They (1974)

Invasion from Inner Earth

Cast:

Paul Bentzen is Stan
Debbi Pick is Sarah
Nick Holt is Jake
Karl Wallace is Eric
Robert Arkens is Andy

What the DVD says:

A group of campers in the Canadian wilderness begins to hear strange reports over their radio. Tales of a plague spreading across the Earth, sightings of bizarre beings as well as planes and cars manufunctioning fills the airwaves. Terrified by what they've been listening to, the campers decide to barricade themselves at their cabin in order to face the danger.

Plot:

Panic in the streets is never good for movies like this. In the wilderness, some friends are planning to leave from their camping and head back to town with the guide. However, they're warned at the airport how townsfolk are dropping over sick and to stay away. They stay away finally and head to a camp lodge for more fuel. Some of them split up and see a strange red unearthly light.

Back at the cabin, Sarah, the guide's sister has been picking up a number of strange radio communications.

News shows report how people are dying from the sickness.

At the cabin, they debate what's going on which involves UFOs are making people sick. Jake picks up another alien radio contact.

Decades ago there existed a CB radio for cabins in the wood...

Let the news show report about alien abductions for interviewing the rednecks to ensue.

Andy, the snobby guywants to head back to town no matter what. Heading out to steal the plane at first when the red light drives him crazy.

Later, Stan, the weird science guy, and Jake are talking. Jake reveals that he killed his father for insurance money for his plane.

Erik, the normal guy, Stan,, and Saray stay behind in the cabin. Jake heads out on the snow mobile to town for supplies.

On the trip, Jake hallucinates by the red light and disappears.

Got to do another lame 2001: Space Odyssey space warp reference...

Back at the cabin, the remainders pick up a few broadcasts from the aliens that claim things should be safe soon.

The cities around the world are in bad shapes as people panic...

Panic in the streets to awaken the audience every few minutes.

Finally, Eric, Stan, and Sarah head out for supplies. Stan has some ideas that the UFOs are from inner Earth by Martians. The group gets separated.

At a radio station, the DJ is positive he's the only survivor on the planet.

Sarah finally reaches the road and finds Stan. As they walk into town they morph into little kids in a field.

What I say:

Not THEM! but They. It's sad that the 1950s giant radioactive ants would have greatly improved this movie. They should be the same type of movie of other pronoun-titled movies. Well, most the He's are more dramas excluding He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. It at least had several really good action-descriptive titles: It Came From Beneath the Sea, It Came From Outer Space, It Conquered the World, and It! Terror From Beyond Space. She had She, She-Beast, She-Creature, She Gods of Shark Reef.

Sci-Fi and demented horror aren't known for good endings. This is definitely one of the endings that will want you to throw something at the wall. Few movies will make you appreciate the Sci-Fi channel original movies. Every variation of Shark, Octopus, Alligator, Crocodile, etc...fusing together would still be an improvement of this cinematic fission of random scenes.

Normally, the cabin/horror movies are more Cabin Fever, Evil Dead 2, or Signs rather than a group sitting around a cabin in the woods debating on what's going on with the indeterminate aliens radio signals every so often but they don't make any sense. Were they friends or enemies of humanity? At least, 1950s alien movies had the decency to come out invading. We were spoiled by alien invasion movies get us to thinking of Earth Vs the Flying Saucers and War of the Worlds.

It looks that some of the UFOs and panicking scenes were just tacked into to make the movie be a little longer. The movie can't decide if it is going to be in the woods or if it'll jump to UFOs attacking the cities. The jumping between the cabin and the various new reports keeps makes the movie even harder to follow. Somehow a movie filmed 2 years before it is released doesn't ensure much quality to me for some strange reason.

UFOs, plagues, etc... this movie looks like the proverbial kichen sink plot with the various number of sci-fi movie ideas thrown together to see how they fuse...A group has to live in the woods while the world deteroriates from an alien disease. The plot sounds more like half of a play that would be at a community college concerning a group questioning the world as their futile lives continue to rot.

Some directors are known for their great, epic movies. Well, it can be safely said that Bill Rebane isn't one of them. He's known for Alpha Incident, Blood Harvest, Giant Spider Invasion, and Monster A-Go-Go. However, those still don't improve his reputation except in the top bad 10 or so...

Quotable Dialogue
"Motherin' up a family..."
"Dr. Frankenstein, what are the strange lights in the curtain?"
"Fo-tinia..."
"It's an alien voice. You can bet on it..."
"I'm the last living creature on the Earth!"
Morals of the Story
UFOs are covered in clay.
Good, the Bad, and the Ugly theme shouldn't be played as a whistling disco song...
Splitting up a group to search deserted buildings is genetic.
Jungle noises are commonly heard in wintery wildernesses.