Horror legend John Carpenter moves into a more sci-fi thriller realm with this smart and goofy alien/mind control tale.
Nada (played by pro-wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper) is a drifter who rolls into a new city and gets a job at a construction site. There he meets Frank (Keith David, PLATOON), who invites him to a homeless shelter where he can get a good meal. That night the police raid the shantytown where the soup kitchen is held. Nada finds the whole incident strange, especially when he stumbles upon a box of sunglasses hidden inside the nearby church. But when he puts on the glasses, he is shocked to see the world he never knew existed — all billboards and magazines are really just subliminal messages and half the people walking the streets are really hideous looking aliens.
The frightening looking aliens quickly notice that Nada can see them they way they really are and send the police after him. In the process of escaping, he kidnaps TV programmer Holly Thompson (Meg Foster, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE) and forces her to take him to her home, where he is unable to convince her about what is happening in the world. Before too long, he is wrapped up in an underground movement plotting to reveal the truth to all humankind.
The first time I saw this film, I was stuck by its interesting story and truly creepy alien designs, but was frustrated with its cheesy dialogue and goofiness. There’s a scene where Nada tries to get Frank to wear the glasses, which turns into a nine-minute fight scene. It’s ridiculous. However, upon seeing it a second time, I was able to appreciate Carpenter’s campy playfulness more. The silly tone is on purpose and once you accept it, it works.
Piper and Foster aren’t great actors, but they fit their roles fine and Piper especially seems to be having fun with it. For a wrestler-turned-actor, he’s way better than Hulk Hogan, but he’s no Rock. David is the only real actor in the picture, which grounds the film a little and makes us care about what is happening. The film’s core conceit that aliens’ are controlling our minds through advertising is a smart idea. Having been based on Ray Nelson’s short story, I’m sure writer Carpenter had to add stuff to make it a feature, injecting some of the silliness that appeared in his films BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. The sci-thriller works because it’s fun, silly entertainment that actually has some interesting ideas at its core.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
