James Spader returns to territory familiar from his experience on the doomed Supernova (2001), as a cryptographer brought in to consult on a possible extra-terrestrial discovery. But instead of developing a traditional Alien (1979) scenario, which it appears to initially, this combines elements from several much more complex SF films.
The Andromeda Strain (1971): Confined within their laboratory, a skeleton crew have to deal with the possibility that they have been exposed to an alien contagion which will threaten the world.
The Thing (1982): After an alien is thawed out, tensions rise amid the group, who are isolated in the Antarctic.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): The aliens, which bear a striking resemblance to those in Independence Day (1996), are discovered to be benign.
Shot in Bulgaria by the prolific Nu Image, this quickie also has a notable supporting cast. Spader is joined by familiar Scots actor John Lynch, champion Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis (!), Heather Graham's sister, Aimee, Kier Dullea, aka Dave from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and character actor Roy Dotrice.
Despite being derivative, Alien Hunter is actually a pretty good movie. A charismatic performance from Spader and some excellent computer effects work elevates this beyond the usual B-movie expectations.
The Andromeda Strain (1971): Confined within their laboratory, a skeleton crew have to deal with the possibility that they have been exposed to an alien contagion which will threaten the world.
The Thing (1982): After an alien is thawed out, tensions rise amid the group, who are isolated in the Antarctic.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): The aliens, which bear a striking resemblance to those in Independence Day (1996), are discovered to be benign.
Shot in Bulgaria by the prolific Nu Image, this quickie also has a notable supporting cast. Spader is joined by familiar Scots actor John Lynch, champion Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis (!), Heather Graham's sister, Aimee, Kier Dullea, aka Dave from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and character actor Roy Dotrice.
Despite being derivative, Alien Hunter is actually a pretty good movie. A charismatic performance from Spader and some excellent computer effects work elevates this beyond the usual B-movie expectations.