Rish Outfield's reviews
This movie was a lot of fun. It has become something of a cult. . .(is there a level right below classic?). It has a small cult following, and deservedly so. I wouldn't call it a Terminator ripoff (as some have), but it is similar. Similarly good, I say with a grin!
A mysterious FBI agent (Kyle MacLachlan) teams up with a Los Angeles cop (Michael Nouri) to track down an unusual killer, one who turns out to be an alien parasite that takes over human hosts and uses them to kill, drive nice cars, and listen to loud music. They have to stop the seemingly-unstoppable creature as the death toll continues to rise all around them.
This was one cool movie. I saw this as a kid and thought it rather rad, but I wondered if this would be one of those films that would grow uncool with age. I was happy to be wrong.
It had a very good script, with smart dialogue, interesting, believable characters, and a nice pace. The story was fresh, the performances fine (Danny Trejo had one line), the action and scares nicely seasoned with humour. The alien bug was extremely gross, showcasing the great Kevin Yagher effects, whose team included Howard Berger and Robert Kurtzman. Plus, there was a neat 80's theme song that played a couple of times. It's a shame that decade had to end, 'cause I miss this kind of movie.
Best Scare: In the Wanton Sex category, one unfortunate victim was actually "screwed to death." Unfortunate?
I'd Recommend It To: Any Sci-Fi/Horror fan who hasn't seen it.
Note: This was directed by Jack Sholder, who isn't a fan of Horror. Said he, "There are some people who express themselves in making horror films, then there are people who make horror films in order to get into other kinds of movies. I'm that kind of filmmaker--I express myself in spite of the horror film." He also directed the second "Elm Street" film, which is much-maligned (maybe too much, all things considering). Come to think of it, for someone who doesn't care for the genre, he's made a TON of horror flicks. What's up with that?

Total Skulls: 9

Sequel
Sequel setup
Rips off earlier film
Horror film showing on TV/in theater in movie
Future celebrity appears
Former celebrity appears
Bad title
Bad premise
Bad acting
Bad dialogue
Bad execution
MTV Editing
OTS
Girl unnecessarily gets naked
Wanton sex
Death associated with sex
Unfulfilled promise of nudity
Characters forget about threat
Secluded location
Power is cut
Phone lines are cut
Someone investigates a strange noise
Someone runs up stairs instead of going out front door
Camera is the killer
Victims cower in front of a window/door
Victim locks self in with killer
Victim running from killer inexplicably falls
Toilet stall scene
Shower/bath scene
Car stalls or won't start
Cat jumps out
Fake scare
Laughable scare
Stupid discovery of corpse
Dream sequence
Hallucination/Vision
No one believes only witness
Crazy, drunk, old man knows the truth
Warning goes unheeded
Music detracts from scene
Death in first five minutes
x years before/later
Flashback sequence
Dark and stormy night
Killer doesn't stay dead
Killer wears a mask
Killer is in closet
Killer is in car with victim
Villain is more sympathetic than heroes
Unscary villain/monster
Beheading
Blood fountain
Blood hits camera
Poor death effect
Excessive gore
No one dies at all
Virgin survives
Geek/Nerd survives
Little kid lamely survives
Dog/Pet miraculously survives
Unresolved subplots
"It was all a dream" ending
Unbelievably happy ending
Unbelievably crappy ending
What the hell?