Saving The Alien Predators

I’ve seen plenty of bad movies and plenty of campy but enjoyable movies as well. When I saw the movie called The Falling (Alien Predators in some countries), I thought it would be fun enjoyable flick. I was wrong. The plot was pretty much The Thing meets X-Files: Fight the Future. Though one thing really saved the film, not enough to make me want to watch it again but just enough to finish what I started. The characters were so likable that I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. Spoiler alert: I was so glad to see the three of them live to the very end.

These kids are typical, goofy teenagers that are out for a little fun and games and happen to stumble upon an alien that goes around killing and taking the form of it’s host. The cast has Dennis Christopher as the typical friend that always jokes around and I feel that he is the one that I connected to the most. He doesn’t get the girl but he’s funny, has a great personality and can get really serious when the time calls for it. Our main hero, Hollywood’s fasted driver, is just a great guy. There isn’t anything special about him but seeing him outrun that car through the town’s alleys just ‘felt’ right for some reason. The whole time you are just with him till the end. Even his girlfriend doesn’t seem like your typical 80s teen and by that I mean she isn’t a ditz, she isn’t an airhead, she doesn’t do drugs but she isn’t a prude either. She is one of those people that is very average but knows how to have a good time. Save for the special effects, this movie didn’t have anything going for it until I realized how much I love the characters. Hell, I think it would have been a great comedy drama sort of in the style of John Hughes.

Of course, I am strictly talking in terms of indie horror movies. If you compare them to other bigger titles than they’ll fall flat but for me… there was a special kind of magic that surrounded them. They saved the world, they survived the alien outbreak and they partially saved an entire movie. Maybe it was something in the air the night I saw this but those characters gave me a warm feeling that I never really felt for that many movies.

Thank you Unkle Lancifer for the pictures!