garymason-99267 Review of The Seventeenth Kind

The Seventeenth Kind (2014)

Exciting adaptation of a timely and satirical sci-fi short story

[9/10 · 30 October 2015]

As a huge Michael Marshall Smith fan, I had been waiting for this release with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Would they screw up one of my all-time favourite short stories? I can say with relief that not only have they captured Smith's uniquely idiosyncratic style; they have created something supremely cinematic out of what is a very claustrophobic story on paper. Without giving too much away (the less you know the better for this type of film) Tony Curran plays a vain TV presenter who is forced to use his guile and cunning to thwart an Alien invasion during a shopping channel broadcast. As somebody primarily familiar with Curran for his sinister and brooding work in 'Defiance' and 'Underworld' I was surprised at what a great comic actor he is. It's no mean feat playing somebody smarmy, arrogant and still likable at the same time but he pulls it off with great energy. Really inspired casting and I hope this leads to more comic roles for him. Sylvester McCoy (playing a salesman who is not quite who he seems), is…well he's Sylvester McCoy! For those of us who grew up on his Doctor Who this of courses translates as bloody awesome! The same goes for Brian Blessed. The same goes for Miriam Margoles. The same goes for Ralph Brown. For genre geeks like me of a certain age, this really is nirvana. In short a wonderful adaption of a brilliantly satirical story. I predict big things for director Andy Collier and urge him to adapt Straw Men next!