Like director Harry Bromley Davenport mentions on the (very amusing and upfront short) interview that comes with the double pairing DVD of the first two films, it's a mess. Simple as that. It's an incoherent slab of twisted ideas and episodic plots, some quite random (a dwarf in a clown costume springs out of nowhere) in quite a bewildering British low-budget Sci-fi / horror production. No wonder why this is considered a cult favourite. Trashy and nasty junk indeed, but unusually compelling because you just don't know how it's going to go about things. Instead of a clear-cut narrative (as it does have a unique spin on the various materials within), the header is to mainly shock, baffle and weird out. It effectively does that with few creative visuals, bloody make-up FX and crass special effects. Achieved from the eerie imagery and Davenport's elastically wallowing synthesizer (sounding quite second-rate, but uncannily otherworldly) score is a thick dose of atmosphere. Even the film's colouring is drearily painted. Davenport's direction is eccentrically boundless and this helps it move quickly without outstaying its welcome, (even if has that slow-burn style to it). The cast are more than decent. Bernice Stegers provides a strong show-in and lifts it up with her presence. Philip Sayer is capably empathetic and the lovely French actress Maryam D'Abo makes her acting debut. A curiously surreal and sombre uneven (purposely I guess?) b-grade fright feature that from the get-go, leaves you pretty much in the dark.
116 Reviews
Xtremely Weird British Video Nasty
Witchfinder-General-66622 February 2010
"Xtro" (1983) is a very weird little slice of Sci-Fi Horror and one of the few British films that landed on the UK film censors' infamous 'Video Nasty' list. The film is incredibly bizarre and quite bloody, and while it isn't a must-see it is warmly recommended to fans of cult-cinema and weird stuff.
While playing with his son, Sam Phillips (Philip Sayer) is abducted by an alien force. Several years thereafter he returns (in a somewhat bizarre manner), and isn't quite the same anymore... This may not really be a proper plot description of "Xtro", but the film really is way too bizarre in order to properly describe it without spoiling it. "Xtro" is weird from start to finish, and that is exactly what makes it interesting. "Xtro" has an undeniable Trash-feeling, which also only makes it more valuable for my fellow cult-cinema fans. The film landed on the Video Nasty list due to its gore. The gory scenes are intense and includes one particularly nauseating 'birth'-sequence. "Xtro" is still probably one of the less explicit films on this list, which generally shows that film-censors lack both intelligence and art-appreciation. The storyline actually quite interesting, though sometimes a bit too confused. It gets quite goofy at times, but then it has its genuinely ingenious moments.
It is worth mentioning that this is the first film featuring the sexy Maryam d'Abo, who is best known for her Bondgirl role in "The Living Daylights" (1987). She plays a French au-pair-girl here. The performances are generally pretty good, especially for a film that has seems somewhat trashy and cheap. The gore- and make-up effects vary between brutally nauseating and cheesy, depending on the particular sequence. Overall, "Xtro" is recommendable to my fellow fans of bizarre Horror, though I wouldn't say you've missed a lot if you decide to skip it.
While playing with his son, Sam Phillips (Philip Sayer) is abducted by an alien force. Several years thereafter he returns (in a somewhat bizarre manner), and isn't quite the same anymore... This may not really be a proper plot description of "Xtro", but the film really is way too bizarre in order to properly describe it without spoiling it. "Xtro" is weird from start to finish, and that is exactly what makes it interesting. "Xtro" has an undeniable Trash-feeling, which also only makes it more valuable for my fellow cult-cinema fans. The film landed on the Video Nasty list due to its gore. The gory scenes are intense and includes one particularly nauseating 'birth'-sequence. "Xtro" is still probably one of the less explicit films on this list, which generally shows that film-censors lack both intelligence and art-appreciation. The storyline actually quite interesting, though sometimes a bit too confused. It gets quite goofy at times, but then it has its genuinely ingenious moments.
It is worth mentioning that this is the first film featuring the sexy Maryam d'Abo, who is best known for her Bondgirl role in "The Living Daylights" (1987). She plays a French au-pair-girl here. The performances are generally pretty good, especially for a film that has seems somewhat trashy and cheap. The gore- and make-up effects vary between brutally nauseating and cheesy, depending on the particular sequence. Overall, "Xtro" is recommendable to my fellow fans of bizarre Horror, though I wouldn't say you've missed a lot if you decide to skip it.
A lot better than it's rating suggests!
Snake-6666 September 2003
After being abducted by aliens three years earlier Sam (Phillip Sayer) returns to earth and reunites himself with his wife Rachel (Bernice Stegers) and son Tony (Simon Nash). While Sam was away Rachel moved on with her life and started seeing Joe (Danny Brainin) and after the arrival of Sam at the couples flat Joe begins to suspect that Sam is not all that he appears to be.
Xtro' is not a bad little sci-fi horror movie in my opinion. While it suffers from bad, wooden acting and a sometimes incoherent plot the film is generally well thought out and capably directed by Harry Bromley Davenport. The biggest complaint I have with the movie was the lack of character development with regards to the alien. While some creatures or villains are scarier when the viewer is unaware of its origins I feel this particular life form would have benefited from at least a slight background story which was sadly lacking. However, though the plot can be sometimes a little confusing, most of the story eventually comes across well despite leaving a few unanswered questions and being slow in places. As I previously mentioned the film was fairly well directed and this really comes through in a few scenes which generally have an extremely trippy and unnerving effect.
The effects in Xtro' are quite surprisingly of very good quality especially considering the budget for this flick. Though one or two of the make-up effects looked rather out-of-place from the rest most of the effects were well produced and made Xtro' a rather gory movie which should keep gore fans happy. This movie found its way onto the infamous Video Nasty list and though it probably should not have been put there one can almost understand why as it features a couple of particularly brutal scenes involving women. Having said that there are far more vile movies out there and it would seem Xtro' was just a poor victim of media propaganda.
