The Xtro trilogy is a weird one. The first is such an underseen cult classic, and one that I am consistently recommending. And yet the next two are such pieces of shit. But are they really that bad? Is it just that the first is so good, and the others have no relation at all to the original? I can say that part 3 is not the best, but I enjoyed it when I saw it a few years ago. I am excited to see 2 for the first time and give my thoughts on the long forgotten Xtro trilogy.
Xtro (1982)
Synopsis:
An alien creature impregnates a woman who gives birth to a man who was abducted by aliens three years ago. The man reconnects with his wife and son for a sinister purpose.
IMDb: 5.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 44%
Tagline: When Tony grows up, he’s going to be just like Daddy.
I. Love. This. Movie.
This is one of those films that I have such fond memories of as a child. So many things in this film just work. First, the music is truly frightening. The synth is alien, scary, foreign, retro, and hip, all at once. Harry Bromley Davenport, the director of all 3 films, also did the music for the original and part 3 while handing off the scoring duties to Braun Farnon and Robert Smart for the second one. Davenport describes his score as “screaming synthesizers,” and claims that the film was made while he was “very high on drugs.” Explains a lot.
Secondly, the effects are amazing. The creature in the beginning, the birth of the live man, the clown, the GI Joe guy, the egg birthing tubes near the end, there are just so many effects that are so vile, so disgusting, so mean spirited, that they are the things of nightmares. I even appreciate the melting phone in the beginning. It’s so basic and simple, and yet conveys so much to the fact that this man, whether he actually is the father or not, has changed, and not for the good. With the chewing of the umbilical cord, the dog eating the afterbirth, the snake debacle, eating the snake eggs, the flesh sucking and subsequent bruising, I can honestly say that these are some of the best gross out moments in any movie. FYI, Tom Harris, who did effects on this movie, would go on to do effects for a little film called Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
And it gets so many things right relationship wise in the film. The father who “leaves” is replaced by the live-in American boyfriend, who is both apprehensive of the dad’s motives, and protective of his new family. The child is unwilling to see the faults in his dad’s return, loving him blindly, and not only refusing to see that his dad is a damn monster, but that his motives are not good. And the mother is torn between her love for her husband, who vanished without a trace a few years ago, and her new beau. She had told her son that he had left, even convinced herself of this, and moved on, when in reality, he was abducted.
The French au pair (apparently a foreign student who helps a family with tasks, in this case watching the son and getting him to school, in exchange for room and board and a small monetary stipend) is played by Maryam d’Abo, cousin to Mike d’Abo, the lead singer of Manfred Mann, and also actress Olivia d’Abo, who she is the spitting image of. She fulfills the naked woman requirements for the film. #BoobsNBush
I can’t think of much that’s bad about the movie. I could say that the film is sad, depressing, vile, and nihilistic, all at once, with captivating performances by all involved, with the exception of the boy. He is serviceable but gets by just giving awkward looks to the camera now and then. I could say it’s mean spirited. But at a shade under 90 minutes, one thing I can say definitively, is that it’s never slow or boring.
With a budget of $60,000 and a box office of over $1M, it was inevitable that there would be a sequel. Although, it would take almost a decade to get one.
8.0/10 Stab Wounds
Xtro II: The Second Encounter (1991)
Synopsis:
Military scientists discover an alternate dimension and, subsequently, aliens with an appetite for human flesh.
IMDb: 3.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 0%
Tagline: Part Alien. Part Predator. All Terror.
Neither the second film, nor the third one, have any relation or connection to the original. Davenport did not have the rights to the original film, so he could not use any of the characters or plot from it, but he held the rights to the title itself, Xtro. Needing money, he cashed in on the title and made a movie which he hated.
Xtro II is an incredibly hard film to find. Released on an OOP DVD only, it came in a three pack with Xtro, and Skeeter, another out of print movie with no Blu-Ray release. It goes for over $100 on eBay. There is a VHS copy out there as well as a rough YouTube transfer.
Jan-Michael Vincent starred in the film and was notoriously hard to work with, having to be fed his lines by Davenport before each scene. It was at this time that he struggled mightily with drugs, alcohol, spousal abuse charges, DUI’s, probation violations, easily the lowest point in his career. He would have his leg amputated below the knee in 2012 and eventually pass in 2019.
The acting is rough in spots, especially from the strike team. Colonial Marines they are not! The creature effects, done by Jeff Butterworth (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes) are surprisingly good, especially when the thing comes out of the girl’s body (yet another Alien comparison). But it happens nearly 30 minutes in, which is a long time considering it’s a chore to get there.
The story could have been decent with a budget for music (generic military type stuff that feels out of place considering the “bad asses” are very vanilla and boring), a better script, and decent actors. However, according to Fangoria, the budget was around $2M. Where did it go?
Like it or not, the nihilism and darkness of the first one at least evoked SOME feeling. This one just doesn’t evoke much of anything but boredom. It’s not horrible, but it’s not good either. Its limited availability makes finding it not worth the effort.
2.5/10 Stab Wounds
Xtro 3: Watch the Skies (1995)
Synopsis:
Marines travel to a deserted island to diffuse bombs, only to be terrorized by a deadly alien creature.
IMDb: 3.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 14%
Tagline: From beyond imagination… from beyond the earth itself… XTRO waits.
The third, and to date the latest film, was released on Blu-Ray by Vinegar Syndrome. Of the three films, this is the film that Davenport claims is his favorite. However, the movie, much like its predecessor, was critically panned, citing a budget that was a far cry from Xtro II.
There’s bad puppets and poor CGI. The alien thing looks straight off the set of Alien Autopsy, and despite its mean streak, really looks like it just needs a hug. The space stuff, the newsreel footage, it’s all painful to see and tonally off.
If Xtro II was the Alien/Aliens of the series, then this is the Predator of the series. Only these guys are a far cry from that badass group. The island setting, the infrared alien stuff, the alien camo, it’s all too familiar. The cube thingy is cool and interesting, but that’s about it.
It’s a step up from part 2 in terms of pacing and story and engaging scenes, but effects wise, it’s bottom of the barrel. The voice over narration is an odd choice and doesn’t fit. The music is still nowhere near the level as the original, despite being done by Davenport again. It’s a smidge better than II, and that’s only because I paid money to buy the Blu-Ray, and I refuse to admit I made a mistake.
*Minus ½ a stab wound for the nonstop annoying panther/big cat growl in the background.
3.0/10 Stab Wounds
As of 2011, Xtro 4: The Big One is in the works, although little has been heard about this project in the years since the announcement.
Quality certainly varies from film to film. If you can only watch one, watch the original. You won’t be missing much by skipping the others.
