The 1980s were full of underappreciated science fiction movies, particularly whereAlienmovies were concerned. TheAlienmoviesbegan in the late 70s withAlien,but the franchise truly hit its stride in the 80s, with James Cameron’sAliensdominating the sci-fi scene alongside other extraterrestrial movies likeThe ThingandE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.The success of these films overshadowed a lot of lesser-known sci-fi movies of the 80s that deserve more credit.
Many of these films were admittedly driven by the success ofAliens,featuring space invaders that echoed the design and tactics ofthe Xenomorph creatures.A low budget can also be to blame for many of these B-films falling by the wayside over the years, with only the most dedicated cult followers singing their praises or even knowing of their existence. Science fiction in the 80s is so much better and more plentiful than most familiar withAliensmight realize.
Leviathan
Cast
On a sunken Soviet cargo ship, a team of deep-sea miners led by boss Steven Beck comes across a mutant creature that is the product of a failed genetic experiment.
Sneaking into the last year of the 80s was a high-concept sci-fi horror film that was released around the same time as similar aquatic horror adventures likeThe AbyssandDeepStar Six,Leviathanwears itsAliensinfluence on its sleeve.The film centers on the crew of an underwater mining operation who are sent to salvage the wreckage of a sunken Soviet freighter.It isn’t long before the crew are being picked off one by one, with a horrific creature that grows in mass with the flesh of its victims.
10 ’50s Sci-Fi Movies That Are Still Mindblowing Today
The 1950s were a great time for sci-fi movies, with many iconic releases that have not lost any of their mind-blowing powers when revisited today.
Just as much influenced by John Carpenter’sThe Thingas James Cameron’sAliens, Leviathanis an interesting mix of the two with the unique twist of an undersea setting. The body horror of the crew slowly melding into a single nightmarish beast deserves commendation on behalf of the art department, and the film boasts some surprisingly adept performances besides.But with the claustrophobic industrial sets and devious presence of greedy corporate interests in the background,it’s easy to see howLeviathanwas dismissed as anAlienrip-off.
Creature
Creature (1985) follows a team of American scientists on an exploration mission to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, where they encounter a deadly extraterrestrial creature. As the menacing lifeform begins to eliminate the crew, the team must find a way to survive against the seemingly unstoppable force. The film blends elements of horror and science fiction, delivering a gripping narrative focused on survival in an unforgiving extraterrestrial environment.
While some alien-themed science fiction films of the 80s were overshadowed byAliensbecause they came out later, dismissed as derivative, a rare few instead walked soAlienscould run. Such is the case for the forgotten 1985 filmCreature,which starred the practical effects mastery of Robert and Dennis Skotak, who would go on to do the creature design forAliens.The movie is, nevertheless, quite similar in plot to the originalAlien,following the crew of a spaceship who respond to a distress call only to be attacked by the titular extraterrestrial monster.
The film also adds in some dashes of Cold War politics as well, with West Germany surviving into its vision of the future.
Creatureis at least memorable for the way the spawn of its alien controls the bodies of its victims, causing some eerie sequences in which the ship’s crewmates are captivated by their hypnotized peers. The film also adds in some dashes of Cold War politics as well, with West Germany surviving into its vision of the future, whereastheAliensmovies tend to treat Earthas a single country. The special effects alone keepCreatureworth watching, as it’s fascinating to see the techniques that would later be used inAliensbe refined on an earlier foe.
Contamination
Contamination (1980) is a science fiction horror film that follows a team of investigators as they uncover an extraterrestrial threat linked to a series of mysterious deaths caused by explosive alien eggs. The film delves into themes of fear and the unknown, combining elements of suspense and terror to create a chilling narrative.
Another predecessor toAliensthat took clear heavy influence fromAlien,Contaminationis an Italian-made science fiction film that quickly capitalized off of the success of the latter. This time around, the alien threat is taken straight to Earth as a Martian mission returns to humanity’s home planet, only to bring with it some stowed-away alien eggs that bear a sinister secret.The eggs soon burst into green goo that infects the crew of the mission,threatening to take over the entire planet should they be allowed to make landfall.
