This Movie is just Fun. Back in the mid 70's movies like these were being made every day, by people with small budgets and little know actors. But they were the movies you would talk to your buddies about long after the movie has gone the way of the Drive-ins.I was too young to see Alien Factor when it was at the Drive-in. I did see on a late night fright show on NBC. I was about 15 then and found it be the best laugh you could get with out big name stars. I bought the DVD for a few bucks in a bargain store. I just watched it and Man! It brings back the memories. Plan 9 from outer space meets Gumby and Pokey! It's fun. It's low tech.it's got bad acting. But the monster costumes look great for mid 70's. I'm surprised Don Dohler didn't get as far as John Carpenter did. You might say some thing like "John Carpenter did some great work!" Yes thats true. But just look at one of his first movies "Dark Star" You can't find gems like these being made today. My friends and I call movies like these "Pure Cheese" This is the best of pure cheese around. You can find cheesy movies. But it takes the best and I mean the best to make it into My list of Top 10 Pure Cheese. I'll watch this movie for years to come. I would say on the Pure Cheese list I would put it at 3 between Laser Blast & Dark Star. Every now and then you have to sit back and watch a low tech/low budget movie. Just a good old fun Si-Fi that doesn't weigh you down with plot or sub plot. I hold Pure Cheese movies in the highest regard.The Alien Factor is one movie to be held high. So Thanks to Don Dohler for good fun!
54 Reviews
It's bad, but it's fun!
ronevickers14 April 2010
The Alien Factor - well, from the opening sequences, you get the distinct feeling that this movie is going to be a shoestring effort, produced over a free weekend by a bunch of people who have never seen a camera before, let alone checked up on the word "act" in the dictionary. Your worst fears are soon realised, although credit must be given for a very early appearance of one of the "monsters." Otherwise, I'm afraid, credit is in pretty short supply. Looking at the film in 2010, the striking thing about the characters are the bad haircuts - the sheriff with the Barry Gibb-style mane is a hoot! The mayor looks as though he's wearing a frozen headscarf, tucked behind his ears. The other striking aspect is the pitifully poor acting - they are clearly all amateurs who must have embarked on film careers during a few hours away from their regular jobs. However, there are some positives - the basic premise of alien zoological specimens, escaping on earth, is quite novel. Same for one of the aliens - the satyr-like creature - which is well presented and out of the ordinary. And, the amateurish direction and script does hold a certain basic charm. As far as bad sci-fi movies go, this one has to be up there with the best!
Half Decent Monster Movie
TheExpatriate7004 March 2016
The Alien Factor is a halfway decent low budget monster movie, following a small Maryland town plunged into chaos when several creatures intended for an intergalactic zoo are accidentally released. The film features low budget but surprisingly effective monsters, but it is hampered by stilted dialogue and wooden acting.
The main thing The Alien Factor has going for it is its monster costumes. Although all of the monsters - with one exception - are obviously guys in suits, the suits themselves aren't that bad looking. Furthermore, the monster designs are creative and not just cookie cutter creatures you've seen a thousand times. The insectoid alien was especially impressive.
However, good creature effects alone do not a great monster movie make. The film suffers from a weak script with awkward-sounding dialogue. The script never focuses on a single protagonist, weakening the overall plot. Moreover, the twist ending is telegraphed well in advanced. Still, this is a good monster movie for the undemanding or a boring afternoon.
The main thing The Alien Factor has going for it is its monster costumes. Although all of the monsters - with one exception - are obviously guys in suits, the suits themselves aren't that bad looking. Furthermore, the monster designs are creative and not just cookie cutter creatures you've seen a thousand times. The insectoid alien was especially impressive.
However, good creature effects alone do not a great monster movie make. The film suffers from a weak script with awkward-sounding dialogue. The script never focuses on a single protagonist, weakening the overall plot. Moreover, the twist ending is telegraphed well in advanced. Still, this is a good monster movie for the undemanding or a boring afternoon.
One of the best Z films I've ever seen.
forum-118 February 2001
I know this movie well since I am Sheriff Cinder. Some of the negative comments I've seen used to really get to me. But that was when I was a lot closer to the project. After all, that was almost 25 years ago. I find them quite accurate and funny now. It is a fun film to watch with a bunch of friends (if you're into this genre). Believe it or not, I can't get my hands on any good copy of this movie. By the way, I just ran across some of the original paste-up boards, for Cinemagic Magazine, that Don Dohler (director) and I use to publish before and during the time we made The Alien Factor. What a kick it was to look over that stuff. If you haven't seen this film, get your hands on it and let IMDb know what you think!
A Class
Pusstex3 May 2006
By far and away the worst movie I have ever seen - fantastic! I saw this at a film festival back in New Zealand in the mid-nineties and had to sit through the whole thing just to see if it could get any worse - I was not disappointed! The man dressed in a furry outfit with stilts on as the alien (how does it run so fast?) some of the best editing this side of "Z-Film". Not even the shorts for other Z films on the Bad Taste DVD could match this film. Dialogue, script, storyline and special effects are all represented here in their absolute worst - love it!
Now to find how to get my hands on that sequel over here in the UK!
Now to find how to get my hands on that sequel over here in the UK!
Gore Mongral Movie Review: The Alien Factor
ChiefGoreMongral28 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The Alien Factor is a home brew that got some backing and has become a sort of minor cult classic. At this point I would like to say if you cannot overlook a movie of a lower budget for some of its shortcomings do not watch or rent The Alien Factor as on a big production level this movie blows. If you can overlook that however there is a few things of merit here...though little.
