Some Extra-terrestrials Aren't Friendly

Criticising ’Xtro’ for not being very cohesive is a bit like having a go at a bacon sandwich for not being kosher. In fact, the film barely registers as a narrative at all, instead operating as a surreal kaleidoscope of disturbing imagery and body horror, punctuated by death and decay and pulsating bags of offal.  Frame for frame, it’s one of the most startling British films ever made, and one of the nastiest.

Mainly about a rather understaffed alien invasion, it also operates as something of a domestic drama, and is remarkably well acted for something with such an obviously low budget. In fact, ‘Xtro’ may be cheap, but it does lots of things very well, especially in terms of make-up and effects, which are actually very good. Its intentions, however, are pure exploitation, so it’s also sleazy and tacky – and hugely entertaining.  

So, if you’ve ever wanted to see a malevolent dwarf doing mind magic, watch a  woman give birth to a full grown man, or see an Action Man come to life and bayonet Lou Beale from ‘Eastenders’ to death, then ‘Xtro’ is definitely the film for you. If, on the other hand, you faint at the thought of raw mince, I’d give it a pretty wide berth.

Xtro

 

F***, It's Freddie!

FMIF as the hairy and mystical Ynir in Saturday afternoon TV favourite 'Krull' (1983).

Spy vs Scrounger

This 'World In Action' programme from 1983 starts with a raid on a gypsy camp in Essex, before showing us some nice extracts from the Fraud Investigator's Guide.

The programme is pretty one sided, focusing on cases where offences are committed out of sheer desperation or where the charges were apparently trumped up (although no actual evidence is provided one way or another) - cases where fraud is carried out purely for personal gain do not seem to exist - had they never heard 'Wham! Rap' ('give a wham, give a bam, but don't give a damn, 'cause the benefit gang are gonna pay')? To add balance, a former DHSS investigator is dragged in to discuss methods of detection, and is interviewed as if he had been a member of the Ton Ton Macoute. 

In the end, however, they conclude that far more money could be reclaimed by going after those guilty of tax evasion, but cracking down on benefits cheats seems to appeal to the public's baser instincts and scores cheap political points - and I can't really disagree with that. Phew, aren't you glad we don't live like that now?

Claimant - Scrounger

Snooper - Spy

Interestingly, the ongoing conflict between the spies and the scroungers is largely a Cold War, fought in disguise and at a distance, hence the John Le Carre tribute title. The man in the fisherman's hat is not the Phantom Flan Flinger on his way to the Tyne Tees studios, but rather a loft insulator by trade, and a benefit cheat by necessity (or is that the other way round?). Either way, I expect the hat comes in handy. Nasty stuff, that fibreglass

Waves

Waves, eh? Great, aren't they? Mike Barron of Cambridge University thinks so, definitely: waves are Mike's thing. More third hand, fifth generation images from 'Science Topics'.