Spaced Invaders Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Spaced Invaders Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 21, 2020

Patrick Read Johnson's "Spaced Invaders" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vitage trailer for the film; new audio commentary recorded by co-writer/director Patrick Read Johnson, co=writer Scott Lawrence Alexander, co-editor Seth Gaven, and second unit director Scott Andrew Ressier; new interviews with cast members; new interview with visual effects supervisor John Knoll; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Californian surfers

In the United States, Spaced Invaders was first released on Blu-ray by Mill Creek Entertainment in 2015. For an in-depth analysis of the film, please see Marty Liebman's review of this release here.

Spaced Invaders Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Spaced Invaders arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an old master, which I assume is the same master the folks at Mill Creek Entertainment worked with to produce their release of Spaced Invaders in 2015. I like this master quite a lot because it has some pretty strong organic qualities. Yes, a new master will introduce meaningful improvements and make the film look fresher and lusher, but I think that the basic characteristics of the current master are solid. For example, I did not see any traces of problematic digital work, so generally speaking the visuals have a rather nice and very consistent organic appearance. Depth is also ranges from decent to good. In fact, many of the darker areas reveal surprisingly diverse ranges of nuances. Some extremely light crushing is noticeable from time to time, but this is an inherited limitation on virtually all older masters and here it is extremely easy to tolerate. The color grading job is convincing. Is there room for improvement? Yes, but the overall balance and temperature of the color scheme are good. There are a few spots where I noticed some very light shakes within the frame, but there are no serious stability issues. So, with this release you are getting a slightly dated but still quite nice organic presentation of Spaced Invaders. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Spaced Invaders Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is very clear, sharp and stable. I think that whenever the current mix was prepared everything was done right. However, it definitely feels like the film needs to have a 5.1 track because there is so much action with diverse dynamics. To be honest, I am more than a little surprised that a 5.1 track was not prepared. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Spaced Invaders Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - this audio commentary was recorded by co-writer/director Patrick Read Johnson, co=writer Scott Lawrence Alexander, co-editor Seth Gaven, and second unit director Scott Andrew Ressier. The guys go down memory lane and have a lot of interesting stories to share about the making of the film and its reception. For example, they recall how excited they were to find out that Steven Spielberg was a big fan of their film. There are also some quite hilarious observations about the shooting of different segments at unusual locations (parking lots) and even a few screw ups (the action is supposed to take place in a small time in Illinois, but you could see some palm trees). If you enjoy the film definitely find the time to listen to the commentary in its entirety.

• Fan One - in this video interview, co-writer/director Patrick Read Johnson discusses his childhood years in the Chicago area, his admiration for Star Wars, his move to California and first visit to a major studio, the conception of Spaced Invaders and its reception, etc. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 1080p).

• The Sheriff of Big Bean - in this video interview, star Douglas Barr recalls how he became involved with Spaced Invaders which at the time was called Martians and what it was like to work with director Patrick Read Johnson and the rest of the cast during the production process. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080p).

• Spiff and Me - in this video interview, star Ariana Richards recalls her very first acting role in Spaced Invaders and the working atmosphere she shared with the rest of the cast. There are also some interesting observations about Patrick Read Johnson's directing methods. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 1080p).

• Blaznee Speaks! - in this video interview, actor Kevin Thompson discusses some of the key roles in his career and his contribution to Spaced Invaders. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 1080p).

• Model Kits From Mars - in this video interview, visual effects supervisor John Knoll explains how his love for escapist films landed him a job in the film industry and discusses his contribution to Spaced Invaders. There are also some very interesting comments about the ways in which the special effects enhanced the comedy in the film. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080p).

• Invasion of the Watermelon Heads - in which video interview, alien special effects supervisor and creator John Criswell discusses his love for cinematic monsters and explains in great detail how the alien creatures in Spaced Invaders were created on a budget. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Spaced Invaders. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).

• Cover - reversible cover with original poster art.

• Additional Trailers - additional trailers for the following films from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. My Science Project
  2. The Puppet Masters
  3. Deep Rising

Spaced Invaders Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What could go wrong if on Halloween night the wackiest and quite possibly the shortest aliens in the entire universe land in a small town in rural Illinois while the local radio station is broadcasting Orson Welles' classic adaptation of The War of the Worlds? Well, pick up Spaced Invaders and you will find out. I just saw this film for the first time and thought that it was wonderful. It is very funny and oozing enthusiasm that is simply irresistible. (Maybe this is why Steven Spielberg is a big fan of it as well). Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but pretty good master and offers a terrific selection of new bonus features that were produced exclusively for it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.