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The Alien Factor

Released May 12, 1978 1h 22m Sci-Fi List
Reviews 30% Audience Score 500+ Ratings
A spaceship carrying extraterrestrial zoo animals crashes near a rural town, allowing the reptile Leemoid, the gooey Inferbyce and the furry Zagatile to escape into the wild. Read More Read Less

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The Alien Factor

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Critics Reviews

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Stefan Birgir Stefans sbs.is These films are zero budget schlock, either made from passion or a quick buck. The Alien Factor was directed, written, edited, produced and probably catered by Don Dohler so it was probably made from passion. It's quite entertaining. Rated: 3/5 Jul 29, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member The Alien Factory G (killing and destruction) - fantasy and horror Sciencefiction Aliens Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/28/24 Full Review Audience Member I watched two movies this week: "The Alien Factor" and "Sisters" (Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and a sorry bunch of SNL regulars). Don't ask me why I thought "Sisters" might be good, but it was clearly the most boring movie I've ever seen -- ever. I watched the "Unrated" version which, except for some gratuitous drug use, was PG at best. I finally had to turn it off half way through. "The Alien Factor" was the opposite. It's not a super-charged Marvel movie, not a technically superb movie, not a special effects blow-out movie, but that's part of its charm. I like it for what it teaches in the art of low budget / no budget indie filmmaking. Like, how do you convert a 30 minute short into a 82 minute feature? Number 1: have three monsters, not just one -- that chomps up a lot of minutes. Number 2: have lots of walks and runs through the woods, supplemented by a couple car rides and a motorcycle ride. Yet more minutes. But what was "Blair Witch" but a long walk in the woods? "The Alien Factor" is good in that it forms a baseline minimum for what a cult movie needs to achieve in the form of wardrobe, locations, dialogue, story and effects. The first two aliens weren't too bad, but the third, the Lemoid, was terrible. Maybe it was just the transparency of the monster (it would be acceptable with today's green screen effect) and lack or coordination with Ben Zachray's movement (also not as much of a problem today), but today most creative high school kids can do as well. Too, the hospital operating room -- or doctor's office -- was just a white sheet hung on the wall. Would also have been a good place for green screen, but that's something far easier to achieve today, even with a platform like iMovie. The sheriff's office was spare, but a sheriff's office in some small counties and townships won't be too much more extravagant. Not a problem. I think what I'm saying is that if you're a filmmaker and want to make your own horror / monster / alien movie, this is a good place to start for reference. There's nothing here you can't do for yourself, and if you can achieve the fame and cult status of Don Dohler in the process, then you're on your way. Good luck. Have fun! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Regional sci-fi alien invasion film shot in the rural environs, bars and backyards of Maryland, the Alien Factor is infused with a weird low-budget horror sensibility that makes it even the more intriguing. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a film that is about 30 minutes long, yet is somehow stretched into 1h 22m using scenes of people walking and kids playing. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Not as amazing as the Galaxy Invader (Don Dohler's other masterpiece), but still pretty amazing. If you're looking for some laughs on a late night, this is a perfect choice. Some great costumes and bizarre acting. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Horrible drive-in flick. Check out the sheriff's office, down right pathetic. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Alien Factor

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A spaceship carrying extraterrestrial zoo animals crashes near a rural town, allowing the reptile Leemoid, the gooey Inferbyce and the furry Zagatile to escape into the wild.
Director
Don Dohler
Producer
Don Dohler
Screenwriter
Don Dohler
Production Co
Cinemagic Visual Effects
Genre
Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 12, 1978, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 28, 2017
Runtime
1h 22m
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