The story is about an alien ship that is on its way back to its home planet when it crashes with its cargo of exotic alien creatures. The creatures (3 in total not counting the alien pilot) get loose and start killing people in the local town. I will first say that this story idea is pretty interesting and with the right budget I feel this could be a cool sci-fi horror film however the movie is too ambitious with the budget and though the aliens look surprisingly decent for the restrictions that I'm sure they had, the overall product just sort of falls flat.
Though the aliens look OK we get a stop-motion monster that had a cool design but the fight sequence its involved in was not so cool. To explain it would be futile, you would have to see this to understand. Also the acting was so-so even for a low budget flick like this and locals of the Baltimore/DC area will notice old school Creature Feature and current web host flick host Gore De Vol (who now has his own website at http://www.countgore.com/) acting as a mayor in this film.
Of all the real problems I had the main problem and the reason I really cannot give this a decent review is....pacing. Man was it painful. There are 1 to 2 minute lulls of us watching a characters walk through the woods with nothing but synthesizer music going on. We await something to happen but in most cases it doesn't. It is these cases alone that hurt this film. I can look past mediocre effects, I can look past so-so acting as long as the story is interesting (which this movie had going for it somewhat) but when the pacing is off it can really mess up a movie and its flow.
In conclusion I did not hate this movie as the monsters on display were decent and the story was something that kept my interest but poor pacing and some ho hum sequences in this film bring it down in the end.
Score 4/10: Below Average, Check it out for the monsters and story just don't be surprised if you find yourself reaching for the fast forward button on your remote. Again not horrible just alittle bland.
The Alien Factor is out though Retromedia (associated with Image)(www.retromedia.org) on DVD. There is a regular version and a 2 movie on a flipper disk (ala MGM Midnight Movies) with another film by Don Dohler called Fiend (dare I watch that one?) The 2 Movie release is under the title Alien Fiend: The Don Dohler Collection.
Thats it for now folks. I leave you with this fun fact I learned from Alien Factor...Aliens love to wear Blue Jeans.
See you Pygmies Later!!
The story is about an alien ship that is on its way back to its home planet when it crashes with its cargo of exotic alien creatures. The creatures (3 in total not counting the alien pilot) get loose and start killing people in the local town. I will first say that this story idea is pretty interesting and with the right budget I feel this could be a cool sci-fi horror film however the movie is too ambitious with the budget and though the aliens look surprisingly decent for the restrictions that I'm sure they had, the overall product just sort of falls flat.
Though the aliens look OK we get a stop-motion monster that had a cool design but the fight sequence its involved in was not so cool. To explain it would be futile, you would have to see this to understand. Also the acting was so-so even for a low budget flick like this and locals of the Baltimore/DC area will notice old school Creature Feature and current web host flick host Gore De Vol (who now has his own website at http://www.countgore.com/) acting as a mayor in this film.
Of all the real problems I had the main problem and the reason I really cannot give this a decent review is....pacing. Man was it painful. There are 1 to 2 minute lulls of us watching a characters walk through the woods with nothing but synthesizer music going on. We await something to happen but in most cases it doesn't. It is these cases alone that hurt this film. I can look past mediocre effects, I can look past so-so acting as long as the story is interesting (which this movie had going for it somewhat) but when the pacing is off it can really mess up a movie and its flow.
In conclusion I did not hate this movie as the monsters on display were decent and the story was something that kept my interest but poor pacing and some ho hum sequences in this film bring it down in the end.
Score 4/10: Below Average, Check it out for the monsters and story just don't be surprised if you find yourself reaching for the fast forward button on your remote. Again not horrible just alittle bland.
The Alien Factor is out though Retromedia (associated with Image)(www.retromedia.org) on DVD. There is a regular version and a 2 movie on a flipper disk (ala MGM Midnight Movies) with another film by Don Dohler called Fiend (dare I watch that one?) The 2 Movie release is under the title Alien Fiend: The Don Dohler Collection.
Thats it for now folks. I leave you with this fun fact I learned from Alien Factor...Aliens love to wear Blue Jeans.
See you Pygmies Later!!
Home Brew Science Fiction movie is crummy but somehow quite likable
lemon_magic23 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers
OK, I know that Cinematic Titanic recently stomped all over this movie, and to be fair, every joke and criticism they leveled against it was deserved.
But it isn't really fair to judge a "home brew" effort like this against movies made by actual film studios, or to lump it in with films like "Manos" and "Beast Of Yucca Flats", which are so misconceived and wrong headed from the get-go that they stink on levels that a movie like this can never reach. A movie like "Yucca Flats" has ambitions and just enough "mainstream" quality about it that makes the badness doubly hurtful - "Alien Factor" is just a parochial film that's the victim of being saddled with local talent. If they'd had some money and some outside help with the writing and some dialog coaches, it could have been decent - not groundbreaking, but decent drive-in fare.
There are glimpses, here and there, of some good instincts and some hard work. The forced perspective shot of the crashed spacecraft, the reveal of the 2nd alien in the basement, the "sound weapon" that the good guy alien uses on the first creature, the unexpected ironic ending - if all the movie had been like this, "Alien Factor" would have been quite entertaining. As it was, the loose plot threads, the endless walking scenes, the local actors who (while probably perfectly pleasant in person) were simply not photogenic, the goofy monster costumes (especially the 2nd one, where the monster seemed to be walking on fur covered stilts), the flat line readings...it all just dooms the movie to be tedium and goofiness.
Best viewed at 3:00 am on the late show, or being pummeled by the good folks at "Cinematic Titanic".
