Themes: Fish Out of Water, Culture Clash, Benign Aliens
Main Cast: James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, Terence Stamp, Kevin Howard, Leslie Bevis
Release Year: 1988
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
In this vaguely allegorical science fiction-crime film, a Los Angeles cop tries to solve the murder of his best friend with the help of his new partner -- a member of a star-faring alien race. In the near-future world of Alien Nation, the "Newcomers" are a race of formerly enslaved humanoids seeking refuge and integration into Earth society. These unusual immigrants face anger and resentment from some humans, including Matthew Sykes (James Caan), a cop whose partner, Tug (Roger Aaron Brown), was killed in a shoot-out with several Newcomers. In order to get some insight into Newcomer society and track down the "slags" who killed Tug, Sykes volunteers to take on a new partner,Sam "George" Francisco (Mandy Patinkin), the first alien ever promoted to the rank of detective. As Sykes tries to overcome his bigotry against George and his kind, who eat raw beaver and get drunk on spoiled milk, the friendly, helpful George soon learns the identity of Tug's killer: William Harcort (Terrence Stamp), a pillar of Newcomer society who is secretly manufacturing the same powerful narcotic that was used to enslave his race. It's up to Sykes and George to stop Harcort before he turns his fellow Newcomers into drooling addicts and pulls the skeletons out of his race's closet for all of humankind to see. Omen 3 director Graham Baker made his screenwriting debut with Alien Nation, as did co-writer Rockne S. O'Bannon. Kenneth Johnson, creator of the miniseries V, would adapt Alien Nation into a weekly television show in 1989 and several made-for-TV movies in the mid-'90s. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Review
A standard-issue cop flick with a sci-fi twist, Alien Nation utilizes the conventions of the genre -- the grizzled, rule-breaking detective, the rookie partner, the deadly new drug infecting the streets, and unfortunately, the black officer who dies in the first ten minutes -- even as it subverts them with a bit of humor and lots of Star Trek-worthy makeup effects. A puffy, weather-beaten James Caan plays straight man to an unrecognizable Mandy Patinkin's eager-to-please alien cop, both actors game enough to spout police force truisms without cracking a smile. Meanwhile, the venerable Terrence Stamp, in possibly his only role to feature more makeup than his drag-queen character in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, portrays a "Newcomer" crime lord with elegant aplomb. Like the script's crime flick elements, the science fiction ideas here are mostly third hand, but for a film that's basically a cross between V and The French Connection, Alien Nation is assembled with considerable finesse. The spacemen-assimilate plot line puts more emphasis on characters than on special effects, which probably kept the budget in line and certainly makes a change from the creatures-and-explosions trappings of many such genre exercises. The script's parallels between outer-space immigrants and their human counterparts may come off a little heavy-handed, but they do give Alien Nation a touch of social relevance. Throw in some strong action scenes, some pretty good gags, and Leslie Bevis as an alien good-time gal, and you've got a sci-fi film that pleases its core audience while giving the general action fan something to enjoy. