Almost a comedy

alsation72

A family (and another couple) spend a night at their country house, where they all get spooked by unknown night-time events. Back for Christmas and more spookiness ensues for the family; especially for husband and father Whitley (Christopher Walken's character) ... what could be going on?

If you saw the cover art you already have a pretty clear idea about what this film is about, but it takes its excruciating time to get to the lacklustre punchline.

After undergoing hypnotherapy and sitting in on a support group for probing victims, Whitelty finds a way to high-five the aliens and turn the experience from sinister to light-hearted.

Christopher Walken tries so very hard to be this lovable zany hipster, but his performance ends up as irretrievably irritating. He gets even more grating as slowly, slowly the audience is let in on the old ET probe story.

Walken comes across as a demented Groucho Marx, but the real comedy starts with the woeful special effects.

Bright lights are about as good as the special effects get. The phallic 'probe' that slides through the wall is almost hilarious, and the "aliens" were so fake-looking it is very hard to take them seriously.

Overall the film comes off as an amateur production, and I'd advise anyone to avoid it like the plague ... unless you want to laugh out loud at the pathetic "aliens" or the massive phallic probe.

Whitley Strieber (the main character) was apparently trying to write the "great American novel" as these events unfurled. Funny that. I just don't buy his formulaic story or this lame duck of a movie. Avoid both.

score 2/10

alsation72 21 April 2011

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2417537/