Xtro' is certainly worth a look in my opinion for sci-fi/horror fans. Complete with a delightfully erratic and haunting 80's soundtrack the movie is fairly entertaining despite its shortcomings. Xtro' is probably not for those who expect a lot of action but instead a good movie for people who like slow-paced movies with various plot aspects to think about. My rating for Xtro' 7/10.
Xtro' is not a bad little sci-fi horror movie in my opinion. While it suffers from bad, wooden acting and a sometimes incoherent plot the film is generally well thought out and capably directed by Harry Bromley Davenport. The biggest complaint I have with the movie was the lack of character development with regards to the alien. While some creatures or villains are scarier when the viewer is unaware of its origins I feel this particular life form would have benefited from at least a slight background story which was sadly lacking. However, though the plot can be sometimes a little confusing, most of the story eventually comes across well despite leaving a few unanswered questions and being slow in places. As I previously mentioned the film was fairly well directed and this really comes through in a few scenes which generally have an extremely trippy and unnerving effect.
The effects in Xtro' are quite surprisingly of very good quality especially considering the budget for this flick. Though one or two of the make-up effects looked rather out-of-place from the rest most of the effects were well produced and made Xtro' a rather gory movie which should keep gore fans happy. This movie found its way onto the infamous Video Nasty list and though it probably should not have been put there one can almost understand why as it features a couple of particularly brutal scenes involving women. Having said that there are far more vile movies out there and it would seem Xtro' was just a poor victim of media propaganda.
Xtro' is certainly worth a look in my opinion for sci-fi/horror fans. Complete with a delightfully erratic and haunting 80's soundtrack the movie is fairly entertaining despite its shortcomings. Xtro' is probably not for those who expect a lot of action but instead a good movie for people who like slow-paced movies with various plot aspects to think about. My rating for Xtro' 7/10.
B-grade sci fi schlock classic!
Infofreak20 June 2002
I had been warned off watching 'Xtro' for years having been assured by everyone who had ever heard about it that it was cheap, awful and nasty trash. Suddenly I found myself with the inexplicable urge to watch it. "MUST see Xtro! MUST see Xtro!" became my mantra. Then finally I managed to find a copy. I held my breath as I fed it into my video player. I expected it to be bad. Real bad. Ted V. Mikels bad. Even Donald G. Jackson bad. (and that my friends is quite possibly as bad as it gets!) But even worse, with lots of added gore. However I was most surprised to find that 'Xtro' wasn't all that bad at all. Crappy acting, no budget, and the "special effects" aren't special or actually all that effective, but despite all that I was hooked from the word go, and satisfied when it ended. This is a superior sci fi video nasty. It's stupid yes, but it knows it is, and it delivers the goods. The plot itself is simple: man abducted by aliens returns years later to reunite with his son, but that in no way conveys just how freakin' STRANGE this movie is! Plus it contains nudity from Maryam D'Abo (the loveliest of the lovely D'Abo sisters), an unforgettably bizarre birth screen, a demented clown, and plenty of gore. It even features obscure 80s synth-poppers Tik and Tok! Beat that for sheer oddness! So forget the anti-'Xtro' brigade and give it a look. Fans of weird sci fi and horror movies will absolutely love this one! Highly recommended to b-movie buffs.
Was It Made By Film Students ? .....
Theo Robertson8 December 2002
.... because it doesn`t look like it was made by professional film makers . XTRO has a really cheap and cheerless no budget production feel to it and is usual in these type of productions the make up and FX are totally unconvincing while the cast look like they`re ashamed to be in a film like this . Even so there`s no excuse for such bland performances especially Philip Sayers who looks like he`s impersonating a block of wood rather than a man who`s been abducted by aliens .
What I really disliked about this film is the very underdeveloped script . There`s no real explanation or logic as to why things happen . Take for example the scene where a character drives to a cottage then warns his companion to " Stay here " and enters the cottage with trepidation. There is absolutely no way the character would know he`d be in any danger by entering the cottage so why is he so nervous ? I think I can speculate as to why the panther appears though ( And unless you`ve seen the film the next couple of sentences will make no sense - just like the film itself ) The toy tank is supposed to be a version of the second world war German panther tank hence a panther appears . Only the toy tank is actually based on the tiger tank mark two aka King tiger , which means instead of a panther appearing in the flat a king tiger should have . It just shows you how bad XTRO is when the director tries to bring subtle irony to a senseless script and manages to screw that up .
I`m led to believe that XTRO was banned on video in the 1980s which makes it one of the very few British " Video nasties " , perhaps the only British film to receive that accolade , but there`s nothing here to churn your stomach . Churning your brain is another matter entirely
What I really disliked about this film is the very underdeveloped script . There`s no real explanation or logic as to why things happen . Take for example the scene where a character drives to a cottage then warns his companion to " Stay here " and enters the cottage with trepidation. There is absolutely no way the character would know he`d be in any danger by entering the cottage so why is he so nervous ? I think I can speculate as to why the panther appears though ( And unless you`ve seen the film the next couple of sentences will make no sense - just like the film itself ) The toy tank is supposed to be a version of the second world war German panther tank hence a panther appears . Only the toy tank is actually based on the tiger tank mark two aka King tiger , which means instead of a panther appearing in the flat a king tiger should have . It just shows you how bad XTRO is when the director tries to bring subtle irony to a senseless script and manages to screw that up .
I`m led to believe that XTRO was banned on video in the 1980s which makes it one of the very few British " Video nasties " , perhaps the only British film to receive that accolade , but there`s nothing here to churn your stomach . Churning your brain is another matter entirely
Cheap and vulgar but fun to watch
Maciste_Brother29 March 2005
XTRO is one low budget flick. So low it's almost breathtaking that they actually finished it and released it to theaters.
