Trilogy Week # 42 - Aliens Live Among Us

Have you ever had a creepy next door neighbor?, or knew a really strange weird kid in school, or just flat out saw some crazy dude, and thought "that guy has to be from another planet." Well they just might be. And these three movies blow the lid off the whole conspiracy! *whispering "the truth is out there."

Title: Cocoon

Year: 1985

Director: Ron Howard

Cast: Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Steve Guttenberg, Jessica Tandy, Barret Oliver

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 1hr. 52mins.

My Review: I first saw this movie when I was a little kid, like 5 or 6 on T.V. with my parents, and when the aliens appeared, it scared the shit out of me. And I refused to watch it again for many years well into my 20's. I think what really scared me was the fact that I had never thought of another creature living in the skin of a human, which what I think freaked me out the most. Watching it now, the aliens are not scary anymore, in fact they're not very imaginative, or well made. And the effect of them flying is just stupid. The movie is pretty boring, even the alien parts. The only thing that I really liked were the scenes with Don Ameche, I loved and grew up with his work from the 80's, like Harry and the Hendersons, and Trading Places. Not a very exciting movie, maybe when I'm as old as the actors in the film, I might appreciate it more, but for now it being a Ron Howard classic, I think it is embarrassingly mediocre. 4 out of 10 geriatric boners.

Title: They Live

Year: 1988

Director: John Carpenter

Cast: Roddy Pipper, Keith David, Meg Foster

Rated: R

Running Time: 1hr. 30mins.

My Review: So if you have ever seen any of Shepard Fairey's art (which you have) of his very iconic Andrew the Giant face, with the tagline "Obey" underneath. This is the film that he got the inspiration for the obey slogan. This film is very tongue and cheek. And you can tell that from the get go, that you are in for a silly ride. It's a very obvious take of the upper class keeping their power over the lower class, living in Regan's 80's america. This movie is also the inspiration for South Park's "cripple fight" scene, in episode 2 season 5. Where they took shot by shot, the exact same fight scene from this movie. The film as a very clunky storyline, very slow paced, but the scenes with the aliens are fun to watch. It's like getting a salad that you don't want to eat, so you pick out the pieces that you do like. When you watch it, you can see why it has become a cult classic. 5 out of 10 insufferable bass lines.

Title: Men In Black

Year: 1997

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn, Linda Fiorentino, Tony Shalhoub

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 1hr. 37mins.

My Review: By far, out of any actor in this movie, my favorite as got to be Vincent D'Onofrio's character of Edgar-Bug. He's just so much fun to watch, as if a giant bug was uncomfortably wearing a human skin. I still to this day, if i'm frustratingly looking for something I'll yell out "Oh, where is it!" a-la Edgar-Bug. Will Smith I think is enjoying this movie a little to much, with his over-acting. Tommy Lee Jones, and Rip Torn are great. The story if fun, the make up by Rick Baker is amazing, I remember when I saw this in theaters, when I first saw the alien Mikey, I gasped out loud, because he looked so real. I think this movie will be a classic for many years to come... just forget about the sequel. 7 out of 10 sarcastic Will Smith lines.