take on a probably manufactured story concerning aliens, or just supernatural creatures(don't remember really seeing a UFO), and its impact on a family's life. part horror, part drama.

How unsettling it is relies entirely on how you feel about aliens and abduction. The subject matter terrifies me, and therefore, it had me incredible uncomfortable during the first visit of the aliens. Its such a pleasure to see Cristopher Walker here, sitting around in different positions with clinched jaws. The director makes a tremendous job at presenting the abduction as a metaphysical and psychological collapse that clearly wont be remembered by the ones involved. Creepy.

As the film progresses some of this "visitors" turn out to look a bit like hooded Ewokds and it brings the experience down. Actually its quite interesting. These creatures are not as frightening as the grays, but logically, they are really not more unrealistic and silly. It kinda highlights how ridiculous this whole fear we have are. But for some (read the Paralysed Sleep thread on the board here) they might be very frightening.

Its still a pretty interesting film. The effects has aged well.

I tried to watch this piece of trash late one night, and even though I have a profound phobia about alien abduction (no, I'm not lying) I didn't think this was scary and I didn't think it was suspenseful. The 'special' effects were absolutely idiotic. I can't believe that anyone would think that those blue creatures were aliens. I'm getting sleepy just thinking of it.

I'm not sure that they weren't trying to make a spoof. It was _that_ bad. A ridiculous waste of film.

1/10