The film itself is somewhat vulgar and unpleasant (the low budget quality doesn't help...) but even with the unpleasant aspects of it all, the film is fun to watch because it's so wonky and bizarre that it's impossible to stop looking at it. And the cheap synth music, coupled with the UFO storyline and the odd looking alien all give the film a unique otherworldly feel to it that's more effective than 99% of big budgeted films made in Hollywood. If early David Cronenberg had directed an alien movie, it probably would have looked something like XTRO.
But even all of its good aspects don't hide the fact that the film doesn't make much sense and the acting and dialogue are, for the most part, bad. But if you're a fan of films about UFOs like me, make sure to check this film out.
The film itself is somewhat vulgar and unpleasant (the low budget quality doesn't help...) but even with the unpleasant aspects of it all, the film is fun to watch because it's so wonky and bizarre that it's impossible to stop looking at it. And the cheap synth music, coupled with the UFO storyline and the odd looking alien all give the film a unique otherworldly feel to it that's more effective than 99% of big budgeted films made in Hollywood. If early David Cronenberg had directed an alien movie, it probably would have looked something like XTRO.
But even all of its good aspects don't hide the fact that the film doesn't make much sense and the acting and dialogue are, for the most part, bad. But if you're a fan of films about UFOs like me, make sure to check this film out.
The Plot Hatches
richardchatten17 January 2022
Harry Bromley Davenport gorged himself on cheese and pickles and then dreamed up this visceral and fanciful cross with a meaningless title between 'The Omen' and 'E. T.' with lashings of sex & violence in which nubile young women get stalked and violated by slavering aliens and slavering men; while a young lad uses telekinesis to bring a toy soldier to life and creates his own new model army with the assistance of a pint-sized clown in a top hat.
All very Freudian, with an insistent synthesised score by the director. Sloe-eyed Bernice Stegers brings a robust presence to the boy's mother; while the female contingent also includes future Bond girl Maryam D'Abo and future 'Eastenders' star Anna Wing.
All very Freudian, with an insistent synthesised score by the director. Sloe-eyed Bernice Stegers brings a robust presence to the boy's mother; while the female contingent also includes future Bond girl Maryam D'Abo and future 'Eastenders' star Anna Wing.
A twisted sci-fi horror film.
Captain_Couth27 January 2005
Xtro (1983) scared me when I was a kid. The very idea of a kid's being tormented by aliens freaked me out big time. The special effects were graphic and sticky from what I remembered. I wish this movie was available to rent because the only copy I could find to watch is the very first one that was released during the early 80's. I am surprised that this film isn't widely recognized as one of the nastiest and bloody horror films of it's time period. Two scenes tripped me out big time, one involving the father and the other with the poor kid and his G.I. Joe doll.
Priceless stuff. I would recommended a viewing of this strange film if you could find a decent copy.
Priceless stuff. I would recommended a viewing of this strange film if you could find a decent copy.
Decent horror flick with a few good effects
deb-16215 September 2005
I remember seeing this movie along time ago possibly at a old mid-west drive-in before they all started closing.Back then a lot of drive-ins went low budget b-flicks compared to these days.They made a mistake.Anyway I remember the opening few minutes being pretty scary and especially a part in the movie when car going down road meets the alien.i think I also read along time ago that this movie got some kind of sci-fi award when it came out but I don't remember the details.I remember most that the first half of money was scary and somewhat disturbing then it went downhill from there.A lot of movies are like that though in Hollywood today.The effects involving the alien abduction were realistic and very disturbing. If you enjoy these type of movies you can't put Xtro in the complete bomb or turkey file.It had some good horror moments.
Cheerful 'Video Nasty'
The_Void25 June 2006
It's easy to pass Xtro off as a piece of trash; as that's essentially what it is, but those who are well versed in Sci-Fi horror will surely see it's positive elements shining through. It would seem that just about every idea director Harry Bromley Davenport ever had has ended up in this film, and so what we end up with is a disjointed and silly; albeit continually shocking and inventive little movie, which blends over the top images of extreme gore with the corruption of a family unit. The film was a part of the DPP's 'Video Nasty' list back in the eighties, which has ended up meaning that the film has an unfavourable reputation, which it doesn't really deserve; both because the cheesy gore effects can't really be taken seriously, and because the film is too cheerful to be reputed as a shocker. The plot is actually quite good, as it follows a young boy who witnesses his father being taken by aliens. Naturally, nobody believes him; although his story becomes somewhat more plausible three years later when his father reappears and disrupts the mother and her new man with his presence, and murderous new powers.
The film features several memorable scenes, the best of which sees a woman giving birth to a fully grown man! The special effects clearly didn't cost much, but that's not a problem as they fit the film and the director does well in ensuring that the effects are consistent in their style, and that they always fit the tone of the movie. The film was produced in Britain, and take obvious influence from Ridley Scott's masterpiece, 'Alien' as well as a whole range of other Sci-Fi films. The plot is well used in conjunction with the idea of a malevolent alien coming to Earth and killing people, and by keeping the focus on the disrupted family unit; director Harry Bromley Davenport manages to elevate the film above the normal level of B-grade schlock. The film isn't strong on atmosphere, although the poor production values do give it a gritty feel that bodes well with the plot. The acting is typically terrible, with only Bernice Stegers ('Macabre') providing any kind of standout. Overall, this film will no doubt be too silly and inconstant for some; but if you like your films to be weird and high on imagination; you can't go wrong with Xtro!
The film features several memorable scenes, the best of which sees a woman giving birth to a fully grown man! The special effects clearly didn't cost much, but that's not a problem as they fit the film and the director does well in ensuring that the effects are consistent in their style, and that they always fit the tone of the movie. The film was produced in Britain, and take obvious influence from Ridley Scott's masterpiece, 'Alien' as well as a whole range of other Sci-Fi films. The plot is well used in conjunction with the idea of a malevolent alien coming to Earth and killing people, and by keeping the focus on the disrupted family unit; director Harry Bromley Davenport manages to elevate the film above the normal level of B-grade schlock. The film isn't strong on atmosphere, although the poor production values do give it a gritty feel that bodes well with the plot. The acting is typically terrible, with only Bernice Stegers ('Macabre') providing any kind of standout. Overall, this film will no doubt be too silly and inconstant for some; but if you like your films to be weird and high on imagination; you can't go wrong with Xtro!