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Peter Jason - Fedorchuk; Shuko Akune - Police Secretary; Abraham Alvarez - Mayor; Earl Boen - Duncan Crois; Roger Aaron Brown - Bill Tuggle; Frank Collison - Bentner; Kendall Conrad - Mrs. Francisco; Tom Finnegan - Natuzzi; Don Hood - Moffet; Diana James - Ortiz; Jessica James - Mrs. Porter; George Jenesky - Quint; Jeff Kober - Josh Strader; Ed Krieger - Alien Dealer; Van Ling - Newcomer #1 on TV; Doug MacHugh - Victor Goldrup; Frank McCarthy - Capt. Warner; Tom Morga - Raincoat; Angela O'Neill - Kristin Sykes; Tony Simotes - Wiltey; Robert Starr - Coroner's Attendant; Thomas Wagner - O'Neal; Keone Young - Winter; Alec Gillis - Newcomer in Bar; Brian Thompson - Trent Porter; Tom de Franco - Detective; Clarence M. Landry; George Robotham - Boat Captain; Edgar Small - Minkler; Bobby Sargent - Coroners Driver; Karen Rea; Stephanie Shroyer - Female Cop; Bebe Drake - Computer Operator; Tony Perez - Alterez
Credit
Joseph C. Nemec III - Art Director, Gordon Webb - Boom Operator, Steve Bowerman - Boom Operator, Joan Bradshaw - Casting, Karen Rea - Casting, Sarah Elgart - Choreography, Gale Anne Hurd - Co-producer, Richard Kobritz - Co-producer, Erica Phillips - Costume Designer, Newt Arnold - First Assistant Director, Jim Behnke - First Assistant Director, Herb Adelman - First Assistant Director, Graham Baker - Director, Conrad Palmisano - Second Unit Director, Kent Beyda - Editor, Don Brochu - Editor, Curt Sobel - Editor, Janice Alexander - Hair Styles, Cass Martin - Location Manager, Bruce Rush - Location Manager, Richard Powell - Location Manager, Jerry Goldsmith - Composer (Music Score), Curt Sobel - Composer (Music Score), Budd Carr - Musical Direction/Supervision, Katalin Elek - Makeup, Monty Westmore - Makeup, Papp Zoltan - Makeup, Michael Mills - Makeup, John M. Elliott, Jr. - Makeup, John Blake - Makeup Special Effects, Steve Frakes - Makeup Special Effects, Matt Rose - Makeup Special Effects, Michael Spatola - Makeup Special Effects, Michael Trcic - Makeup Special Effects, Mark Garbarino - Makeup Special Effects, John Price - Makeup Special Effects, David Anderson - Makeup Special Effects, Grant Arndt - Makeup Special Effects, Roger Borelli - Makeup Special Effects, Greg Figiel - Makeup Special Effects, Emilio M. Gonzales - Makeup Special Effects, Jeff Kennemore - Makeup Special Effects, Makio Kida - Makeup Special Effects, Eryn Krueger - Makeup Special Effects, Richard J. Landon - Makeup Special Effects, Karen Mason - Makeup Special Effects, Brian Penikas - Makeup Special Effects, Russell Seifert - Makeup Special Effects, Michiko Tagawa - Makeup Special Effects, Phil Caplan - Camera Operator, Michael Benson - Camera Operator, Joan Bradshaw - Production Designer, Jack T. Collis - Production Designer, Adam Greenberg - Cinematographer, Jim Duffy - Set Designer, John Warnke - Set Designer, Jeffrey Machit - Special Effects, Richard Lopez - Special Effects, Alan Rifkin - Special Effects, John Robles - Special Effects, Michael P. Stipe - Special Effects, Charles Wilborn - Sound/Sound Designer, David MacMillan - Sound/Sound Designer, Wayne Allwine - Sound Editor, Warren Hamilton, Jr. - Sound Editor, Solange S. Schwalbe - Sound Editor, Michael J. Benavente - Sound Editor, Lucy Coldsnow - Sound Editor, Donlee Jorgensen - Sound Editor, Colin C. Mouat - Sound Editor, David Spence - Sound Editor, Robert Renga - Sound Recordist, Roydon E. Clark - Stunts, Erik Cord - Stunts, Gregg G. Dandridge - Stunts, Paul Lane - Stunts, Troy Melton - Stunts, Wayne Montanio - Stunts, Gary Morgan - Stunts, Jeff Ramsey - Stunts, Thomas Rosales, Jr. - Stunts, Bill M. Ryusaki - Stunts, Jerry Summers - Stunts, Jim Wilkey - Stunts, Dick Ziker - Stunts, Dick Hancock - Stunts, Conrad Palmisano - Stunts, Greg Walker - Stunts, Harry Wowchuk - Stunts, Eugene Collier - Stunts, Glory Fioramonti - Stunts, Terry Jackson - Stunts, Dwayne McGee - Stunts, Bill McIntosh - Stunts, Nick Palmisano - Stunts, Chere Rae - Stunts, Wally Rose - Stunts, Sharon Schaffer - Stunts, Rock Walker - Stunts, Brian J. Williams - Stunts, Mike Johnson - Stunts, Roger Creed - Stunts, Rick Seaman - Stunts, Bruce Paul Barbour - Stunts, Simone Boisseree - Stunts, Greg Wayne Elam - Stunts, George