Contaminationdeserves praise for daring to take as existential a threat as its antagonistic force to Earth, expanding beyond the typical confines of a spaceship crew as most alien horror movies are wont to do. LikeCreature,some espionage thriller elements also lurk in the background, adding a potent mix of human conflict to the simple man vs. monster story.Creaturealso owes a lot to the film’s usage of mind-control, presenting a chillingly intelligent hostile life form that ambiguously succeeds in its goal of proliferation.
Forbidden World
In the distant future, a marshal arrives at a research laboratory on a remote planet where a genetic experiment has been released and begins to feed by eating the scientists.
An ultra-low-budget science fiction horror movie, it’s no wonder thatForbidden Worlddoesn’t have much name recognition in the modern day.Also known by its original title,Mutant,the film follows a team of scientists who set out with the noble goal of ending galaxy-wide starvation, hoping to bioengineer a life form capable of rapidly feeding large populations.
What is instead bred in their lab is a horrific monster that mutates over the course of the movie, changing its form to be ever-more terrifying.
The concept of a predatory creature that evolves over the course of a film was quite novel at the time ofForbidden World’s inception,keeping audiences on their toes as the shifting Subject-20 confounds its creators with rapid adaptation. Admittedly, the creature’s final form bears quite a heavy resemblance to the original Xenomorph, if bound to a more arachnoid body plan. Regardless,Forbidden Worldis an endearing watch for those who can stomach low-budget sci-fi, and deserves more credit for its ingenuity if nothing else.
Xtro
After being abducted by aliens, a man returns to his family three years later, but something is terrifyingly different about him. As his strange and sinister behavior escalates, his wife and son realize that the man they once knew has become something far more monstrous and otherworldly.
An underratedalien abduction movie,Xtrois another shoe-string budget science fiction horror film of the 80s coming out of Great Britain.The film follows a man who is abducted by aliens only to be replaced by a horrifically-grown imposter.Shortly after questioning his father’s story, his son, Tony, discovers he has potent alien powers as a result of his father’s doppelganger drinking his blood, which he uses to fight back against the extraterrestrial menace.
Xtrois a film that must be seen to be believed, from the shockingly brutal and gory birthing sequence at the beginning to the bizarre progression of events leading to a bleak downer ending.The monster effects may be quite crude, sporting a generic design for the alien creatures, but the strength of the concept of an alien abduction-turned insidious replacement is well worth the harrowing journey. Though little known,Xtrowas at least able to spawn two spiritual sequels,Xtro II: The Second EncounterandXtro 3: Watch the Skies.
The Blob
The Blob is a 1988 science fiction horror film directed by Chuck Russell. The plot revolves around a malevolent, gelatinous entity that emerges from a meteorite and begins consuming everything in its path in a small American town. As the creature grows larger with each victim, a group of citizens races against time to find a way to stop the unstoppable menace. The film stars Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith.
At first glance, it may seem like an impossible task to make a50s sci-fi creature featureas tame as the originalThe Blobinto a genuinely scary updated horror film. However, 1988’sThe Blobremake manages to do just that, transforming the simple slow-crawling alien mass into a nauseating acidic nightmare that slowly consumes its victims in agonizing deaths.The original story centers on a meteorite that falls on a small town, bearing a deadly alien visitor that slowly seeps and creeps its way across the community, leaving only bones in its wake.
The unorthodox way the jelly-like killer subsumes its victims is so alien it should essentially qualify anyway.
1988’sThe Blobreimagines its titular menace to actually be the result of a government experiment,making it more of a mutant movie than a genuine alien movie. However, the unorthodox way the jelly-like killer subsumes its victims is so alien it should essentially qualify anyway, and the film was nevertheless overshadowed by the modestly higher production values ofAliens.Overlooked by contemporary critics,The Blobhas gotten more recognition in recent years, but not nearly as much as it deserves as an inventive horror showstopper.