Suitable only for the Brain Dead
osloj5 March 2004
Warning: Spoilers
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
*Plot and ending analyzed*
Below average re-telling of the "alien lands on Earth" cliche found in most American space horror movies of the 1950's, except this time it's done more ineptly. At least those movies were absolutely fun. You could also eat a bag of popcorn while watching them too.
The actors are all monotonous grade Z - horror fodder, namely the woman who was in one of Lamberto Bava's early works, equally as inferior as this.
The story goes haywire when there is a small clown attacking people with an absurd handsaw, and the end doesn't really tell much about the intentions of the alien. Not that it mattered much, since the theater audience had probably cleared out by then. A few people were probably left, but they had been put to sleep.
A terrible film, which is a shame, because the director could have made something interesting out of it. All the ingredients were present, but nothing was delivered.
*Plot and ending analyzed*
Below average re-telling of the "alien lands on Earth" cliche found in most American space horror movies of the 1950's, except this time it's done more ineptly. At least those movies were absolutely fun. You could also eat a bag of popcorn while watching them too.
The actors are all monotonous grade Z - horror fodder, namely the woman who was in one of Lamberto Bava's early works, equally as inferior as this.
The story goes haywire when there is a small clown attacking people with an absurd handsaw, and the end doesn't really tell much about the intentions of the alien. Not that it mattered much, since the theater audience had probably cleared out by then. A few people were probably left, but they had been put to sleep.
A terrible film, which is a shame, because the director could have made something interesting out of it. All the ingredients were present, but nothing was delivered.
Surreal,bloody and bizarre.
HumanoidOfFlesh29 August 2004
A man is kidnapped by aliens and returns some years later in the form of four legged crablike monster.He rapes a woman and a fully grown human explodes from her womb the next day."Xtro" is a rather unpleasant low-budget horror gem that is definitely not for the squeamish.The film offers plenty of strange atmosphere and lots of cheap but effective special effects.The gore is suitably nasty and the birth scene is truly disgusting and memorable.The cast is generally decent and the finale is extremely grotesque.Later Bond girl Maryam D'Abo plays the nanny and has a wonderful nude scene.Overall,"Xtro" is much better than two crappy sequels that followed.Give it a look.9 out of 10.
Snakes, clowns and aliens
hellholehorror25 August 2020
This was really tacky. The interview on the DVD is the best bit. The film itself warbled along jabbering about aliens and suchlike. It was a little mad and a little crazy and made little sense at all. This movie had everything from snakes to clowns to angry alien beings. It is worth peeking at for the insanity that ensues. If you are looking for something meaningful that is well acted with amazing special effects then you are in the wrong place. This is kinda like a cheap English version of Alien. Similar to Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn (1983) in all aspects. Best enjoyed drunk or stoned as that is how they were when they made it.
Weird and confusing.
darthMisaskernew14 February 2018
I've tried to like Xtro for years and I just don't get it. I first saw it late night on TV growing up and had no idea what I was watching. Now I'm in my late 20's and I STILL don't understand what's going on! To discribe the plot is like to discribe the plot of random episodes of The Outer Limits, except it changes every 5 minutes, is played in reverse, and you're drunk, high, and tripping on acid. First it is an alien movie, then it becomes a murder slasher, then it has the son killing people with a giant wooden soldier, and then it becomes a strange light show, and it just keeps going and going and GOING. The plot just gets lost in itself. Despite how bizarre it is, its biggest sin is that it is flatout DULL and BORING. The entire film is just forgettable. I will say the special effects are cool and the gore is awesome! Also, i do like some of the moments on their own, such as the alien scenes and the scene with the giant wooden soldier killing people, even if it comes out of nowhere and makes ZERO sense. That should've been its own movie instead of being crammed randomly into a film about aliens. So Xtra has some cool aspects but overall I just don't get it.
Space Oddity...
azathothpwiggins15 May 2020
A man is abducted by aliens and returned to his family 3 years later. Strange and terrible things begin happening almost immediately.
XTRO is an extremely odd movie with loads of jaw-dropping set pieces, including: #1- A woman attacked by a crawling, grasshopper-legged alien! #2- The disgusting birth of a full-grown man! #3- Murder by a 6' tall action figure! #4- An eeevil, homicidal clown! #5- A woman turned into a cocooned egg-laying machine!
This movie has a nightmare quality about it, and weirdness to spare! In addition, the heavenly Maryam D'Abo just can't seem to keep her clothing from flying off!
For those looking for something VERY different...
XTRO is an extremely odd movie with loads of jaw-dropping set pieces, including: #1- A woman attacked by a crawling, grasshopper-legged alien! #2- The disgusting birth of a full-grown man! #3- Murder by a 6' tall action figure! #4- An eeevil, homicidal clown! #5- A woman turned into a cocooned egg-laying machine!
This movie has a nightmare quality about it, and weirdness to spare! In addition, the heavenly Maryam D'Abo just can't seem to keep her clothing from flying off!
For those looking for something VERY different...
I love horror, but this was stupid
oliviaclifton11 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I was really excited to get this movie, because it had been pretty highly recommended by a couple of horror movie buffs. I was SO disappointed. It started off pretty promising, the alien was pretty creepy, and the whole birth scene was suitably grotesque. From there, the movie deteriorated into nonsense. I love cheesy horror movies, don't get me wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to like this movie. The story was just too stupid for me to stomach. There were a LOT of plot holes, and the ending made absolutely no sense whatsoever. I watched it twice just to make sure I wasn't missing something, and it didn't make any more sense the second time. I have the old VHS version where the mother goes back to the apartment at the end, doesn't get eaten by the panther (WTF) that is roaming around, goes into the kitchen and picks up an egg. She holds the egg for three full minutes, and then it explodes and attaches something to her face. I couldn't help but wonder what was going to crawl out of HER business. Her son? Her husband? Another crab monster that has to rape another woman to give birth to her son or her husband? It seems her husband came home as an alien, impregnated a squatter at their vacation cottage, crawled out of her as his human self, and then went to collect his son and get one last roll in the hay from his wife before blasting back to wherever. Yet when he becomes the alien again, he looks nothing like the original alien version of himself. I guess the logical part of my brain ruined this movie for me. Bad me. Shame.
