Packer, David

V - The Final Battle

Though followers of current science fiction television series may dismiss V: The Final Battle as a quaint relic from the pre-computer animation days, the six-hour miniseries about an alien invasion of Earth was a ratings juggernaut for NBC in 1984 and should still provide some entertainment for hard-bitten devotees and fans of '50s-style sci-fi. The Final Battle picks up four months after the shock conclusion of the 1983 prequel miniseries, with a small group of humans known as the Resistance struggling to convince their fellow humans that a fleet of seemingly friendly visitors from space are in fact bent on world domination.

Executive producer Kenneth Johnson (who oversaw most aspects of the first series) only supervised the sequel's script (which underwent several changes before its airing), and the writing occasionally suffers due to the lack of his attention. But the series still delivers its share of action and intrigue, as well as one showstopping gruesome moment involving the birth of interspecies twins. Acting is again a stumbling block, with leads Marc Singer and Faye Grant as bland as any performers from the American International Pictures stable; character actor Michael Ironside makes the strongest impression as a tough Resistance member, and a pre-Freddy Krueger Robert Englund is amusing as a kind-hearted alien. The miniseries was followed by an inevitable weekly series featuring most of the same cast, which was demolished in the ratings by Dallas, but a faithful Resistance-like following remains to this day. --Paul Gaita

Marc Singer, Robert Englund and Michael Ironside in the thrilling sequel miniseries about human resistance to alien invaders - from the birth of the first interspecies child to a harrowing countdown to nuclear doomsday.

DVD Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access

V - The Original TV Miniseries

In its day, V was a monumental event that for one generation remains a pop-culture touchstone. Close Encounters of the Third Kind may have reassured us that perhaps we have nothing to fear from alien visitors and E.T. introduced us to a benign extraterrestrial who only wanted to go home, but Kenneth Johnson's 1983 television miniseries knew better. Visitors who claim to come in peace are revealed to be nothing but human-looking reptilians on human conversion and conquest. As in the dark days of fascism, some collaborate with the enemy; others form the resistance.

At the time, the epic scale of this production was unprecedented. Those 50 motherships that hover over Earth's major cities anticipate Independence Day by more than a decade. The special effects and makeup are still awesome. Less so is the often-hackneyed dialogue. But thanks to their signature roles, the mostly no-star cast, most of whom would be reunited for a sequel and subsequent television series, have ensured themselves standing invitations to sci-fi conventions. Marc Singer is cameraman-turned-freedom-fighter Mike Donovan. Julie Parrish is a medical student-turned-rebel. Richard Herd is the aliens' supreme commander. Jane Bradler is Diana, the ravishing but ruthlessly ambitious alien science officer. Leonardo Cimino lends dignity to his heavy-handed allegorical role as a Holocaust survivor. Look for a pre-Freddy Krueger Robert Englund as one of the aliens.

The DVD is presented for the first time in widescreen format. Supplemental features include an amiable and enlightening director's commentary and a brief "making of" segment. --Donald Liebenson

Aliens pretending to be friendly come to Earth and are received openly. The aliens have masqueraded themselves to look just like humans. When it is discovered that the aliens' planet is dying and that they have come to rape the Earth of its natural resources, the war for Earth begins. An important key to the humans' success is distinguishing the their own from the aliens.

Almost Heroes

It was a time of heroes. Well almost. They were hearty men in those days. Men who like Bartholomew Hunt and Leslie Edwards made sure that when adventure called it got a wrong number. Chris Farley and Matthew Perry team with director Christopher Guest (Waiting for Guffman Best in Show) to venture into uncharted comedy territory. Where explorers Lewis and Clark go Hunt (Farley) and Edwards (Perry) follow hoping to overtake the famed expeditioners and be the more fiery trailblazers. In a land dotted with bears native tribes pioneer outposts and wandering conquistadors having a bad hair day is there not also room for two more adventurers eager to make a name for themselves? Westward ho-ho-ho!Running Time: 90 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 053939733525

Crazy People

True Crime

Once in a while, studio heads actually make smart decisions. Kudos to whoever at Trimark screened this embarrassing, overwrought, underthought "mystery" and decided, "You know, we really don't need to let the American public see this," and immediately shipped it straight to video. Probably the one most pleased by the decision was Alicia Silverstone, who didn't need this type of thing getting a theatrical distribution and hurting her blossoming career. As for Kevin Dillon? Well, he was probably happy just to get a paycheck. Silverstone plays the teen Nancy-Drew-meets-Encyclopedia-Brown protagonist who teams up with fresh-faced police cadet Dillon to try to bag a serial killer who's been butchering teenage girls at traveling carnivals in various cities. Writer-director Pat Verducci packs his thriller with implausible detective work and numerous plot twists, all visible 20 minutes away. The "shock" ending can pretty much be figured out within the first act, leaving viewers another hour to watch Verducci concoct several amateur dream sequences, and explore a disgusting sexual relationship between Silverstone and Dillon. By the end, the question isn't so much "Whodunit?" as "Who cares?" --Dave McCoy

High School USA

The Killing Club

Infested: Invasion of the Killer Bugs

If a cross between Night of the Living Dead, The Big Chill, and countless killer bug movies sounds like your idea of movie magic, then director John Olson's Infested is for you. On the other hand, if compelling storytelling, convincing special effects, and good acting are among your criteria for a positive cinematic experience, well... When a gang of thirtysomethings gather for the funeral of one of their own, things soon go really, really wrong when swarms of extremely nasty flies start using our heroes as hosts, eating them from the inside out (which means we don't actually see it happen--a good move for a low-budget film!). Where did these infernal winged wonders come from? What's their agenda? Infested eventually provides answers, but it ain't worth the wait. Indeed, movies like this only make you long for the guileless camp of '50s sci-fi, and that's no small feat. --Sam Graham

Strange Days

It's the eve of the millennium in Los Angeles, December 31, 1999. Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) is an ex-cop turned street hustler who preys on human nature by dealing the drug of the future. It's an environment that will lead him deep into the danger zone when he falls into a maze filled with intrigue and betrayal, murder and conspiracy. Angela Bassett and Juliette Lewis co-star in this provocative, action-packed thriller written by James Cameron (Titanic, The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgement Day).

High School USA