But it isn't really fair to judge a "home brew" effort like this against movies made by actual film studios, or to lump it in with films like "Manos" and "Beast Of Yucca Flats", which are so misconceived and wrong headed from the get-go that they stink on levels that a movie like this can never reach. A movie like "Yucca Flats" has ambitions and just enough "mainstream" quality about it that makes the badness doubly hurtful - "Alien Factor" is just a parochial film that's the victim of being saddled with local talent. If they'd had some money and some outside help with the writing and some dialog coaches, it could have been decent - not groundbreaking, but decent drive-in fare.
There are glimpses, here and there, of some good instincts and some hard work. The forced perspective shot of the crashed spacecraft, the reveal of the 2nd alien in the basement, the "sound weapon" that the good guy alien uses on the first creature, the unexpected ironic ending - if all the movie had been like this, "Alien Factor" would have been quite entertaining. As it was, the loose plot threads, the endless walking scenes, the local actors who (while probably perfectly pleasant in person) were simply not photogenic, the goofy monster costumes (especially the 2nd one, where the monster seemed to be walking on fur covered stilts), the flat line readings...it all just dooms the movie to be tedium and goofiness.
Best viewed at 3:00 am on the late show, or being pummeled by the good folks at "Cinematic Titanic".
Five stars just for the band scene
BandSAboutMovies25 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Man, I have so many movies with live band scenes that I've already used for this challenge, but I decided to look for something that has a band appearance that doesn't fit into the actual narrative of the film, which is one of my favorite things in film.
I went with this Don Dohler made in Baltimore alien epic - that word may be stretching it - all about a spaceship containing specimens for an intergalactic zoo crashes on Earth, with the creatures escaping in killing all manner of small town folks.
What can you say about a movie where an astronomer doesn't know the difference between a meteor and a meteorite? Oh well - it was Dohler's first film and he certainly had no shortage of ideas and a definite finite cash supply. There are also moments of low tech effects glee here, like when the aliens make dotted fuzz patterns that possess people. Sure, they could have paid for a much better effect, but when it works this good, why worry?
The best reason to watch this - beyond the awesome monsters, which are really creative - is a trip to the AnIr Lounge, which promises discount liquors and has a bartender whose bottle blonde beehive would make my wife jealous. The band Atlantis is on stage, featuring Dohler's brother on bass, and they look and sound like a band that was around at least a decade before when this movie was made in 1978. The movie completely stops so that they can play the song in its entirety when, let's face it, deadly aliens should be on everyone's' minds at this point.
Isn't it amazing that two underground voices rose from Baltimore? On one hand, you have the anarchy and boundary-breaking films of John Waters and then, there are the rubber-suited alien invaders of Dohler. What a magical place you are, Charm City.
I went with this Don Dohler made in Baltimore alien epic - that word may be stretching it - all about a spaceship containing specimens for an intergalactic zoo crashes on Earth, with the creatures escaping in killing all manner of small town folks.
What can you say about a movie where an astronomer doesn't know the difference between a meteor and a meteorite? Oh well - it was Dohler's first film and he certainly had no shortage of ideas and a definite finite cash supply. There are also moments of low tech effects glee here, like when the aliens make dotted fuzz patterns that possess people. Sure, they could have paid for a much better effect, but when it works this good, why worry?
The best reason to watch this - beyond the awesome monsters, which are really creative - is a trip to the AnIr Lounge, which promises discount liquors and has a bartender whose bottle blonde beehive would make my wife jealous. The band Atlantis is on stage, featuring Dohler's brother on bass, and they look and sound like a band that was around at least a decade before when this movie was made in 1978. The movie completely stops so that they can play the song in its entirety when, let's face it, deadly aliens should be on everyone's' minds at this point.
Isn't it amazing that two underground voices rose from Baltimore? On one hand, you have the anarchy and boundary-breaking films of John Waters and then, there are the rubber-suited alien invaders of Dohler. What a magical place you are, Charm City.
The Ultimate poster child for "grading on a curve"
Scott_Mercer30 June 2012
I have to give Don Dohler some credit for doing what he did here, basically with the lowest of low budgets.
You want to make a cool monster movie with almost no money? Okay, you'll be forced to use local yokels as the actors, a really generic script, poorly formed dialog and such a low budget that your police car is a seven year old two-door car with one siren suction-cupped to the roof.
Plenty of creativity is brought to bear, and for its time, and its budget, this was a reasonable attempt at home made, waaaaay outside the Hollywood studio system filmmaking.
But I can only go so far with such generosity. Terrible acting is terrible acting, no matter how you slice it. And apparently the direction didn't help, if these were the best line readings they got to use in the film. At least somebody like Ed Wood used professional Hollywood thespians in his cheaper-than-cheap productions.
Uncompelling scriptwriting is uncompelling scriptwriting, no matter how you slice it. We have here a story that was done many times before this, and the "mind blowing twist" is not nearly as mind blowing or innovative as the filmmakers would have us believe.
I recently saw the film as part of the recent "Cinematic Titanic" presentation of former MST3K folks, and on that basis, I can highly recommend watching. But like Manos: The Hands of Fate, and many other turkeys of yore, watching the versions done by MST3K people is just about the only way to get through these things.
Movie by itself: 4 out of 10
Cinematic Titanic version: 8 out of 10
You want to make a cool monster movie with almost no money? Okay, you'll be forced to use local yokels as the actors, a really generic script, poorly formed dialog and such a low budget that your police car is a seven year old two-door car with one siren suction-cupped to the roof.
Plenty of creativity is brought to bear, and for its time, and its budget, this was a reasonable attempt at home made, waaaaay outside the Hollywood studio system filmmaking.