A Lot of Good Ideas, but...
vukaroo14 January 2019
I've been hoping that somewhere, caught in oblivion, or in a discount bin, there'll be a gem of an alien film that I somehow overlooked. In terms of XTRO, that wasn't quite the case; however, the film certainly had some pretty interesting ideas, which give it enough merit for a light review.
It seems to me, that the director obviously sought out to make a horror film, but along the way, tried to come up with an original take on alien abductions. I think he would have succeeded in creating a memorable classic, had he resorted more on developing the alien story, and less on the guts and gore.
The film is essentially about a man, who is abducted by aliens, while playing with his son, in an English countryside, and is returned to Earth after 3 years. He returns in the form of an alien creature, but through "insemination," is able to come back to his human form. It'll be even crazier looking, if you decide to see the film, but the bottom line is that it was a cool idea for a human to be transformed into an extraterrestrial. It was not clear if the aliens wanted to leash out a full fledged invasion, but the dad's goal was to take his son with him, back to the alien planet. If this little synopsis seemed interesting enough, check it out, but the "horror" bits, and the psychedelic nature of certain elements didn't particularly help its case.
It seems to me, that the director obviously sought out to make a horror film, but along the way, tried to come up with an original take on alien abductions. I think he would have succeeded in creating a memorable classic, had he resorted more on developing the alien story, and less on the guts and gore.
The film is essentially about a man, who is abducted by aliens, while playing with his son, in an English countryside, and is returned to Earth after 3 years. He returns in the form of an alien creature, but through "insemination," is able to come back to his human form. It'll be even crazier looking, if you decide to see the film, but the bottom line is that it was a cool idea for a human to be transformed into an extraterrestrial. It was not clear if the aliens wanted to leash out a full fledged invasion, but the dad's goal was to take his son with him, back to the alien planet. If this little synopsis seemed interesting enough, check it out, but the "horror" bits, and the psychedelic nature of certain elements didn't particularly help its case.
Xtro! Xtro! Read All About it!!
jamesbourke599 August 2010
Just recently I thought I would return to the world of 'Xtro' as I hadn't watched the movie in well over a decade or so! Truth to tell whilst the quality of the transfer I watched was okay, the movie itself hadn't earned itself any further brownie points in the entertainment section.
Prior to watching the movie, I decided to listen to the director Harry Bromley Davenport talk about his memories of this movie plus the ensuing two sequels, from the moment he opened his mouth, the first words out of mine where 'What the hell!' Here is a man whose sole career has been based around one movie, and did he have anything remotely interesting to share with us the viewer about it? In a word....No! as I've discovered with certain movies that have been given the DVD treatment complete with the xtras, when it comes to the recalling of events, everyone involved barely remembers anything.
Mr Davenport openly admits that whilst his mind was fried prior to shooting, so who knows who actually called the shots during production, which I do find very disappointing.
As for the movie itself, it still retains certain eerie elements albeit wrapped up in a very British stiff upper lipped, the alien creature effects were still on the money and with regards to the participation of a certain members of the cast most notably Bernice Stegers as Rachel, she still essayed quite the sexy woman that she parlayed in Lamberto Bava's 'Macabre' and as for Maryam D'Abo I had literally forgotten that she had a few topless moments in the movie.
If you can wade your way through Mr Davenport's comments about 'Xtro' inception, and especially the many cooks who lent a hand in the proceedings, the the whole weirdness factor can be explained, but as for any cult status the movie might be riding high upon, I'm just not getting it and that even after all these years and such is my abiding memories of previous viewings.
This movie gets a rating of two because that's all it really deserves, and those two stars go straight to the participation of Bernice Stegers.
Prior to watching the movie, I decided to listen to the director Harry Bromley Davenport talk about his memories of this movie plus the ensuing two sequels, from the moment he opened his mouth, the first words out of mine where 'What the hell!' Here is a man whose sole career has been based around one movie, and did he have anything remotely interesting to share with us the viewer about it? In a word....No! as I've discovered with certain movies that have been given the DVD treatment complete with the xtras, when it comes to the recalling of events, everyone involved barely remembers anything.
Mr Davenport openly admits that whilst his mind was fried prior to shooting, so who knows who actually called the shots during production, which I do find very disappointing.
As for the movie itself, it still retains certain eerie elements albeit wrapped up in a very British stiff upper lipped, the alien creature effects were still on the money and with regards to the participation of a certain members of the cast most notably Bernice Stegers as Rachel, she still essayed quite the sexy woman that she parlayed in Lamberto Bava's 'Macabre' and as for Maryam D'Abo I had literally forgotten that she had a few topless moments in the movie.
If you can wade your way through Mr Davenport's comments about 'Xtro' inception, and especially the many cooks who lent a hand in the proceedings, the the whole weirdness factor can be explained, but as for any cult status the movie might be riding high upon, I'm just not getting it and that even after all these years and such is my abiding memories of previous viewings.
This movie gets a rating of two because that's all it really deserves, and those two stars go straight to the participation of Bernice Stegers.
Xtro gets points for being different...
