Martians Stole Tobe Hooper's Brain!!!

After the massive success of Poltergeist, and the continued infamy of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, director Tobe Hooper was able to secure work directing big budget fantasy fare. There was a 'but'. Hooper was quite clearly not the creative voice on Poltergeist...Steven Spielberg was. And while Hooper might have secured work on big summer blockbusters, the company hiring him was Cannon Films, the place in the 80's where big bucks, over ambition and lack of talent collided.

After the unintentionally hilarious, science-fiction/horror flick Lifeforce (a film so bad I used to pronounce it the worst film ever, until Uwe Boll came along), Hooper reteam with Cannon films and Alien writer Dan O'Bannon for a remake of 19653's Invaders From Mars. Like Invaders Of The Body snatchers, the original fed off of the Commie paranoia that was rampant at the time, substituting Martians for Ruskies.

As usual with Cannon and Hooper movies it's wildly inconsistent. The tone shifts from serious horror, to action adventure to OTT silly and back again throughout its running time. The production shifts from impressive effects (by Oscar winners Stan Winston and John Dysktra) to cheap 70's sets of blinking flashing lights in tack wood-replica offices. The score shifts from Christopher Young's classical heights to David Storr's monotone electronic drone. It's both a glossy summer blockbuster AND a shoddy, ill-judged exploitation film rolled into one confusing whole.

The cast are a mixed bunch too. Child star Hunter Carson looks like he was the prototype for Danny Madigan in Last Action Hero, all enthusiastic and irritating, Bud Cort is chopping on the scenery as an Army General while the wonderful Louise Fletcher provides a delicious baddy as an evil possessed school teacher. Louise Black gets the female lead, paired with Carson's school kid....these days there would have to be two kids, like in the Witch Mountain remake, to allow for a little romance. If there's anything to admire about the whole thing it's how it exploits a child's growing mistrust of authority (school and parents) as they mature and begin to strike their own path.

An interesting attempt at riding on the wave of fantasy based family movies in the wake of Lucas and Spielberg in the late 80's. Alas no one here knew what the hell they were doing.