Watch Communion For Free

The Age of Commercialism

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Communion is directed by Phillipe Mora and adapted for the screen by Whitley Strieber from his own book of the same name. It stars Christopher Walken, Lindsay Crouse and Francis Sternhagen. Theme music is by Eric Clapton, with the musical score by Allan Zavod. Photography is by Louis Irving, with locations for filming at Big Bear Valley and Running Springs in California."Based on the true story of one American family" It continues to be a controversial movie to this very day, its subject matter, that of alien abduction/experiments, one that ensures the most divisive of audiences. Director Mora insists it's a film for those of an open mind, triumphantly proclaiming that he made a deliberately ambiguous and agnostic film against the big studios wishes. The trouble here is not in the subject matter, for it is a fascinating story, true or not, the problem is that the director isn't sure what to do with such material. In his attempt to flip the finger at the big wigs refusing to back his movie, he's made a mess of a picture. At times genuinely creepy, potent even, at others laughable and tacky. Were it not for a powerhouse eccentric performance from Walken, this would not be worthy of further inspection. It also feels like a collage of other sub-genre movies, eschewing the philosophy and scientific theories of Strieber's best selling book, in favour of Walken wielding a shotgun and freaking out under the inevitable hypnosis treatment. Strieber would later claim dissatisfaction with the movie, which while consistent with his own inconsistencies, is quite understandable. Because whether you believe or not, at the core is an intriguing and provocative story, sadly this film, in trying to be smug, loses the plot quite early on. 5/10

***SPOILERS*** Based on the "true story" best selling book of the same name "Communion" has to do with the Strieber family in general and Whitley Strieber, Christopher Walken,in particular. Strieber claims to have been both contacted and abducted by aliens from outer space who have been conducting experiments with his genetic code or makeup since he was a little boy back in Texas! This all came back to Streiber after his latest abduction at his cabin in upstate New York in October 1985 when he was straying there with his wife Anne, Lindsay Crouse, ten year old son Andrews, Joel Carlson, and two friends Alex & Sarah, Andreas Katsulas & Terri Hanauer.Coming back home to New York City Streiber starts getting nightmares about his encounter in upstate New York and slowly starts to lose it. Thinking that he's going insane Streiber with his wife Anne insistence goes to see shrink or psychiatrist Dr.Janet Duffy, Frances Sternhagen, who deals with the kinds of mental problems that Strieber is now going through. It's when he learns that what he went through is very common among people who claim to be victims of alien abductions that Strieber really starts to freak out! It's then that all of Strieber's suppressed memories of his being abducted over the years by aliens from outer space starts to resurfaces in his by now very troubled mind. And with that Strieber instead of running away from them starts to confront his kidnappers and with that slowly learns the real reasons for their actions which is, if true, nothing short of mind boggling to say the least!The movie based on Whitley Striebers book and screenplay has developed over the years a large cult following among the UFO and alien abduction community. Strieber himself is fully convinced that he as well as thousands of other "alien abductees" are having their DNA material manipulated by aliens who are incapable of reproduction on their own! The aliens are using Streiber and other selected abductee's DNA material to create a hybrid race by somehow interbreeding with human beings, through artificial insemination, in order to keep them from dying out. If this is true the human race has no control of its own destiny or future and in fact may have been artificially created by the aliens themselves just to save them from becoming extinct. True or not the movie as well as book makes interesting reading as well as watching.

From the writer of "Wolfen" and "The Hunger", two somewhat awkward but nevertheless genuine horror tales, comes this truly outlandish and unclassifiable amalgam of Sci-Fi, thriller and family drama that I still haven't figured out how to properly rate even though I saw it several days ago and did a whole lot of contemplating since. Whitley Strieber, who turned his own novel into a screenplay and co-produced the film, unceasingly claims that "Communion" is based on his very own experiences as being the target of alien abduction and examination. Now this given could easily be dismissed as a cuckoo and sensational gimmick to promote the film, but simultaneously you can't deny that Strieber and director Philippe Mora ("The Beast Within", "The Howling II") attempted – and mainly succeeded – to insert a lot more psychological depth and feeling into this film than usually the case with alien movies. "Communion" is, above all, an extremely weird film and undeniably one that provokes thoughts and opinions that go far beyond the experiences you usually have when watching late 80's movies that deal with extraterrestrial encounters. The author Whitley Strieber is depicted by Christopher Walken – I'll get back to his unforgettable performance later – and the movie begins somewhere early October 1985. During a series of recesses at their country cabin, whether with friends or just with his family, Whitley has "meetings" with two types of alien visitors – the stereotypical large black-eyed ones and little blue monsters – that thoroughly subject him to painful and psychologically devastating examinations. Since Whitley doesn't recall these meeting but obviously alter his mental state of mind, he eventually agrees to relive them via hypnosis sessions. The revelations that come to the surface during these sessions are amazing and fantastic, to say the least… This film's greatest trump is inarguably how it forces you to identify with the supportive characters. Not the protagonist himself, as he's obviously a character you can't easily relate to, but his wife or his doctor. Personally, I'm not a "believer" in extraterrestrial life myself, but that doesn't matter because you are only supposed to accept that Whitley Strieber strongly believes all the ordeals that he's hallucinating about. It's quite remarkable how Strieber and Mora manage to put the emphasis on the impact that Whitley's behavior has on his social life, rather than on the actual alien encounters itself. I haven't read it myself, but a friend of mine assured me that the novel digs even deeper into the psychological aspects, so if you're into complex protagonist portrayals you might want to check out the book. If half of the film's power relies on atmosphere, than the other half definitely relies on Christopher Walken's performance! Walken is famous for his outrageous performances and eccentric characters, but he truly surpasses himself as Whitley Strieber. The stereotypical maniac and certifiable crazy person that you know as Christopher Walken – and how he's often imitated by fellow celebrities like Kevin Pollack and Kevin Spacey – fully came to life on the set of "Communion", I presume. He yells, stares creepily, pauses between words and pulls petrifying faces almost like he's spoofing his own personality. In an attempt to appeal to an as versatile as possible audience, "Communion" loses a lot of its credibility and ingenuity near the end, with sequences that are just exaggeratedly demented and special effects that ruin the surreal ambiance. The last fifteen minutes are overlong and sorely disappointing. Also, on a lesser important note, you better not have seen the pilot episode of "South Park" too many times, otherwise you can't help comparing Whitley Strieber's alien encounters with the anal probes that Eric Cartman had.

There's a close contest between the other-worldly beings and Christopher Walken as to who is creepiest in this (allegedly true) tale of a writer who isn't sure if he's being visited by aliens or by insanity. It doesn't help that the creatures are referred to at one point as the little blue doctors, and in this is the essence of the movie – never has there been such a fine line between being scared and in hysterics, simultaneously. The visitations are eerie, dream-like events that are sometimes unsettling although there is also a mildly ridiculous feel to the proceedings which lends these scenes a strange narcotic quality. The plot itself is primarily concerned with Walken's character and his gradual mental collapse, along with the strain his behaviour has on his wife and child. Walken is predictably fascinating as a seriously eccentric author, and is supported by an assured cast.80% - Close Encounters, 10% - Hunter Thomson, 10% - Weird dreams,