Fisher - Stunts, Bradley J. Bovee - Stunts, James Welch - Stunts, Dennis C. Alpert - Stunts, Harold Burns - Stunts, Ralph Garrett - Stunts, Leslie Hoffman - Stunts, Rick Sawaya - Stunts, Lori M. Van der Veer - Stunts, Steve Geray - Stunts, Conrad Palmisano - Stunts Coordinator, Graham Baker - Screenwriter, Rockne S. O'Bannon - Screenwriter, Frank Holgate - Second Unit Director Of Photography, Susan Trembly - Unit Publicist, Jean Morrisey - Associate Editor, Vance Piper - First Assistant Camera, Jono Kouzouyan - Gaffer, Gene Kearney - Key Grip, Carlton Kaller - Music Editor, Janis Benjamin Collister - Production Coordinator, Louis S. Fleming - Properties, Don Bassman - Re-Recording Mixer, Richard Overton - Re-Recording Mixer, Kevin F. Cleary - Re-Recording Mixer, Kevin E. Carpenter - Re-Recording Mixer, Harvey Waldman - Second Assistant Director, Joe Unsinn - Special Effects Coordinator, Jane O'Neal - Still Photographer, Mark Mangini - Supervising Sound Editor, Nicholas Vincent Korda - ADR Editor, Charleen Richards - ADR Mixer, Mike Carrillo - Assistant Properties, John Pierce - Best Boy Electric, Donald Dahlquist - Best Boy Electric, Roberto Munoz - Best Boy Grip, David Christie - Best Boy Grip, Doreen Lane - Casting Assistant, Dennis De Waay - Construction Coordinator, Linda Serijan Fasmer - Costumes Supervisor, Michael J. Long - Costumes Supervisor, Donald L. Hartley - Dolly Grip, Frank Warren - Extra Casting, Tracy S. Granger - First Assistant Editor, Lorraine Salk - First Assistant Editor, Christopher Flick - Foley Editor, Peter Tomaszewicz - Foley Editor, Bill Borden - Production Executive, Alicia Craft - Second Assistant Camera, Barbara M. Ravis - Second Second Assistant Director, Mike Paventi - Transportation Captain, Steven E. Fegley - Construction Foreman, Gary Burritt - Negative Cutter, James W. Gavin - Pilot, Karl Wickman - Pilot, Ernest D. Farino - Title Design, Bill Davis - Armorer
The following year, the film's plot concept was used as the basis for a television series of the same name, which premiered in 1989 and ran for a single season. A comic book series and book series were started when it looked like it might never return to television. Finally in 1994, the first of fivetelevision movies was produced as a continuation of the series.
Syfy is planning a new Alien Nation television series.[1]
Los Angeles becomes a new home for the aliens, who take, or in some cases are assigned, sometimes comical human names (such as "Rudyard Kipling"). Caan plays Los Angeles police detective Matthew Sykes, who loses his partner when they try to stop two Newcomers in what appears to be a robbery of a small Newcomer-owned store. The next day Sykes' commanding officer informs his squad that they will have to work with the newly promoted Newcomer detective, Sam Francisco (Mandy Patinkin), and if someone doesn't volunteer to work with him the commanding officer shall choose someone. Sykes volunteers to work with Francisco, feeling that as he investigates crimes involving Newcomers he will find opportunities to also investigate his partner's death, which he is officially forbidden to do.
Sykes tells Sam that the joke name given to him by an immigration official is embarrassing, and calls his partner George. In return, "George" points out that in his own language, "Sykes" sounds like the two words meaning "excrement" and "cranium" - "shithead". As the pair continue to be assigned cases which mainly deal with Newcomer criminals and victims and as the cases progress, Sykes learns to appreciate his partner. Sykes further learns an alien anatomy lesson from an encounter with Trent Porter (Brian Thompson) at a bar, called Encounters.
The main villain of the film is an ambitious Newcomer businessman (Stamp) who plans to sell a drug which was used to pacify the Newcomers when they were slaves, but which has no effect on humans.
