Alien Siege

(Alien Siege)

A hostile alien race demand that millions of human lives be sacrificed in order to save their species from a deadly virus. The Kulku - humanoid-type aliens - are technologically far superior to us, and they’ve already demonstrated their commitment by destroying most of Los Angeles. Every country in the world must surrender some citizens or face worldwide destruction. Anyone unlucky enough to be selected is dead within 24 hours, rendered into liquid, which is then sent back to the alien world.

The story centers on a scientist, Steven Chase, whose daughter is chosen for the lottery. Stephen joins a group of resistance fighters to save her, and he alone discovers the secret to the alien’s downfall. They find themselves locked in a life-or-death struggle not just against the alien threat, but against the rest of humanity when the aliens decide to abandon their agreements with the governments of the world and simply harvest humans at will, leaving death and destruction in their wake...

DoctorSF's Words

If ALIEN SIEGE is Robert Stadd's first film as a director, the man is not a novice in the cinema-hood. Real specialist in visual effects, he is the visual effect producer of Alex Proyas's THE CROW (1994), Chuck Russel's THE MASK (1994), and others CRIMSON TIDE (1995), THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1996) and its continuation NUTTY PROFESSOR II : THE KLUMPS (2000) with Eddy Murphy, LIAR LIAR (1997) with Jim Carrey, ALI (2001) starring Will Smith and more recently COLLATERAL (2004) starring Tom Cruise. Curiously Stadd is not therefore a regular of the science-fiction genre and, except THE CROW, he made only profit his talents with the agreeable GALAXY QUEST (1999), the Sci-Fi comedy directed by Dean Parisot starring Sigourney Weaver. He says "I've always loved science fiction. That and comedy (!). I also like action. Choosing ALIEN SIEGE as my first movie was a matter of circumstance, where they needed someone with a strong visual effects background.". For this film, originally a project supplied by the Sci-Fi Channel, his implication in writing the script is large. "There were about 20 drafts of the script altogether.", says Robert Stadd, "Ian Valantine (the producer) and I wrote the last seven drafts of the script ourselves.".

Shot in Bulgaria, ALIEN SIEGE depicts resistance against harmful and aggressive invaders for the humankind. The theme of the movie and its construction looks like V (1983) directed by Kenneth Johnson and renews with this notion of resistance. Some scenes, that make clearly reference to the Nazi holocaust and to its concentration camps, can disturb. The U.S. Army, relegated in forced collaborators of the Kulku strengthens this badly sensation.

Visual effects, a matter in witch the producer excels, are good. Invaders have a sometimes EARTH FINAL CONFLICT's Taelons looks like (1997) and alien spaceships, launched against the greatest world cities (particularly once more against the unfortunate poor Los Angeles) reminds us, in a smaller scale, the WAR OF THE WORLDS's martian invasion (1953). We could reproach these scenes not to be so numerous, but Robert Stadd might have preferred to put the emphasize ont the relationships between a widower father on the point to lose his unique daughter, whose destiny is given into visitors's cluches.

To convince, director Robert Stadd joined confirmed actors such as Brad Johnson, in the main role of scientist Steven Chase, who began in ALWAYS (1989), but also casted the very beautiful Erin Ross, playing his daughter, Heather Chase, for whom it is the first role and - this makes no doubts - is certainly not the last one. By their sides, you must notice the prestigious presence of Carl Weather whose career, this one, is very well filled (ROCKY 1, 2, 3 and 4, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, PREDATOR). This first experience behind the scene is therefore rather a success. Robert Stadd demonstrates his experiment of cinema that introduces him in the restricted directors circle. He now has to confirm...

Interview by DoctorSF