But I can only go so far with such generosity. Terrible acting is terrible acting, no matter how you slice it. And apparently the direction didn't help, if these were the best line readings they got to use in the film. At least somebody like Ed Wood used professional Hollywood thespians in his cheaper-than-cheap productions.
Uncompelling scriptwriting is uncompelling scriptwriting, no matter how you slice it. We have here a story that was done many times before this, and the "mind blowing twist" is not nearly as mind blowing or innovative as the filmmakers would have us believe.
I recently saw the film as part of the recent "Cinematic Titanic" presentation of former MST3K folks, and on that basis, I can highly recommend watching. But like Manos: The Hands of Fate, and many other turkeys of yore, watching the versions done by MST3K people is just about the only way to get through these things.
Movie by itself: 4 out of 10
Cinematic Titanic version: 8 out of 10
A+ for effort in Grade Z Production
plowe164 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
For a young Super-8 aficionado, growing up in the late 70's, Don Dohler was legend. Best known as the editor for Cinemagic magazine (and the Film Magic books), he would feature articles and how-to-do tips on everything from latex modeling to stop-motion to optical effects on the cheap. Of course, a big chunk of the contributions came from those who worked on his own features, including John Dods, John Costentinio, and Ernest Farino (who later did the stop-motion fx on THE TERMINATOR). And for anyone who read Film Magic, a big highlight was the design of the Zagatile beast that Constentino designed for use in Dohler's first feature THE ALIEN FACTOR. Constentino detailed the making of the beast, sort of an alien Bigfoot costume for a guy on stilts. Needless to say, the contributors on such articles always came across as real pros, making their work and effects sound really good in print.
Then, almost 26 years after having read Film Magic, I finally got around to seeing THE ALIEN FACTOR. Well, it sounded promising, but the reality is always different. What we essentially get to watch is a zero-budget 16mm effort featuring a group of Baltimore yokels up against two tacky man-in-suit aliens and one very well done stop-motion beast. Grainy photography, a grating electronic score, and actors with a penchant for delivering monotone speech dominate this film. Not the polished effort its makers claimed it to be, but still an interesting artifact from 70's drive-in flicks.
The plot briefly details the attempts of some local villagers to investigate a series of bizarre deaths, supposedly wild animal attacks. Turns out they are the work of three alien beings that have escaped from a downed extraterrestrial spacecraft. The Sheriff (Tom Griffith) remains baffled until the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Don Leifert), who possesses an uncanny ability to hunt down the trio of beasties.
Let us be fair to Dohler: with only local talent, limited crew, backyard locales, and miles away from Hollywood, they did the best they could. Plus, there are effective moments: the discovery of the spaceship (good use of foreground miniature); the Zagatile's attack in a man's darkened basement; and the final battle with the Lemoid, with excellent, if brief stop-motion animation from Farino. Unfortunately, Dohler's directorial abilities lagged far behind his unique talents in wrangling cheap fx. The performances are stiff, the overall pace drags, and the erratic music detracts rather than add. The effectiveness of the alien menace is hampered by either having them attack in broad daylight or showing them in full, essentially hokey Dr. Who monster outfits (the Zagatile in closeup looks okay, but in full, it just looks plain hokey as lumbers in the snow, chasing humans who are running three times faster).
With a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor, it could have been right up there with DARK STAR. Yet in spite of all its flaws, THE ALIEN FACTOR is infused with this weird low-budget horror sensibility that makes it all the more intriguing, if only for the fact that it ever got made at all. Clumsy as it is, it still entertains as a first effort. Regrettably, Dohler himself never went on to bigger and better things. He seems content to stay in Baltimore, working on zero-budget horror outings that haven't progressed (if anything regressed) beyond his opus. Considering the talent he helped to foster, it's a crying shame.
Then, almost 26 years after having read Film Magic, I finally got around to seeing THE ALIEN FACTOR. Well, it sounded promising, but the reality is always different. What we essentially get to watch is a zero-budget 16mm effort featuring a group of Baltimore yokels up against two tacky man-in-suit aliens and one very well done stop-motion beast. Grainy photography, a grating electronic score, and actors with a penchant for delivering monotone speech dominate this film. Not the polished effort its makers claimed it to be, but still an interesting artifact from 70's drive-in flicks.
The plot briefly details the attempts of some local villagers to investigate a series of bizarre deaths, supposedly wild animal attacks. Turns out they are the work of three alien beings that have escaped from a downed extraterrestrial spacecraft. The Sheriff (Tom Griffith) remains baffled until the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Don Leifert), who possesses an uncanny ability to hunt down the trio of beasties.
Let us be fair to Dohler: with only local talent, limited crew, backyard locales, and miles away from Hollywood, they did the best they could. Plus, there are effective moments: the discovery of the spaceship (good use of foreground miniature); the Zagatile's attack in a man's darkened basement; and the final battle with the Lemoid, with excellent, if brief stop-motion animation from Farino. Unfortunately, Dohler's directorial abilities lagged far behind his unique talents in wrangling cheap fx. The performances are stiff, the overall pace drags, and the erratic music detracts rather than add. The effectiveness of the alien menace is hampered by either having them attack in broad daylight or showing them in full, essentially hokey Dr. Who monster outfits (the Zagatile in closeup looks okay, but in full, it just looks plain hokey as lumbers in the snow, chasing humans who are running three times faster).
