Explorer from Another World (2024) 💀💀💀½
Explorer from Another World
proves to be something special - a loving pastiche of 1950s alien
invasion movies that nearly hits its mark completely. Woody Edwards
crafts an experience that begins with an oddly effective period-styled
"silence your phones" message before rolling into a movie within a
movie, complete with note-perfect narration:
"The universe was born, and there would never be a moment of perfect silence again."
While technically set in the early 1960s, the film captures the feel of a 1950s teen creature feature so perfectly that, caught on late-night television, it could pass for genuine vintage cinema. Wardrobe, set design, and costuming build upon each other to provide authentic period atmosphere, enhanced by visual vibrancy that harkens back to classic technicolor. The digital effects, such as green-screened backgrounds, are often flawlessly integrated, with careful attention to matching character lighting.
From our first glimpse of the titular alien, created through practical effects rather than modern CGI, the film shows its commitment to craft. The creature looks wonderful, and its kill scenes bring a new level of over-the-top fun. While the gore level exceeds 1950s cinema standards, the bright, exploitation-style bloodshed feels like a natural progression of what might have been without the Hays Code.
The film's set design reaches its peak inside the alien craft, evoking Klaatu's saucer from The Day the Earth Stood Still while benefiting from modern techniques. Despite budget constraints, these moments shine, particularly in the spacecraft's interior.
Dan Freel stands out as Sheriff Wilcox, surpassing similar roles like John Vernon's Officer Mooney (Killer Klowns from Outer Space) and evoking Earl Rowe's performance in The Blob - a friendly hometown lawman slightly out of his depth. While other performances vary, as expected in a smaller production, the cast shows enthusiasm.
Several elements break the period illusion. The wigs prove distractingly poor. They are bad enough that they undermine the sincerity of the film as, in the 1950s, hair and makeup folks did their best to avoid things looking as horrendous as these wigs do. To their credit, the filmmakers know that the wigs are bad and, in promotional text, bill them as "the finest wigs this side of the galaxy!", but they do nothing to support otherwise solid performances like that of Sage Marchand. Modern language choices, from a foul-mouthed farmer to poorly executed lechery, jar viewers from the 1950s setting. As action intensifies, tone wavers between creature feature and comedy, with moments like a deputy's bowling hand complaint undercutting built tension.
While premiering on YouTube,
this film deserves festival exposure - it would benefit from the full
late-night movie theater experience. Despite its flaws and limitations, Explorer from Another World rises above them and provides exactly what it claims to, a gorily fun creature feature that should not be missed..
2023 ✶ 45m ✶ Color ✶ US ✶ Director: Woody Edwards ✶ Screenplay: Woody Edwards, Stu Fastback ✶ Garrett Burleson, Woody Edwards ✶ Starring: Dan Freel (Sheriff Wilcox), Nolan Gay (Culpepper), Sage Marchand (Marybeth), Colin McCorquodale (Eddie) ✶ Youtube.
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