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Directed by |
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Starring |
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Specs |
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- 16:9 Enhanced
- Dual Layer ( )
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Languages |
- English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
- Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
- Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
- Commentary - English: Dolby Digital Stereo
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Subtitles |
English, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Greek, Polish, Hungarian, Russian, Dutch, Arabic, Portuguese, Turkish, Icelandic, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Hindi, Romanian, Serbian, Commentary - Italian, Commentary - Dutch |
Extras |
- Deleted scenes - Optional audio commentary
- 3 Theatrical trailer - Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Bad Boys 2, Terminator 3
- Audio commentary - Director Ron Krauss
- 2 Featurette - Director's Location Scout, Making Of
- 6 Photo gallery
- Animated menus
- Storyboards - Stroyboard to film comparison
- Dolby Digital trailer - Space
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Alien Hunter |
Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment .
R4 . COLOR . 88 mins .
M15+ . PAL |
Feature |
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Contract |
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For a start it’s a pretty B-grade name for a movie, isn’t it? It sounds like an old TV show or something – a curious pre-X-Files hybrid of ‘sci-fi’ and a cop show. Well, while it may be attempting the first, it’s nothing like the second. Being shot in Bulgaria and set in Antarctica, Alien Hunter actually follows the SETI set (SETI standing for Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) and should have been aimed at the scriptwriter. It’s a thin premise playing with an old theme, but does have a fresh angle on it that is mildly intriguing. For a while. Julian Rome (James Spader) is a humble college professor sleeping with college students after being dumped from the SETI project several years earlier. When something is uncovered in the Antarctic ice that is emitting an alien code, naturally Rome must get down there to investigate. Upon his arrival he hooks up with an old flame as they await the cracking open of what looks like a giant yummy chocky Easter egg. What it actually contains is something quite otherworldly of course, and it soon becomes a ‘track down the alien before it gets loose and kills the world or something. "It’s gone... the Thing – it’s gone!" |
However, then things take a twist. Stopping the monster isn’t enough, as it’s brought with it a horrible alien virus that eats people alive with special effects. Some people in the underground bunker are naturally immune though and it becomes a race against time to beat the government from bombing the shit out of the place to destroy the virus... curiously, the same virus that reduced Mars to a stinking red rock devoid of life. Yes, an interesting idea if not entirely new, however it hasn’t been handled as well as it could have been as director Ron Krauss loads the film with homage to other movies, sub-par special effects and some truly wooden acting. Oh, and there’s even a chance for people under the eternal iceflow of Antarctica to work in revealing white bathing suits. Perfect. Containing deliberate cast additions from classic science fiction films like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and John Carpenter’s The Thing, Krauss has somehow attempted to ally himself with such classics and he even boasts about it in the audio commentary! Not to mention his references to studio stock footage from other pieces Contact and even Twins! Unfortunately for Krauss, this film isn’t on anywhere near the same level as all those others (alright, except perhaps Twins). The story itself has far too many clumsy story revelations as well. Some relatively easily-understood information will be given and some cast moron will pipe up with ‘What the hell’s she talking about?’ or ‘What do you mean?’ and so on. Give us a little credit, please. I’ve seen this on the shelf at my local video store and I’d recommend hiring it first and see how you go.
Video |
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Contract |
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Delivered in the cinema aspect of 1.85:1 with 16:9 enhancement, the film looks like it would had it ever made it to cinemas. The transfer isn’t the best thing about it though, that’s for sure. There is some lacking shadow detail which is fairly important in an Alien style pursuit and that’s not good. While being artefact-free, we still get ourselves some camera shake and wavering of picture. The picture itself looks okay in mostly earthy colours with drab olives and ochres, but the film mostly echoes television quality. Some of the special effects are really, really obvious even to the untrained eye here and add to the dodgy value of the whole film. Another thing – I know space might look boring on screen, but stars don’t twinkle when we are outside the atmosphere of Earth. Any scientist will tell you that. Also, some grain makes its way to the DVD with a particularly heavy example at 10:44-50. There are also some camera shakes and clunky stop motion to add impact, but they just add cheap.
Audio |
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Granted us is Dolby Digital 5.1, it is mostly fairly good for the duration of the film. Dialogue is all pretty well spoken and understood, but for some confusion with trickier accents. I tried to hear one guy a couple of times and couldn’t make out what he was saying and had to resort to the subtitles to fill me in. However, this isn’t too frequent. Sound effects are fine without being too overdone and help create the mood aimed for. Music does the same and has that creepy piano/X-Files thing going on that does well to bolster the tension. Tim Jones has created the score, fashioning it similarly to Jerry Goldsmith’s work on Alien (according to the director) and it does lend the correct atmosphere in being understated or dominating as required.
Extras |
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Contract |
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Overall |
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Contract |
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I’ve never seen so many names ending in ‘V’ as I did in the closing credits. That’s Bulgaria I guess. Anyway, this film is really rental fodder, though it may find a certain fanbase of sorts. It may not, I dunno, but as a film it looked a little bit too much like it was hanging onto it’s bigger brother’s shirt-tails trying to be with the gang, but it was told to go home. Rent it first if it sounds any good to you is my advice.
LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=3341
Send to a friend.
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And I quote... |
"Hmmm... Alien thing loose in Antarctica... sound familiar?" - Jules Faber |
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Review Equipment |
- DVD Player:
Nintaus DVD-N9901
- TV:
Sony 51cm
- Receiver:
Diamond
- Speakers:
Diamond
- Surrounds:
No Name
- Audio Cables:
Standard Optical
- Video Cables:
Standard Component RCA
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