With a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor, it could have been right up there with DARK STAR. Yet in spite of all its flaws, THE ALIEN FACTOR is infused with this weird low-budget horror sensibility that makes it all the more intriguing, if only for the fact that it ever got made at all. Clumsy as it is, it still entertains as a first effort. Regrettably, Dohler himself never went on to bigger and better things. He seems content to stay in Baltimore, working on zero-budget horror outings that haven't progressed (if anything regressed) beyond his opus. Considering the talent he helped to foster, it's a crying shame.
Just Awful, Awful
Rainey-Dawn11 November 2016
There are 2 kinds of awful: so awful it's good then there is the so awful it's just awful and this film is just awful awful. I personally cannot understand how this film is getting 4/10 IMDb stars... maybe 2/10 but 4/10?! Wow! What am I missing here? For me this is not a good zero budget film - some of them I really like but this one does not do it for me.
I have not a problem with the idea of an alien craft carrying it's zoo animals and it crashes on planet Earth - that's fine. I don't have a problem with some bad acting (this film has some bad acting but the actors are not all that bad). It's the aliens themselves that are putting me off this film for some reason - they did not do it for me, intrigue me that is. Looked like very burnt hot dogs or trash bags to me and I wasn't able to laugh about it so I was put off by them.
If you like really, really bad films (as I do) and you like the zero budget sci-fi films (as I do) plus have a tolerance for silly aliens that are suppose to be taken seriously (and I do not) then you might like this film. Otherwise just pass it by... not much to see here.
1/10
I have not a problem with the idea of an alien craft carrying it's zoo animals and it crashes on planet Earth - that's fine. I don't have a problem with some bad acting (this film has some bad acting but the actors are not all that bad). It's the aliens themselves that are putting me off this film for some reason - they did not do it for me, intrigue me that is. Looked like very burnt hot dogs or trash bags to me and I wasn't able to laugh about it so I was put off by them.
If you like really, really bad films (as I do) and you like the zero budget sci-fi films (as I do) plus have a tolerance for silly aliens that are suppose to be taken seriously (and I do not) then you might like this film. Otherwise just pass it by... not much to see here.
1/10
Still Looking good after 25 years
cwoodhenge21 August 2001
In the pantheon of movies made with a budget of less than $8, Alien Factor rules the roost. I used to watch the movie when I was a kid growing up south of Pittsburgh on WPTT TV-22 at 2am. I couldn't believe my eyes. A buddy of mine had a VHS copy and we sat down to watch it recently and I was again blown away. My favorite alien of all time is the big tall one with the funky legs (I know I should be able to name the creature but my level of obsession hasn't reached that point yet--give it time). Alien Factor is my personal definition of a guilty pleasure. And that's all I have to say about that.
It's a hoot!
Leofwine_draca28 October 2015
THE ALIEN FACTOR is my first exposure to the no-budget sci-fi works of auteur Don Dohler, and coincidentally it's his first film as director. People are criticising this for being goofy, amateurish, filmmaking at its worst, but to them I say go and watch the works of a contemporary - like Robert Emenegger's BEYOND THE UNIVERSE - see how corny and plain boring they are - and then criticise this one. Dohler knows how to entertain, and that's the important thing.
The plotting in THE ALIEN FACTOR is pure hokum, of course, involving various alien monsters roaming around in the woods and the efforts of local townsfolk to kill them. The acting is amateur level, as you'd expect, and the production values are just about adequate given the film's lack of budget and expertise. And yet how can you not like this? The pacing is fast, the alien costumes are a hoot, and the lo-fi special effects are a delight to watch. There's even a tragic climax that I didn't expect to be moved by. If you're any kind of a fan of low budget filmmaking, I'd recommend giving Dohler's work a chance - you might just enjoy it...
The plotting in THE ALIEN FACTOR is pure hokum, of course, involving various alien monsters roaming around in the woods and the efforts of local townsfolk to kill them. The acting is amateur level, as you'd expect, and the production values are just about adequate given the film's lack of budget and expertise. And yet how can you not like this? The pacing is fast, the alien costumes are a hoot, and the lo-fi special effects are a delight to watch. There's even a tragic climax that I didn't expect to be moved by. If you're any kind of a fan of low budget filmmaking, I'd recommend giving Dohler's work a chance - you might just enjoy it...
Inferbyce, Zagatile and Leemoid, Oh My!
BA_Harrison26 April 2013
A spaceship crash lands in Baltimore, and it's cargo—three zoological specimens from the farthest reaches of the universe—escapes to feed on unfortunate locals.
Don Dohler, special effects enthusiast and creator of Cinemagic magazine, showcases his own work and that of friends in horror sci-fi The Alien Factor, effectively illustrating the yawning chasm that lies between keen amateur and talented professional. The film's aliens—an insectoid 'Inferbyce', a hairy, long legged 'Zagatile', and reptilian 'Leemoid'—are laughably bad creations, their naff appearance not exactly helped by Dohler's dreadful direction, which does nothing to hide their cheesy homemade nature.
Dohler also commands pathetic performances from his wooden cast, achieves an astonishingly leaden pace, and even has the audacity to attempt an ironic twist ending—which is handled about as well as one might imagine (ie. badly). Making the film even more unbearable are the terrible editing and completely tuneless electronic score (someone got a new synth for Christmas but never read the manual).
Some reviewers have commented rather favourably about the last alien, the Leemoid, but all I could see was a poorly designed and jerkily animated stop-motion monster badly composited onto the live footage. As far as I am concerned, the most entertaining things about the whole film were the hairstyles, which are far more horrific than the man-eating monsters from outer space, and the pointless musical interlude from a rock band whose two minging groupies seem to be having a whale of a time.