Aaron13751 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I had heard about this film when I was a child seeing pictures of it in one of those old horror magazines; however, I never got around to ever viewing it. I remember the picture of the alien and it looked like it was outside and I thought it was attacking campers. Flash years later and I would finally purchase this film because I had always wanted to see it. I was a bit surprised that the scene I had saw pictured was not an outdoor picture, but indoors as the alien attacks the woman to impregnate her. I only mention this because it is rather funny and sad how we see things so differently as a child than we do as adults. Things like this film tend to be scarier, the monster more terrifying! So, what I watched unfold was completely different than anything I had anticipated. The film starts out like one of those typical films that tried to duplicate the success of Alien, but then it gets weird. Then as the story progresses it begins to get even weirder and what you are left with is a very bizarre film indeed. I would say it is a bizarre combination of Alien, Close Encounters, Poltergeist and even E.T.! Yes, it is that strange and elements from those four films are within this film making for a very strange film indeed.
The story starts out showing us a scene where a boy and his father are playing in the yard. The mom drives away and soon after something occurs turning the day as dark as night and whatever is happening causes the father to disappear. The young boy wakes up and three years have passed since the incident and the boy is still not quite over the fact his father is gone. His mom believes the father simply left them and has moved on with her life, but the truth is a lot more crazy than that. A creature soon lands on our planet, ferociously killing a couple in the car and going to another house where it attacks a woman and impregnates her! Soon she is giving birth to the man who had disappeared three years prior and all this happens in like the first 20 minutes of the film! Soon the father comes back into the mother and son's life and it soon becomes apparent that the father is not normal anymore; of course, I guess the fact that he popped out of a woman should be a good indicator that things are not so normal with him anymore. Strange things happen as it becomes increasingly clear that the father has returned for his son!
The film has some good gore and thanks to Maryan d'Abo some good nudity. It is also a very unique film, but the main detractor of this film is the plot. They never let the audience in on why any of this is going on! Sure, we know the father is an alien now, but I am not completely satisfied with he just got picked at random. Why pick him at all and turn him into a horrific nightmare creature? Then why would the aliens travel all the way back to earth just to let the guy they randomly picked get his son? Makes no sense as it is not in the narrative. Perhaps the aliens plan to conquer the earth by way of the eggs that are clearly balloons, but this is never said. Nor does it make any sense for the boy to infect the housekeeper in such a way. Just seems things are randomly happening in this one.
So, this is not the best alien film I have ever seen, but it is one of the most unique. Perhaps had they done a better job of explaining stuff this could have been a lot better and had they did a better job on the effects in some areas it would have done better two. Seriously, you can see the part of the balloon you blow it up with when the woman is holding onto the 'egg'. The film would have two endings, but neither is very good. It would have been better just to leave it at the scene where the father and son disappear into the light, but I guess they had to show us those eggs once again or that would have been a loose end. Granted, neither ending really ties anything up and just leaves more questions. There would be two sequels to this film, but neither of them are bizarre like this one and thus neither of them have the charm this one did. The second film is just your typical monster roaming a facility in the air ducts film while the third is pretty much "Predator" if the alien looked like a gray and they couldn't afford a decent cast of action heroes. So while this one is not great, it has its moments and has more uniqueness than either sequel.
The story starts out showing us a scene where a boy and his father are playing in the yard. The mom drives away and soon after something occurs turning the day as dark as night and whatever is happening causes the father to disappear. The young boy wakes up and three years have passed since the incident and the boy is still not quite over the fact his father is gone. His mom believes the father simply left them and has moved on with her life, but the truth is a lot more crazy than that. A creature soon lands on our planet, ferociously killing a couple in the car and going to another house where it attacks a woman and impregnates her! Soon she is giving birth to the man who had disappeared three years prior and all this happens in like the first 20 minutes of the film! Soon the father comes back into the mother and son's life and it soon becomes apparent that the father is not normal anymore; of course, I guess the fact that he popped out of a woman should be a good indicator that things are not so normal with him anymore. Strange things happen as it becomes increasingly clear that the father has returned for his son!
The film has some good gore and thanks to Maryan d'Abo some good nudity. It is also a very unique film, but the main detractor of this film is the plot. They never let the audience in on why any of this is going on! Sure, we know the father is an alien now, but I am not completely satisfied with he just got picked at random. Why pick him at all and turn him into a horrific nightmare creature? Then why would the aliens travel all the way back to earth just to let the guy they randomly picked get his son? Makes no sense as it is not in the narrative. Perhaps the aliens plan to conquer the earth by way of the eggs that are clearly balloons, but this is never said. Nor does it make any sense for the boy to infect the housekeeper in such a way. Just seems things are randomly happening in this one.
So, this is not the best alien film I have ever seen, but it is one of the most unique. Perhaps had they done a better job of explaining stuff this could have been a lot better and had they did a better job on the effects in some areas it would have done better two. Seriously, you can see the part of the balloon you blow it up with when the woman is holding onto the 'egg'. The film would have two endings, but neither is very good. It would have been better just to leave it at the scene where the father and son disappear into the light, but I guess they had to show us those eggs once again or that would have been a loose end. Granted, neither ending really ties anything up and just leaves more questions. There would be two sequels to this film, but neither of them are bizarre like this one and thus neither of them have the charm this one did. The second film is just your typical monster roaming a facility in the air ducts film while the third is pretty much "Predator" if the alien looked like a gray and they couldn't afford a decent cast of action heroes. So while this one is not great, it has its moments and has more uniqueness than either sequel.
XTRO
TCurtis919229 February 2020
"XTRO" (1982, Davenport) is a revolting fever dream of surreal imagery. With dog food gore, shrieking synth and weird scene after weird scene this is an entertaining film. The acting isn't bad and some of the visuals are strikingly beautiful (in fact, so is some of the music).
"XTRO" put me off my dinner as a youngster but now it's just a very strange film.
"XTRO" put me off my dinner as a youngster but now it's just a very strange film.
Never has a bad film been so good
bowmanblue19 February 2015
I do like a 'so-bad-it's-good' kind of film. However, never has that phrase been more applicable than in the case of eighties British sci-fi horror film, Xtro. It was awful. The acting was diabolical (especially the 'human freckle' which masqueraded as a small boy throughout the whole of the film). Every character in the main family had different accents - just off-putting in my opinion. And the plot made little to no sense.
