Ridley Scott redefined the science fiction thriller with his grisly, macabre conception of what a close encounter of the third or fourth kind can be like. Since then, Alien’s often been imitated but rarely duplicated. The ripoffs came one after the other. Most were trashy but more than a few showed glimmers of the heart and scope Scott captured. Some can stand on their own, adding a couple new twists; others function as clever tributes by filmmakers he influenced. What follows are five of the finest movies similar to Alien you ought to see.
Horror Planet
More commonly titled Inseminoid (yeah, I know), Horror Planet operates along similar lines as the original Alien but plays up the invasive reproductive agenda of the extraterrestrial species. A space archaeologist (British genre veteran Judy Geeson) goes crazy and attacks her team on a distant planet after she is captured and inseminated by some strange life-form that doesn’t appear ever again. A sci-fi horror creature picture and an obvious cash-in, the film is a bit of a forerunner to The Astronaut’s Wife, just bloodier. Given the timing, it has a Thing feel about it as well. It was produced by Richard Gordon who was known for two films with Karloff in the 50’s and the ahead-of-its-time Fiend Without a Face. For real students of the genre(s) and history, there is that going for it. And it’s pretty taut, all things considered.
Death Machine
“Well, hopefully, ya die.”
Five people –two execs and three would-be saboteurs– are trapped in the skyscraper headquarters of the Chaank corporation, and are hunted by a dinosaur-skeleton-like killer robot known as the Warbeast, or death machine, under the control of a psychopathic employee (Brad Dourif). Not one that follows the exact formula of Alien, and rarely associated with it, there are similarities and a number of hat-tips. One character is named Scott Ridley; others bear the names Weyland and Yutani (a reference to the company in Alien). Director Stephen Norrington has a style and eye for action he would put to fuller effect in Blade years later, but Death Machine is an enjoyable prelude that never takes itself too seriously. Not as seriously as Alien which should be recognized more as the obvious inspiration.
Creature
“Those who crossed the galaxy have run out of space.”
Our first entry courtesy of William Malone, Creature is one of the better Alien knockoffs out there. Astronauts on Titan stumble upon the wreckage of a failed exploration and a pod containing an interstellar being they awaken. More than stalk and tear them up, the creature is also able to infect the crew and manipulate them — a remarkable twist on the usual routine. Bearing a resemblance to Alien but functioning as sort of a remake of an entry to come on this list, Creature is as dark, brooding, and surreal as sci-fi horror should be. Klaus Kinski is as crazy and creepy as ever. There is yet to be a proper Blu-ray release for this one. Regrettable, in-depth features and a documentary about Creature’s production history are overdue.
Scared to Death/Syngenor
The next one to give thanks to Malone’s involvement is more of a two-for. Scared to Death was released directly in the wake of Alien in 1981 and began the, albeit brief, saga of the Syngenor monster (or SynGenOr — Synthetic Genetic Organism). Breaking free of the lab that spawned him and dwelling in the sewers of LA, Syngenor emerges to prey on unsuspecting civilians and drink their spinal fluid. It is tracked by a PI (initially set to be played by Rick Springfield) who discovers the Syngenor’s origins and that it is ready to reproduce. Produced for the low, low cost of $74,000, (mostly the price of the camera) of Malone’s own money, the movie is remarkably put together, featuring makeup and creature design by Malone himself (taking obvious inspiration from Giger).
Syngenor’s eponymous sequel came a decade later minus William Malone, directed instead by George Elanjian, Jr., his first and only major motion picture. This time, there is an entire army of Syngenors overrunning the office complex of Norton-Cyberdyne, a corporation commissioning the engineering of more Syngenors to create the perfect super soldier. One problem: their main weakness is water. Shyamalan must’ve seen this. Signs certainly would’ve been better as an unofficial sequel. Regardless, Syngenor is a monstrously fun series with plenty left to give devotees of sci-fi schlock — if the following mobilizes.
Planet of the Vampires
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IknItrag-Yg
“After landing on a mysterious planet, a team of astronauts begins to turn on each other, swayed by the uncertain influence of the planet and its strange inhabitants.”
If by “swayed” they mean reanimated from the dead. A contrast to the rest of the list, Planet of the Vampires is more significant in the annals of film history. It and its lush yet minimalist visuals, made possible by Italy’s prolific best kept secret, the late Mario Bava, directly inspired the concept of Alien. No doubt, the Alien movies would be nothing without the vision of Ridley Scott and H.R. Giger, but a serious debt of gratitude is owed to the Maestro of the Macabre and his unheralded genius.
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