Watch The Aliens Are Coming For Free

Such a frustrating disappointment

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

From obscure TV-history comes producer Quinn Martin's unearthed swansong, which feels like a pilot-movie along the sci-fi veins of his '60s hit series "The Invaders" (at the end a threatening voice-over promises that "The nightmare is just beginning!"). Unfortunately, the aliens that land in Nevada and their non-benign planetary activities lasted only 90 minutes. Enough time for them to try and steal our hydro-electric energy by inhabiting the bodies of human workers and further manipulate things through mind-control. Lacking excitement and with leading man Tom Mason acting impossibly witty, we are left with some cheesy FX - oh, those fierce green glowing eyes! - and spotting a young Ed Harris in the opening sequence.

I remember being surprised by this one when it slipped by on TV way back in early 1980. I immediately thought "Invaders" and "television pilot". Though this movie lacks the eeriness of the Invaders pilot "Beachhead" it makes up for it somewhat by being a little less edgy and with a little well placed light humor. Invaders had the virtue of not being placed squarely in the "Star Wars - Close Encounters" era and so establishes a kind of 'creep factor' among the aliens more than this one. The Aliens themselves appear to me as if they stepped out of a Doctor Who episode (not a bad thing!) and their ship looks interesting if hampered by the Star Wars era in looks and effects. The main character is actually quite believable (hey, I've met and worked with these JPL guys!) and Eric Braeden gets to do his "Forbin Project" character again (essentially the same character). I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada where most of the filming was done and visited the Hoover Dam many times. I even got an 'unofficial' tour once and so I saw all the areas that were filmed in this movie (and many that weren't!) which made it seem more real for me (I was still living in Vegas at the time this movie came on). Max Gail is really good as the hapless dam worker who is the initial victim of the aliens. There is also later-famous Ed Harris in the opening sequence. The music score is by William Goldstein and though I like his synthesizer scores like "Ocean Quest" I feel this movie deserved someone like Dominic Frontiere (original "Invaders" composer) and was too reliant on droning analog synths which just sound murky in the mono sound of the day. Much of the movie has that 'pilot' feel to it and it squarely fits in that late 70's era network television genre. This movie actually is on the cusp of the transition from that era to the mid 80's television show with the syndication influence, and so has a lot in common with shows like "Buck Rogers" and "Galactica 1980". I have only the VHS tape of this film and have searched for a DVD but I guess, like many 'pilot movies' of the 70's and 80's it doesn't draw any attention to warrant a DVD release. DO watch or buy this film, it was underrated then...and now.

The only thing missing is the typical voice at the beginning announcing the fact that this is a QM production. They even have William Conrad (Cannon) in a voice over near the end saying, "The nightmare is just beginning!" which was probably lifted from some other production, but at least they got that great voice of his for a bit. This is obviously a failed pilot episode where our brave scientist tracks down the invading aliens week after week. Sound familiar? It was done better as THE INVADERS in the 60s. But still a fun TV film to watch if only for the enjoyment of seeing the late 70s period paraphernalia, and to muse about the formulaic production of these types of TV pilots/movies. It's always a great thrill to get to the point of the TV commercial cutaway, and not have a commercial come in! Full of lots of cheesy but nifty TV production special effect leftovers and plastico robotic creatures from Galactica and Buck Rogers, unfortunately without the beautiful Erin Grey, though. If you can find it, it's worth a look.

I was thirteen when this aired, and even at that young age, I felt insulted. I don't think this counts as a spoiler, but just in case, I'm throwing out there a SPOILER WARNING: Aliens want to invade the earth, for inadequately defined reasons. They possess the bodies of people who may be helpful in this endevour, in no adequately defined process. They are opposed by a Doctor, who functions as a detective, and is "The Only One Who Knows What's Really Going On." There's an extended sequence on the proper way to construct a hamburger - I kid you not - and then, after about an hour and a half, for no adequately defined reason, the movie ends. This was actually intended as a "Back Door Pilot" - that is, a 'made for TV movie' that, if successful, would launch it's own series. Clearly the premise for this series would have been a sort of cross between "Barnaby Jones" and "The Invaders." Mercifully, it appears I was the only one watching in twenty-one years ago, and the show never materialized.