Don Dohler, special effects enthusiast and creator of Cinemagic magazine, showcases his own work and that of friends in horror sci-fi The Alien Factor, effectively illustrating the yawning chasm that lies between keen amateur and talented professional. The film's aliens—an insectoid 'Inferbyce', a hairy, long legged 'Zagatile', and reptilian 'Leemoid'—are laughably bad creations, their naff appearance not exactly helped by Dohler's dreadful direction, which does nothing to hide their cheesy homemade nature.
Dohler also commands pathetic performances from his wooden cast, achieves an astonishingly leaden pace, and even has the audacity to attempt an ironic twist ending—which is handled about as well as one might imagine (ie. badly). Making the film even more unbearable are the terrible editing and completely tuneless electronic score (someone got a new synth for Christmas but never read the manual).
Some reviewers have commented rather favourably about the last alien, the Leemoid, but all I could see was a poorly designed and jerkily animated stop-motion monster badly composited onto the live footage. As far as I am concerned, the most entertaining things about the whole film were the hairstyles, which are far more horrific than the man-eating monsters from outer space, and the pointless musical interlude from a rock band whose two minging groupies seem to be having a whale of a time.
Don Dohler, why isn't this man a cult idol?
Nozze-Foto12 February 2002
What can I say about this movie? PLENTY! I discovered it right where it belongs, on TV at 3 in the morning, and it snapped me to full consciousness. The aliens are unbelievable, the plot is okay, the acting is priceless and the ending even goes for poignancy. The plot? Oh yes there is one. A bunch of strange monsters show up out of nowhere and terrorize a mountain village. A stranger named Zachary discovers they came from a spaceship the crashed in the hills and nominates himself as a one man committee to round up and/or destroy the alien beasts.
Now you have to see these monsters to believe them. One is a humanoid insect. His costume was made by spray painting cardboard with enamel and it was destroyed when it got rained on! A furry monster looks like the sort of outfit Gene Simmons of KISS might wear to a Halloween party right down to the 24 inch platform boots. The last is the best, a stop motion animated something-or-other that is invisible for most of the movie but who finally materializes for the end. They forgot, or could not afford, to matte out the background so the thing is transparent for all its scenes. Is that all? Not nearly! How about live music from a musician called "Lon Talbot" and 2 go-go girls who dance like they are on Valium? How about an alien who wear blue jeans and looks like his skin is made of wicker? Jinkies this movie is an instant classic! I loved it! Don Dohler made other films but this one is the most fun. Can we take Edward D. Wood off that pedastal now and put Don Dohler in his place? His films deserve to be seen and talked about; especially this one.
Now you have to see these monsters to believe them. One is a humanoid insect. His costume was made by spray painting cardboard with enamel and it was destroyed when it got rained on! A furry monster looks like the sort of outfit Gene Simmons of KISS might wear to a Halloween party right down to the 24 inch platform boots. The last is the best, a stop motion animated something-or-other that is invisible for most of the movie but who finally materializes for the end. They forgot, or could not afford, to matte out the background so the thing is transparent for all its scenes. Is that all? Not nearly! How about live music from a musician called "Lon Talbot" and 2 go-go girls who dance like they are on Valium? How about an alien who wear blue jeans and looks like his skin is made of wicker? Jinkies this movie is an instant classic! I loved it! Don Dohler made other films but this one is the most fun. Can we take Edward D. Wood off that pedastal now and put Don Dohler in his place? His films deserve to be seen and talked about; especially this one.
Zero budget monster/slasher flick
axeman-91 November 2010
As a fan of B-movies, particularly creature features and alien flicks, I couldn't pass up the chance to see this one. In fine B-movie tradition it starts with a young couple necking in a car, and within seconds a monster shows up and offs the boyfriend. From there on in we're treated to many more movie clichés as the movie lurches to it's conclusion 80 minutes later, leaving a trail of dead yokels in it's wake. Fair enough.
First off, no one sets out to make a bad movie. Even with a nano-budget, the film makers clearly tried their best with what they had, and the cast members who have posted here confirm this. The premise of the movie had great potential; a UFO carrying a variety of deadly alien beasts crash lands in an autumnal forest outside Dullsville USA where they proceed to whack the locals in various setups. The local law are baffled until a two-fisted scientist shows up to set things right.
Unfortunately, it's the direction that does for this movie, not the plot, not the cardboard effects nor the plywood acting. Literally within a minute he has revealed the first monster in broad daylight, removing any possible suspense about either the identity of the killer or what the monster looks like. Rather than teasing us with the bad guys and hiding their badly made costumes, we are shown in detail how bad they are. The pacing is often glacial, the music choices baffling and grating, and many scenes are just padding which kill any momentum that might just have been built up.
Yes, the acting is amateurish and the dialogue is pretty stilted, but in the hands of a competent director this could have been another classic like Halloween, rather than a cult classic known only to a few fans of the genre. It's worth a look just to see how it should not be done, and is quite a good laugh if you're an MST3K fan.
First off, no one sets out to make a bad movie. Even with a nano-budget, the film makers clearly tried their best with what they had, and the cast members who have posted here confirm this. The premise of the movie had great potential; a UFO carrying a variety of deadly alien beasts crash lands in an autumnal forest outside Dullsville USA where they proceed to whack the locals in various setups. The local law are baffled until a two-fisted scientist shows up to set things right.
Unfortunately, it's the direction that does for this movie, not the plot, not the cardboard effects nor the plywood acting. Literally within a minute he has revealed the first monster in broad daylight, removing any possible suspense about either the identity of the killer or what the monster looks like. Rather than teasing us with the bad guys and hiding their badly made costumes, we are shown in detail how bad they are. The pacing is often glacial, the music choices baffling and grating, and many scenes are just padding which kill any momentum that might just have been built up.
