Xtro (1982)

IMDb Rating
	5.6

Xtro is a low-budget British science fiction horror cult movie made in 1982 and directed by Harry Bromley Davenport and co-produced by Bob Shaye. It is the first installment of the Xtro franchise.

Plot[]

As Sam Phillips and his son Tony are playing outside their farm, Sam is suddenly abducted by a bright light. Three years later, the light returns and plants a seed. A half-human, half-alien creature develops from the seed, and is hit by a car; the couple in the car are soon killed. The creature then goes to a cottage nearby, where it attacks and impregnates the young woman living there before dissolving. When she awakens later, her belly rapidly grows to a gargantuan size until she gives birth to a fully formed Sam, killing her. Sam washes himself, steals the driver's clothes and leaves in the car.

Sam seeks out Tony, who lives in an apartment building in London with his mother Rachel, her new American boyfriend Joe Daniels, and French au pair Analise Mercier. Tony has recurring nightmares where he wakes up soaked in another person's blood. Sam picks Tony up from school and is found by Rachel. Despite Joe's consternation Sam goes to live with the family, claiming that he can't remember anything. After Tony sees Sam eating the eggs of his pet snake, Sam comforts him and drinks his blood. Tony soon discovers he has paranormal powers, which he uses to send a human-sized toy soldier to slaughter a neighbor who killed his snake and to bring a toy clown to life.

Sam and Rachel visit the farm where they used to live, leaving Tony in Analise's care. During a game of hide-and-seek with Tony, Analise is knocked out by the clown and used as a womb for the alien eggs. Tony sends a toy tank to attack her boyfriend Michael, who is killed by a panther as he tries to flee. Meanwhile, Sam and Rachel make love at the farm and his skin starts to bleed and decompose. Joe takes Tony to the farm, where Sam takes his son up a hill towards the alien light. Sam, now taking the form of an alien, uses his scream to kill Joe. Sam and Tony enter the light and return to the alien world, leaving Rachel behind. Arriving at home the next day, Rachel finds an overturned refrigerator full of eggs. As she picks up one, Rachel is killed by a newborn creature.

Cast[]

Philip Sayer as Sam Phillips
Bernice Stegers as Rachel Phillips
Danny Brainin as Joe Daniels
Maryam d'Abo as Analise Mercier
Simon Nash as Tony Phillips
Peter Mandell as Clown
David Cardy as Michael
Anna Wing as Mrs. Goodman
Robert Fyfe as Doctor
Katherine Best as Jane
Robert Pereno as Ben
Sean Crawford as Commando
Tim Dry as Monster
Susie Silvey as Woman in Cottage
Arthur Whybrow as Mr. Knight

Reception[]

The film currently holds a rating of 44% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, according to 9 reviews. It has a rating of 5.6/10 on IMDb.

Release[]

The film was released theatrically in the United States by New Line Cinema in 1983.

The film was released on DVD three times in the United States by Image Entertainment. The first DVD of the film was released in 2005 as a double feature with sequel Xtro II: The Second Encounter. The second DVD was released in 2006 as a standalone release. The third DVD was released in 2007 and was a triple feature alongside Xtro II: The Second Encounter and Skeeter.

In Britain the entire Xtro trilogy was released in box-set, remastered anamorphic widescreen with 5.1 for Xtro II and an interview with director Harry Bromley Davenport covering the production of all three films. It has since then been out of print.

Alternate Ending[]

Director Harry Bromley Davenport originally intended the film to end with Rachel coming home to find the apartment filled with clones of Tony, having apparently come from the alien eggs which the real Tony had left in the refrigerator. Rachel is shown to be pregnant with Sam’s second child and the clones of Tony come at her and rub her belly at which she smiles.

But executive producer Robert Shaye, not thinking the scenes special effects were convincing enough, edited it out and released it for its New York debut with the film ending when Rachel sits down in the field after Sam and Tony have left. Davenport, however, not wanting to have it end on such an abrupt note, created another one which had Rachel going back to the apartment, picking up one of the eggs and being attacked by a face-grabbing creature similar to the one that attacked the woman in cottage, and ultimately the film was released with this ending.

Sequels[]

Director Harry Bromley Davenport made two sequels to the film, Xtro II: The Second Encounter and Xtro 3: Watch the Skies. Neither films had anything to do with the original film. In March 2011, Davenport confirmed that Xtro 4 was in the works. Speaking to Fangoria.com, he stated:

“I am going to be starting XTRO 4 this summer; you are the first to receive this shattering news,” Davenport tells us. “A script by Daryl Haney is in the works, and my sales guys are salivating. It’s going to be a very odd movie indeed. Sort of back to the roots of the first one, but much stranger and, hopefully, more uncomfortable.”

Taglines[]

A brutal excursion in terror
When Tony grows up, he's going to be just like Daddy!
This Alien is Pure Evil.
Some extra-terrestrials aren't friendly.

Trivia[]

Director Harry Bromley Davenport stated in an interview on the DVD release that the bizarre atmosphere of the film was completely unintentional.
The creature that attacks the woman in cottage was played by a mime they hired to crawl on his back.
The film was often incorrectly listed as a UK video nasty though it was never officially listed among the original 72 titles.
Director Harry Bromley Davenport humorously described his score for the film in an interview as "screaming synthesizers."
Director Harry Bromley Davenport originally intended the film to end with Rachel coming home to find the apartment filled with clones of Tony, having apparently come from the alien eggs which the real Tony had left in the refrigerator. But executive producer Robert Shaye, not thinking the scenes special effects were convincing enough, edited it out and released it for its New York debut with the film ending when Rachel sits down in the field after Sam and Tony have left. Davenport, however, not wanting to have it end on such an abrupt note, created another one which had Rachel going back to the apartment, picking up one of the eggs and being attacked by a face-grabbing creature similar to the one that attacked the woman in cottage, and ultimately the film was released with this ending.
A photo of the Monster went viral online in 2014 where people claimed that it was the photo of the mythical Skinwalker taken in New Mexico. This even hit national news. Eventually the source of the photo would be discovered, debunking all Skinwalker theories.

Gallery[]

Videos[]

External links[]

Xtro (1982) at the Internet Movie Database
Xtro (1982) at AllMovie
Xtro (1982) at Rotten Tomatoes
Xtro at Wikipedia

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