XTRO

UK, 1983, 82 minutes, Colour.
Philip Sayer, Bernice Steegers.
Directed by Harry Bromley Davenport.

Xtro is B-budget British science fiction and horror. Advertising linked it to E.T. - a child, but one who finds aliens are not always friendly. The film also echoes Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the kind of horror of Larry Cohen's It's Alive and It Lives Again. There are effective, sometimes very gruesome, special effects.

The film presupposes alien beings who can take over humans - with horrific consequences. This is balanced by a conventional story of a widow and son and boyfriend and violent confrontations. Some sex is added in the form of a shapely au pair girl and her boy friend - who are summarily disposed of during the film. The film works on a comic book level rather than sophisticated science fiction.

1. The impact of science fiction and horror? Interpretation of the present? Apprehensions about the future? The popularity of this kind of film late '70s, early '80s? Audiences interested, enjoying the horror and the imaginative nightmare?

2. The film was described as a sub-science fiction rip-off? How accurate is this description? B-budget? Cast? Location photography? Special effects? The work of the director in the basic story, music composition and performance?

3. The quality of the imagination in the film? Comparisons with E.T. and body-snatching style science fiction? Mutants, aliens?

4. The prologue: dream and reality? Sam chasing Tony? The bright light? His being taken? Tony's waking up? The thew of dream and reality? Fantasy?

5. The effect on Tony? Reliance on his mother, longing for his father and expecting him to return, antipathy towards Joe? Recurring nightmares?

6. The conventional story of the household: Rachel and her coping, Joe living in, his work (and the dash of sex with the modelling sessions and photography)? Tony's isolation, resentment? This conventional story as a base for Sam's reappearance?

7. The science fiction trappings of the alien, the monster delivered to earth, the car crash and the accident, the killing of the couple, taking the victims ' clothes, the rape of the woman in the house, the scene of her monstrous giving birth to the adult Sam, his new life?

8. Sam arid his normal appearance? His arriving at the household? Trying to cope with the three years' absence? The dilemma for Rachel? For Joe? Tony and his delight? Sharing experiences with his father? Eating the snake eggs and Tony's revulsion? His father biting him and taking him over? Telekinesis? Power and alienation - to what purpose?

9. Rachel and the effect on her, trying to cope, the emotional dilemma, the puzzle? Trying to cope with Tony? The phone calls and her concern about Tony? Her losing both Sam and Tony?

10. Tony and his isolation, his toys, pet snake? miss Goodman and her killing the snake? His vengeful and sending the live toy to kill her? The dwarf and their murderous play?

11. Anneliese as the au pair girl, her role in the household, looking after Tony? Her boyfriend - the sex scenes? His being attacked and killed by the panther? Her being bitten by Sam? Her skeletal form in the bathroom? Giving birth to the pods?

12. Joe and the confrontation, seeing the photo of the murdered girl in the coat. the phone calls home, the death of the doorman?

13. The build-up to the visit to the country house. the fight with Sam? Rachel's dilemma? Sam and his beginning to disintegrate?

14. The escape, Joe's death, the pods left on earth. Rachel's return home - reality or imagination?

15. How effective was the film as science fiction horror story? As imaginative nightmare?