It revolves around a father who gets abducted by aliens three years ago and hasn't been seen since. Then, out of the blue, he returns. Seriously, that's one family that will soon wish he hadn't.
What follows is a tale of complete randomness, mixed with shades of the sci-fi classic Alien (and much horror, not to mention some female nudity which will keep the guys happy). I'll say it again: it was awful. Yet, for some reason, I just couldn't look away. I stuck with it right until the end, possibly hoping to get an explanation. I didn't. But what I did get was an hour and a half of weirdly enjoyable fun - it's like David Lynch wrote parts of it when he was drunk. You hear about 'carcrash TV,' well, this was 'carcrash film-making' at its very best.
If you have a strong stomach and want a bit of eighties, cheesy gore, give this a go. Any film that has aliens and dwarf clowns in with rubber bendy hammers has to be worth ninety minutes of anyone's time!
It revolves around a father who gets abducted by aliens three years ago and hasn't been seen since. Then, out of the blue, he returns. Seriously, that's one family that will soon wish he hadn't.
What follows is a tale of complete randomness, mixed with shades of the sci-fi classic Alien (and much horror, not to mention some female nudity which will keep the guys happy). I'll say it again: it was awful. Yet, for some reason, I just couldn't look away. I stuck with it right until the end, possibly hoping to get an explanation. I didn't. But what I did get was an hour and a half of weirdly enjoyable fun - it's like David Lynch wrote parts of it when he was drunk. You hear about 'carcrash TV,' well, this was 'carcrash film-making' at its very best.
If you have a strong stomach and want a bit of eighties, cheesy gore, give this a go. Any film that has aliens and dwarf clowns in with rubber bendy hammers has to be worth ninety minutes of anyone's time!
even the director agrees it's crap
Andy Sandfoss13 June 2000
This movie has a lot of unexplained, illogical thing happening in it. I used to think this represented an understanding that alien life would be truly ALIEN, doing things we'd never understand. Now I think it's just the confusion of the producers showing, as they rushed out a film to exploit the popularity of E.T. I also used to think that much of the film represented a humorous critique of Freudian psychology (a kid's snake named Harry, laying eggs, and other such-like things). I now realize you can read much into nothing. The film owns less to Freud than to Dr. Rorschach and his ink blots. Any thought that this movie is inventive or insightful is wishful thinking. It's a ripoff and a stink bomb. And, just in case there's anyone around who thinks I'm being too hard on "Xtro", I suggest you get the DVD of "Xtro" and "Xtro II", and go to the extras. There you will find an interview with director Harry Bromley Davenport, saying very much the same things I just did. I believe he even referred to his own work at one point as "rubbish".
Delightfully disturbing
siderite11 October 2009
I remember when I was a child I got hold of this weird VHS movie called XTRO that gave me so many delightful feelings of horror, fascination and a lasting crush on Maryam D'Abo. I was pretty much certain that my memories of it were warped and that if I watch it now it will all seem silly, but boy was I wrong.
The film itself finds strength in what other movies count as weaknesses: an unknown cast, low budget, plastic monster effects. I am convinced, though, that any remake with regular actors and computer CGI would not result in the same weird feeling, giving it almost complete realism. The only thing that I would have improved is the sound to image synchronization, which made it obvious that most sounds were added later in the studio.
The best part of the movie is the script. Both back in my childhood and now, it evoked feelings of kinship with the alien. And weirdly so, as it is one of the most nasty creatures in horror. The most intriguing aspect is the schizoid nature of the monster, part human part alien, torn between its merciless nature and the love for his human child.
Bottom line: there were three XTRO movies, with stories completely unrelated to each other, but only this one is worth watching. It continues to blow me away even now, despite (or maybe because) of its quirky production values and very original script. Actually, that is the only reason I didn't rate it a 9. If you love horror or SF, you should see it.
The film itself finds strength in what other movies count as weaknesses: an unknown cast, low budget, plastic monster effects. I am convinced, though, that any remake with regular actors and computer CGI would not result in the same weird feeling, giving it almost complete realism. The only thing that I would have improved is the sound to image synchronization, which made it obvious that most sounds were added later in the studio.
The best part of the movie is the script. Both back in my childhood and now, it evoked feelings of kinship with the alien. And weirdly so, as it is one of the most nasty creatures in horror. The most intriguing aspect is the schizoid nature of the monster, part human part alien, torn between its merciless nature and the love for his human child.
Bottom line: there were three XTRO movies, with stories completely unrelated to each other, but only this one is worth watching. It continues to blow me away even now, despite (or maybe because) of its quirky production values and very original script. Actually, that is the only reason I didn't rate it a 9. If you love horror or SF, you should see it.
Stay in the car!
bombersflyup29 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Xtro is so weird, but amusing and intriguing at the same time.
Still laughing about the soldier figurine scene. Maryam d'Abo's so beautiful, it's a surprising choice to have Stegers as the lead actress and the nature of that character. I mean, the four of them sitting at the table and they're fighting over her, not Analise. Doesn't amount to anything, but enjoyable enough.
Still laughing about the soldier figurine scene. Maryam d'Abo's so beautiful, it's a surprising choice to have Stegers as the lead actress and the nature of that character. I mean, the four of them sitting at the table and they're fighting over her, not Analise. Doesn't amount to anything, but enjoyable enough.
Xtro
Scarecrow-8813 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen my share of weird shock cinema, but Xtro is in a class by itself. An absolutely bizarre experience a science-fiction / horror / fantasy buff must share. The movie consists of off-the-wall, deranged, completely repulsive scenes that will leave you with jaw dropping with a crashing thud to the floor.
