Watch The Alien Factor For Free

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

THE ALIEN FACTOR is my first exposure to the no-budget sci-fi works of auteur Don Dohler, and coincidentally it's his first film as director. People are criticising this for being goofy, amateurish, filmmaking at its worst, but to them I say go and watch the works of a contemporary - like Robert Emenegger's BEYOND THE UNIVERSE - see how corny and plain boring they are - and then criticise this one. Dohler knows how to entertain, and that's the important thing.The plotting in THE ALIEN FACTOR is pure hokum, of course, involving various alien monsters roaming around in the woods and the efforts of local townsfolk to kill them. The acting is amateur level, as you'd expect, and the production values are just about adequate given the film's lack of budget and expertise. And yet how can you not like this? The pacing is fast, the alien costumes are a hoot, and the lo-fi special effects are a delight to watch. There's even a tragic climax that I didn't expect to be moved by. If you're any kind of a fan of low budget filmmaking, I'd recommend giving Dohler's work a chance - you might just enjoy it...

An obvious low budget film from 1978, this film features aliens invading a small town. It has a somewhat good plot, but like so many films of this type, they have a somewhat good idea and they fail to develop it enough. Like they started shooting using the basics and not really writing a script. This is why you have so many scenes that take to long to develop such as a man at a bar where we watch him drink while the band plays then follow him to his home. This scene took forever! Then you notice the running time of this film is only 80 minutes and you realize that this is much needed padding. Why they cannot simply add on some more kills is beyond me as there are three aliens killing people, but one of them is a virtual no show until the end.The story has a town being terrorized by three aliens that apparently escaped the wreckage of a crashed spaceship. There is another alien in the area, but it does not seem as hostile. The sheriff is at a complete loss while the mayor wants to keep everything hush hush thanks to an amusement park that will bring money to the small town. However, this film does things differently as it is the mayor that is first convinced of an alien invasion while the sheriff is the skeptical one. A mysterious man also shows up and wishes to help the town dispose of the threat.The killings feature a bit of blood, but nothing all that gory. There is also no nudity in this one. Both could have helped this film go from a rather padded and bloated film with to much filler to a cult classic b rate movie. There are good scenes here and there, but just way to much nothing going on. Seriously, the bar scene went on for a while, I kept expecting something to happen, but all that happened was the man drank two or three beers while a bland band played a song. Then we watch him go home, go upstairs and watch him read. He hears something, goes downstairs and finally we have an attack! To much filler in this one dooms it to being a bit slow and plodding.The aliens look okay for the time, the one that you are not sure of its intentions looks the best (well you will figure that alien out and his role in the movie easily enough, just do not want to spoil anything). There is also an insect type alien that looks pretty good, a strange bear like one that looks kind of funny cause they gave it really long legs. Looks like the person in the costume is wearing platform shoes. Then there is the monster that at first seems invisible, but is finally revealed in the tepid final battle. It looks like a stop motion creature, and not bad for the time I guess.Another film that had a decent enough setup, but just did not do enough to make a good movie. If they had spent some time developing this rather than rushing it to the theater, this one could have been a nice horror film. Instead, we get a film that has some good scenes here and there and just too much clutter. And on a final note, nice shot sheriff! Seriously, why did she have to get so hysterical...she was already warned what she would see would be unpleasant.

I have to give Don Dohler some credit for doing what he did here, basically with the lowest of low budgets.You want to make a cool monster movie with almost no money? Okay, you'll be forced to use local yokels as the actors, a really generic script, poorly formed dialog and such a low budget that your police car is a seven year old two-door car with one siren suction-cupped to the roof.Plenty of creativity is brought to bear, and for its time, and its budget, this was a reasonable attempt at home made, waaaaay outside the Hollywood studio system filmmaking.But I can only go so far with such generosity. Terrible acting is terrible acting, no matter how you slice it. And apparently the direction didn't help, if these were the best line readings they got to use in the film. At least somebody like Ed Wood used professional Hollywood thespians in his cheaper-than-cheap productions. Uncompelling scriptwriting is uncompelling scriptwriting, no matter how you slice it. We have here a story that was done many times before this, and the "mind blowing twist" is not nearly as mind blowing or innovative as the filmmakers would have us believe.I recently saw the film as part of the recent "Cinematic Titanic" presentation of former MST3K folks, and on that basis, I can highly recommend watching. But like Manos: The Hands of Fate, and many other turkeys of yore, watching the versions done by MST3K people is just about the only way to get through these things.Movie by itself: 4 out of 10 Cinematic Titanic version: 8 out of 10

You may remember the TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000, where the captive subjects were forced to watch bad movies? Cinematic Titanic features five of the original cast of talent from that show, and The Alien Factor is one of their latest releases.The scenes with the best riffing: Opening credits! Couple making out in VW. First scene with the Sheriff. The rock band- oh my god! When the "hunting party" goes out looking for aliens. And many more...I've watched this version of The Alien Factor at least 10 times now, and it's really funny. It's definitely worth finding on-line and ordering yourself a copy.Now I need to find AF2!