Spaced Invaders (1990)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Patrick Read Johnson

Writers:

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

Release Date:

27 April 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Earth Will Never Be The Same!

Plot:

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".

Plot Keywords:

Halloween | Alien | War Of The Worlds Broadcast | Reference To John Wayne | Alien Invasion

Cast

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 Lee Williams	...	Ernestine
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

Also Known As:

Martians!!! (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #29713) | UK:PG | UK:U (video rating) | Iceland:L | Australia:G | Germany:12

Company:

Silver Screen Partners IV

Trivia:

The call letters for the radio station playing the "War of the Worlds" program are W.E.L.Z. after Orson Welles, or H.G. Wells, or both.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: 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.

Quotes:

Pez: "Prepare to die, Earth scum. Prepare to die, Earth scum." I'm gonna make sure they carve that on your tombstone!

Movie Connections:

References Alien (1979)

Soundtrack:

Takin' Over the World

A fun romp thru SciFi Silliness

Looking at some of the negative posts, you really have to wonder what some people do for fun....

I was lucky enough to see the film during its all-too-brief theatrical run. The audience laughed its heads off. I'm watching a tape of it as I type and it's still dang funny!

It's also got a sweet side, with unexpected turns of genuine pathos. The late, great Royal Dano is especially effective as the lonely, down-on-his-luck farmer Wrenchmuller. Ariana Richards and J.J. Anderson are great as the lead kids. And the actors in the Martian suits, although limited to mime, do a great job

Another thing to look for is the background details. The film is full of homages, pastiches, and references to other SF and fantasy films. Take a look at the Martian costumes next time. One of them is wearing a Marty McFly costume, another is a Ghostbuster, a third is in a House Atreides uniform, and a fourth is wearing a Last Starfighter flightsuit.