Outofthefifties'B'Science-Fictionmonstermovies,thiseasilyranksasthebest.It'smostnotableasthefilmthatALIENisanunaccreditedremakeof,thusgivingitacertainhistoricalsignificancebbb Theintriguingplotisabouttherescueoftheonlymaroonedsurvivor(Col.Carruthers)ofanill-fatedexpeditiontoMars.Theauthorities,pig-headedasusual,falselyassumethathemurderedhisfellowcrewmembers,sothathe'dhavemoreprovisionstosurvive;henceheisbeingbroughtbacktoEarthtofacecourt-martialformurder.(Thereisalsoasomewhatinterestingplotreversalhere:MostmoviesofthisnatureusuallybeginwiththeshipleavingEarth,enroutetoitsotherworlddestination,while,inthiscase,the"story"isbelievedfinished,andbeginsasthecharacterstake-offfromtheotherplanet,returningtoEarth).AstherescueshipisleavingMars,alurking,ominousshadowisseeninthelowercompartment.(Afrightening,atmosphericmoment,accomplishedthroughsheereconomyandsimplicity). Carruthersinsistsofhisinnocencetohisfellowcaptors,claimingthathisoriginalcrewmateswereslaughteredbyahostile,unseenpresenceonthedesoluteredplanet,butthree-guessesastotheirreactiontohisunusualplea.Naturally,hecan'tproveit,and50'sspaceauthoritieswerenotveryalienconscienceatthetime.(Asaside-thought,"unseenmenace"mayremindyouofthathighly"original"BLAIRWITCH). Aseveryonesacksout,ahaplesssupportingcharactorwhosenameisatthebottomofthecastinglist(guesswhatwillhappentohim?)hearssomethinginthelowercompartment.Despiteyourfutile"don'tgodownthere,youjerk!"pleas,hedoesjustthat,andisappropriatelykilled(morelikethoroughlyobliterated)bytheshadowyfigurewithinsatiablebloodlustonitsmind.Inthevictim'scase,derelictionofdutyandsheercowardlinesswouldhavebeenthewisedecision.Thesceneisactuallywell-directed(forachange)anddevelopsmuchsuspense,astheentirefilmsurprisinglydoes. Thecrewfinallycatchesonthattheyhaveanunwantedshipcrasheronboard,andtryeverypossiblemeansattheirdisposaltoeliminateit,buttheunknowncreatureseemstocoppingananti-deathattitude.Provingtobeanevenmoreclever,worthyadversary,'IT!'alsohidesoutintheventilationshaftsoftheship(nowthatshouldringabell).Cahn'sforcefuldirectiongeneratesconsiderabletensionasthemalevolentstowawayworksitswayupfromoneleveloftheconfinedshiptothenext,eventuallyleavingtheremainingcharacterstrappedatthetop.Themovie'ssuspenseisbluntandrighttothepoint:"IT!'hastokillthemorstarve,hencetheyhavetokill"IT!"ordie.Nothinglikethose"notwowaysaboutit"choices.Rentit,orcheckforitoncableifyouwishtoknowtheoutcome. Foralow-budgetquickie,IT!isquiteimpressiveandmemorable.Thedreadedsenseofclaustrophobictension,renderingthecharacters'helplessentrapment,ishighlyeffective.Thisisaproductioninwhichthelimitedbudgetandsmallsetsactuallyworkinfavoroftheplot'sscaryambience.Theblack&whitephotography(Yes,it'soneofthose!)helpstoenhanceitsdark,creepymood,andthesenseofapprehensionisquitehigh.(Moderndaycolorfreaksneverseemtotakethatintoconsideration).Theplotisalsosomewhatcynicallyironic:Ifthecreaturehadn'tstowedawayontheship,Carrutherswouldhavemostlikelybeenfoundguiltyofthechargesagainsthim. Theintelligentscript(seewhatImeanabout"rareity")waspennedbynotedScience-FictionauthorJeromeBixby(rememberTwilightZone's"It'saGoodLife")?Thepicture'stauteditingeliminatesanyextraneousdross.(ALIENtendedtodraginitsfirsthourwithitssophomoricdialogue,andwhydidithavetoincludethatstupidandultimatelycounter-productivesub-plotofAshbeingarobot,andfurtherdraggingthestorydowntoanotherbigbadconspiracycliche?UNNECESSARY!!!) DirectorCahnastutelykeepstherubber-suitedmonsteroff-screenandintheshadowsthrough-outmostoftheproceedings,keepingyourparanoidimaginationonconstantalert.Unfortunately,perhapsatthestudio'scommercialinsistance,itisalittleover-revealedattheclimax,butIhaven'tclaimedthistobetheperfectmasterpiece.Theperformances,thoughnothingaward-winning,areneverthelesscoolenoughsothatonebecomessincerelyconcernedastotheirfates.Notmanymoviesinrecenttimesevercomeclosetoachievingthat.Theycanbeover-producedfromheretoeternity,andusuallyonlysucceedinbeinggloriouslyannoying. Thisfilm'sstoryisnotreallytotallyoriginal(whatis?),foritisbasedonA.E.VanVogt's"VOYAGEOFTHESPACEBEAGLE."AllALIENfanaticsshouldtrackdownanoldusedcopytoseewheretheinitialinfluencecamefrom. Aslongasyou'renotcravinganotherCGIwind-ding,youmayfinditworthwhile.Justdon'texpectthewomentobeRipleyprecursors.Thiswasstillthesock-knittingfifties,sadtosay.