Yes, the acting is amateurish and the dialogue is pretty stilted, but in the hands of a competent director this could have been another classic like Halloween, rather than a cult classic known only to a few fans of the genre. It's worth a look just to see how it should not be done, and is quite a good laugh if you're an MST3K fan.
The Alien Factor
Scarecrow-8821 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Three alien creatures are accidentally set free when the space ship carrying them crash lands in the woods of a Maryland town killing locals in the area. A mysterious scientist(Don Leifert, the demon possessed corpse in Dohler's Fiend) seems to know how to stop them since the bullets fired from police weaponry has little effect. I'll be honest, I found this a laborious trial to sit through. In terms of quality, it has awkward pacing, editing, camera work, musical arrangement, and acting, all of a "lo-fi" variety. For fans of bad cinema, and director Don Dohler, The Alien Factor might be worthwhile, particularly the alien monster costumes and the final effects sequence where animated cells were used to show a creature up against Leifert. The very definition of scraping every dollar to make an independent movie. Tom Griffith, as Sheriff Cinder, never looks comfortable in his role, awfully stiff(..as was most of the cast). Richard Dyszel is the town's concerned mayor, hoping the murders cease and soon. The goofy reason for how the creatures wound up on Earth(..the specimens were being transported to an alien zoo on another planet!)might provide some much needed chuckles. Some sci-fi fans might find this tolerable.
EDIE! LOOK OUT!
nogodnomasters9 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The movie is based on a great idea. A space alien who collects creatures with rubber masks crash lands on earth. The creatures seem to like blonds (who doesn't) and kills anyone who drives a VW wagon or owns a gun.
A guy gets killed in the first scene while out parking with his girlfriend, sharing a bottle of liquor, something that seemed acceptable in the film. Times have changed.
Low budget. Horrible dialogue. Bad DVD transfer. Terrible sound. Bad acting. Stupid monster costumes. Not really that great while stoned either. More careers were killed than people.
Parental Guide: No f-bombs, sex, or nudity.
A guy gets killed in the first scene while out parking with his girlfriend, sharing a bottle of liquor, something that seemed acceptable in the film. Times have changed.
Low budget. Horrible dialogue. Bad DVD transfer. Terrible sound. Bad acting. Stupid monster costumes. Not really that great while stoned either. More careers were killed than people.
Parental Guide: No f-bombs, sex, or nudity.
Thank you Don Dohler for this gem.
colossus-411 March 1999
My wife recently purchased a set of five videos called the "Alien Collection and we watched a few of them and almost yawned to death. And then, while I was out, she watched "The Alien Factor" and informed me that she had found a gem. We've watched it ourselves and with friends 3 or 4 times now. I thought I'd seen all the "Z" movies ever made. I didn't know the half of it.
The Alien factor features the worst delivery of dialogue since "Plan 9 from Outer Space," or maybe "Legend of Boggy Creek." If you like either of those you'll love this. And now I've discovered that they made a sequel (thanks to IMDb). I'm gonna find it and it better be as bad as Alien Factor or I'll return it.
The Alien factor features the worst delivery of dialogue since "Plan 9 from Outer Space," or maybe "Legend of Boggy Creek." If you like either of those you'll love this. And now I've discovered that they made a sequel (thanks to IMDb). I'm gonna find it and it better be as bad as Alien Factor or I'll return it.
don't bring in high expectations
Andy Sandfoss27 March 2000
I taped this amazingly bad piece of you-know-what many years ago off of broadcast TV. And for years I wished I could find a video of it for sale. Then, finally, I came across it for sale on eBay. And in addition to this, I also found other films of director Don Dohler, including the sequel. Now, some people may have had some hopes that Dohler's efforts might have created an indigenous film industry for Maryland. Well, "Blair Witch" didn't do that, and Dohler didn't either. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on Dohler and his films - they certainly are fun to watch. (So are train wrecks, the Three Stooges, and political conventions.) What IS done right in this film could be summed up in one word - nothing! Low budgets are not crimes, and sometimes amateurs can bring in a fresh point of view and make decent films. That didn't happen here though..... "Alien Factor" is just plain goofy, which makes it fun.
Horrible acting and funny music!
king_shadow31 December 2004
Warning: Spoilers
When I first viewed this movie, I was 8 years old. It was was on the "late late movie" on TV. After watching it, I was terrified to go in my basement. Fearing that I would be attacked by the tall furry alien. You have 3 Alien specimens. The hard skinned "cockroach" alien, who's skin cannot be penetrated by conventional weapons. The big tall furry Alien, who stabs his victims with his claws. And finally the energy Alien,who is coolest looking one. But unfortunately that it gets slain with a piece of wood. Then the alien specimen zoo keeper, who was only trying to help. But nothing can prevent him from being killed by confused locals. Recently I purchased the DVD. I had some of the best laughs! The synthesizer music makes the movie.
the teletubbies movie.
trashgang8 October 2008
I once saw The Fiend or also know as Fiend, what a turkey that was but this one is even worser. The copper looks like a McCloud rip off, acting is terrible and let us please be quiet about the aliens. No special effects, only a man dressed as an alien. And it goes on and on, even your toddlers could watch this one and may think, hey there's a teletubbie on the run. And then there's one special effect, you will see, it's an effect used in the silent movies. This is one of your worst nightmares to watch, extreme slow, extreme stupid, extreme boring. Just have a look at the alien again, it's a stilted man. I can go one for ages about Alien Factor. Luckely it was on DVD together with Fiend, two turkeys for the price of one...