The Stuff
The Stuff is a satirical horror film directed by Larry Cohen. Released in 1985, the movie revolves around a mysterious, addictive dessert that becomes a nationwide craze. As corporate greed drives its promotion, an industrial spy, played by Michael Moriarty, discovers the deadly consequences of its consumption. The film explores themes of consumerism and corporate control, presenting a darkly humorous critique of the food industry.
From the mind of director Larry Cohen came many incredulous B-movies featuring devious alien villains, not the least of which beingThe Stuff.The hilariously-named film posits its eponymous extraterrestrial substance as a sweet and delicious consumer dessert that is sold to unscrupulous customers.Before long, it’s revealed that the colloidal alien goop was actually alive all along, infecting those who ate it and making zombie-like thralls of them.
Cohen’s work here is very similar toGeorge A. Romero’s zombie movies, with hordes of zombified infected swarming the heroes. Of course, using aliens as a definitive source for the zombification rather than magical spells or a vague virus gives the film an interesting edge. Like Romero’s later work,The Stuffis a scathing satirical indictment of American consumer culture that has only become more relevant with age. Though perhaps only tangentially an alien movie,The Stuffshould’ve had what it takes to stand out more.
While most science fiction movies with large, integrated galaxies featuring multiple sentient races typically still use humans as the dominant cultural force,Arenaimagines a different future.The film centers on a simple cook who, after getting into an altercation with an alien patron,is drafted to be the first human in decades to compete in the titular “Arena”, a ferocious intergalactic boxing ring. Before long, ancient elements in the competition resort to underhanded tactics to ensure the upset champion loses.
With its rough makeup and costume design, it’s easy to see whyArenawas overlooked next to the likes of theStar Warsseries, having a much lighter, more juvenile tone and less impressive special effects.However,Arenaoffered a unique science fiction world that pitted humans as the underdogs for once,making it an inspiring tale of the indomitable human spirit against all odds. Some of the creature and technology designs are also quite clever, and it’s fun to imagine the potential the world ofArenacould have with modern digital imagery or a bigger budget.
2They Live
Released in 1988
The Thingwasn’t the onlyJohn Carpenter movieabout aliens released in the 80s, withThey Livegoing criminally underseen to this day.The film stars wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as a lone drifter bouncing from town to town who stumbles across a chilling global conspiracy - Most of the planet is run by skull-faced aliens who bombard normal humans with subliminal messaging forcing them into compliance, something Roddy’s character is only able to see through with a special pair of sunglasses. It’s up to him to lead a front of resistance against the globalist invaders.
LikeThe Stuff, They Liveoffers a decisive condemnation of modern societal values that has only become more relevant with time, allowing critics to better appreciate the film as time has gone on.Sadly, the damage ofThey Live’s poor contemporaneous reviews is already done, and the film remains far more elusive and obscure than it has any right to be. To this day, the infamous line “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick a**, and I’m all out of bubblegum” has become more famous than the film itself.
Galaxy of Terror
Galaxy of Terror is a 1981 sci-fi horror film directed by Bruce D. Clark. The film follows a rescue mission to a distant planet, where the crew encounters a deadly alien force that manifests their deepest fears. Galaxy of Terror features performances by Edward Albert, Erin Moran, and Ray Walston.
Interestingly enough, James Cameron’s work onAlienswas so impressive that it actually overshadowed his similar, earlier work in the same decade.EnterGalaxy of Terror,a little-known science fiction horror film that featured the talents of James Cameron as a production designer, coming up with much of the gnarly imagery of the gruesome monster movie. Following a by-the-numbers copy of the originalAlien’s plot,Galaxy of Terrorborders on exploitation, containing some truly shocking scenes and imagery regarding its primal, fear-based organism.
Shapeshifting into many forms, the beast ofGalaxy of Terroris impossible to predict, being sometimes a demonic monster and sometimes a clone of Robert Englund’s character, leading to a great scene where the legendary horror icon wrestles with himself. The lore of the movie’s universe is refreshingly absurd, full of psychic crystals and mysterious cabals that run a world-wide Earth government. If there’s one filmAliensowes a lot to that nevertheless got eclipsed by its popularity, it has to beGalaxy of Terror.