The movie features a father, Sam(Philip Sayer) kidnapped by an alien ship(..I assume) returning to retrieve his son, Tony(Simon Nash). He returns as this sickening, slimy worm like creature with sharp fangs and bulging red eyes, killing a couple who accidentally hit it when the damn thing crawls across the road. The thing then attaches some sort of phallic device(..some type of "feeding" tube inserting some sort of fast growing sperm that eventually births Sam at an alarmingly quick rate)to a woman's mouth, soon impregnating her. In the film's most audacious, truly eye-opening "highlight", Sam, as a fully grown adult man, exits the poor woman's womb, re-entering our world as human. Sam isn't the same man he used to be(..obviously!)and his true mission is to "recruit" son Tony to return with him to whatever alien planet abducted him three years previous. While Sam attempts to reconnect with his confused wife Rachel(Bernice Stegers, Macabro), he finds resistance thanks to her new lover, photographer Joe(Danny Brainin). But, Tony is open arms for pops and soon Sam is sucking on the kid's shoulder flesh, inserting something alien in his system. This in turn equips Tony with a kind of otherworldly power to bring his toys to life(?!?!)and he starts murdering people he knows for some ungodly reason such as tenants in his mother's apartment complex and the beautiful French maid, Analise(Maryam d'Abo, who is gorgeous, especially naked)along with her lover, Michael(David Cardy).
The toys are such things as an overgrown toy soldier whose machine gun has a bayonet which stabs an old lady tenant who murdered Tony's snake after finding it in her salad, some dwarf clown who uses a hammer with a flexible handle to bop Analise on the noggin, and a flying, spinning top which slices the throat of another tenant called upon by Rachel to see about her son. We even have a black panther(..director Davenport insists that New Line Cinema's producer Robert Shaye demanded the beast be in the film!)which appears for a brief moment to leap at Michael, who just happened to escape gunfire from a toy tank blowing holes in walls in an attempt to destroy him. The film includes a skin-crawling sequence where Tony injects, by mouth, alien substance which enlarges these veins which protrude from d'Abo's stomach..she's later in a cocoon form, stuck to the wall as the dwarf clown removes these circular eggs he harvests! I mean, what the hell?!?!
Anyway, the signs that Sam's physiology was out of whack begins to reveal itself as he and Rachel travel to their cottage to re-awaken memories..his skin begins to peel and Joe(..carrying Tony with him)finds Rachel seemingly unharmed(..she was tossed to the side when attempting to see if Sam was alright after touching the torn flesh from his back while they were having sex). When Sam and Tony, both decomposing from their human shells, begin to flee to a nearby alien craft, Joe and Rachel will hope to stop them.
The movie seems to be a random series of grotesque, outrageous, and really demented acts of the truly strange and appalling..pure exploitation and icky gore on display along with the mind-boggling story which yields a constant array of absurd moments you will always remember, even if you wish not to. There's this "what the f#ck am I seeing!" kind of amazing watchability with Xtro..you just wonder what the filmmakers will think up next. It's really no wonder Xtro has a cult following..it's the very definition of a cult oddity.
The movie features a father, Sam(Philip Sayer) kidnapped by an alien ship(..I assume) returning to retrieve his son, Tony(Simon Nash). He returns as this sickening, slimy worm like creature with sharp fangs and bulging red eyes, killing a couple who accidentally hit it when the damn thing crawls across the road. The thing then attaches some sort of phallic device(..some type of "feeding" tube inserting some sort of fast growing sperm that eventually births Sam at an alarmingly quick rate)to a woman's mouth, soon impregnating her. In the film's most audacious, truly eye-opening "highlight", Sam, as a fully grown adult man, exits the poor woman's womb, re-entering our world as human. Sam isn't the same man he used to be(..obviously!)and his true mission is to "recruit" son Tony to return with him to whatever alien planet abducted him three years previous. While Sam attempts to reconnect with his confused wife Rachel(Bernice Stegers, Macabro), he finds resistance thanks to her new lover, photographer Joe(Danny Brainin). But, Tony is open arms for pops and soon Sam is sucking on the kid's shoulder flesh, inserting something alien in his system. This in turn equips Tony with a kind of otherworldly power to bring his toys to life(?!?!)and he starts murdering people he knows for some ungodly reason such as tenants in his mother's apartment complex and the beautiful French maid, Analise(Maryam d'Abo, who is gorgeous, especially naked)along with her lover, Michael(David Cardy).
The toys are such things as an overgrown toy soldier whose machine gun has a bayonet which stabs an old lady tenant who murdered Tony's snake after finding it in her salad, some dwarf clown who uses a hammer with a flexible handle to bop Analise on the noggin, and a flying, spinning top which slices the throat of another tenant called upon by Rachel to see about her son. We even have a black panther(..director Davenport insists that New Line Cinema's producer Robert Shaye demanded the beast be in the film!)which appears for a brief moment to leap at Michael, who just happened to escape gunfire from a toy tank blowing holes in walls in an attempt to destroy him. The film includes a skin-crawling sequence where Tony injects, by mouth, alien substance which enlarges these veins which protrude from d'Abo's stomach..she's later in a cocoon form, stuck to the wall as the dwarf clown removes these circular eggs he harvests! I mean, what the hell?!?!
Anyway, the signs that Sam's physiology was out of whack begins to reveal itself as he and Rachel travel to their cottage to re-awaken memories..his skin begins to peel and Joe(..carrying Tony with him)finds Rachel seemingly unharmed(..she was tossed to the side when attempting to see if Sam was alright after touching the torn flesh from his back while they were having sex). When Sam and Tony, both decomposing from their human shells, begin to flee to a nearby alien craft, Joe and Rachel will hope to stop them.
The movie seems to be a random series of grotesque, outrageous, and really demented acts of the truly strange and appalling..pure exploitation and icky gore on display along with the mind-boggling story which yields a constant array of absurd moments you will always remember, even if you wish not to. There's this "what the f#ck am I seeing!" kind of amazing watchability with Xtro..you just wonder what the filmmakers will think up next. It's really no wonder Xtro has a cult following..it's the very definition of a cult oddity.
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