ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

I don't know how I managed to omit this classic independent sci-fi/horror film from All Sci-Fi's prestigious roster, but somehow I overlooked it.

However, that grievous error is hereby rectified! Here's IMDB's synopsis of the plot.

A meteor strikes a houseboat in the swamps near a southern town populated by Yankees with fake accents. The people on the houseboat become zombies who feed on the alligators in the swamp. Once they run out of alligators, they start going for the citizens. A local scientist tries to figure out what's happening to people once they start disappearing.

The mind boggles at the thought of such an orignal plot. Alligator-eating zombies who survived a meteorite impact and proceeded to consume the innocent inhabitants of a peaceful swamp-bound community!

Will the brave scientist uncover the truth before the simple swamp folk become Cajun cuisine for ravenous cannibal mutants?

Buster Crabbe's last roll was his crowning achievement in this low-budget but imaginative little gem which was (according to the narrator on the trailer below) made exclusively for Hollywood drive-ins. The ominous voice-over tells us that it "Starts Friday at Hollywood drive-ins," — and I'm sure it had a successful run all the way until Sunday night!

The second Youtube video below is the exciting climax, in which we actually get to see Buster Crabbe in his starring role as Sheriff Kawolski!

IMDB has two trivia items for this classic. Here they both are.

Finnal screen appearance of Buster Crabbe.

Final screen appearance of Buster Crabbe.

I'm not sure what the difference is between a "finnal" screen appear and a "final" screen appearance, but by gum this movie was BOTH!

IMDB also includes three "Goofs" items — and frankly I was surprised that this near-flawless classic had made any mistakes at all!

Well, I guess no movie is perfect.

Here are the minor flaws which some diligent fan spotted, probably after many enjoyable viewings of the VHS tape. IMDB says that producer Chuck Sumner also did the music and played one of the zombies.

My God, what a trooper!

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An old lady gets stabbed with a three-pronged pitchfork and four prongs come out of her back!

Note from me: Well, frankly I think the author of the above item didn't realize this was the director's symbolic way of saying that a horrible death like this is 33% more painful than we imagine!

Towards the end of the film a woman gets attacked after running away from hers and her boyfriend's broken down car. You see a zombie eating what is supposed to be her severed right hand, but in one of the following shots you can see her right hand still attached to the body.

Note from me: I'm sure this was a subtle way of portraying the "phantom pain" all amputees experience after loosing an appendage!

When the blonde woman is coming around her car towards her house, she trips over a cable or wire from the equipment.

Note from me: Come now, let's be fair about this.

If the actress had really tripped over a wire from a piece of the film crew's equipment, I'm sure the director would have reshot the scene! It's more likely that the actress was portraying her extreme anxiety, showing us that her knees were weak from sheer terror!

__________________ Alien Dead 1980 trailer


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___________ Alien Dead (1980) - Dumb ending


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Custer]