Don Dohler's master-work
Red-Barracuda20 March 2016
Man, you've gotta love Don Dohler. He was the man responsible The Galaxy Invader (1985), an alien film which transcended its low budget restrictions and was a laugh-a-minute, extremely entertaining bit of sci-fi hokum. I thought that Dohler couldn't surely top that one and subsequently found his earlier horror film Fiend (1980) to be nowhere near as psychotronically entertaining. However, having seen his debut firm The Alien Factor I figure I must now have surely seen Dohler's true masterpiece. This one is pretty similar in plot-line to Galaxy Invader, except where that latter movie had a sympathetic E.T. influenced alien, The Alien Factor sports a trio of vicious nasty old-school monsters and so this sci-fi effort has one foot firmly in the horror genre too.
The story starts directly after an alien spaceship crash lands in Maryland resulting in three deadly aliens being released to terrorize the local population.
Like all of Dohler's films this one was independently made and low budget. But also, like his films in general, some actual care has been taken to make the film as good as it can be. Sure, there's lots of dodgy acting and ropey dialogue (which add a lot of fun value it has to be said) but some effort has also been taken in other areas. For instance, we have five different aliens in total, and all are rather interestingly designed. There is some stop motion work used for one of the creatures - a giant invisible lizard, we also have a giant insectoid, there is a hairy enormously tall yeti-like creature, a white haired space pilot and a shape-shifting being with a monstrous face. It's all very commendably done, with lots of imagination involved in the design work. Accompanying all of this is one of the most insistent synthesizer scores you will ever hear, it's a soundtrack that takes every given opportunity to sound 'futuristic' - in 1978, this was the sound of the future. On the other hand, space is also found for more traditional music, via a performance of a song from a rock band called Padding...I mean Atlantis. Again, details like this, merely add to this film's overall charm.
I would have to say that this one is a great example of an independent, low-budget b-movie. The film-makers never forget to keep things interesting. It's one of those films whose very shortcomings actually seem mostly like positives too and that is quite a rarity. The film eventually wraps up on a pleasingly ironic and downbeat fashion, which seemed a perfect way to end this particular story.
The story starts directly after an alien spaceship crash lands in Maryland resulting in three deadly aliens being released to terrorize the local population.
Like all of Dohler's films this one was independently made and low budget. But also, like his films in general, some actual care has been taken to make the film as good as it can be. Sure, there's lots of dodgy acting and ropey dialogue (which add a lot of fun value it has to be said) but some effort has also been taken in other areas. For instance, we have five different aliens in total, and all are rather interestingly designed. There is some stop motion work used for one of the creatures - a giant invisible lizard, we also have a giant insectoid, there is a hairy enormously tall yeti-like creature, a white haired space pilot and a shape-shifting being with a monstrous face. It's all very commendably done, with lots of imagination involved in the design work. Accompanying all of this is one of the most insistent synthesizer scores you will ever hear, it's a soundtrack that takes every given opportunity to sound 'futuristic' - in 1978, this was the sound of the future. On the other hand, space is also found for more traditional music, via a performance of a song from a rock band called Padding...I mean Atlantis. Again, details like this, merely add to this film's overall charm.
I would have to say that this one is a great example of an independent, low-budget b-movie. The film-makers never forget to keep things interesting. It's one of those films whose very shortcomings actually seem mostly like positives too and that is quite a rarity. The film eventually wraps up on a pleasingly ironic and downbeat fashion, which seemed a perfect way to end this particular story.
A quirky little film.
Demilich24 June 1999
I saw this film as a kid on the Saturday afternoon "Monster Theater". I've seen it a few more times since then, and I still get a kick out of it.
Basically, an alien ship crashes (of course) on its way to some intergalactic zoo. Three very dangerous aliens escape the wreck and go back to their normal predatory behavior patterns. It's up to the Earthlings to stop them...
This film was pretty creative for its time, and the methods used to "deal" with the aliens showed some logical and innovative thought on the writer's part.
It probably will never be listed in the top ten films of all time, but it's a fun romp when you're in the mood for cheesy movies. Give it a chance.
Basically, an alien ship crashes (of course) on its way to some intergalactic zoo. Three very dangerous aliens escape the wreck and go back to their normal predatory behavior patterns. It's up to the Earthlings to stop them...
This film was pretty creative for its time, and the methods used to "deal" with the aliens showed some logical and innovative thought on the writer's part.
It probably will never be listed in the top ten films of all time, but it's a fun romp when you're in the mood for cheesy movies. Give it a chance.
Bad, Lame and Unwatchable
aesgaard4121 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
First off, I have to ask, what was this movie doing on a DVD set of horror movies? It's not a horror movie; it's a sci-fi flick, and a bad one at that. The plot revolves around a flying saucer that crashes, and its inhabitants breaking free to terrorize the countryside. A local scientist somehow reasons that the craft was carrying "alien criminals and killers" on little to no evidence, and like so many other flying saucer movies, he struggles to convince the local sheriff as the murder count piles up. The acting is wooden, the sets are vacant rooms and the monsters are unconvincing. This is basically the Ed Wood-style of film-making with a "Night of the Living Dead" budget. You know it's a bad movie when the smartest thing anyone can say is, "Well, this thing won't be killing anyone else. That's for sure." One just gets the feeling the film was made up over the course of a weekend because there's no indication that a plot was ever conceived. Cheap production. Bad script. No effort at all.
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