Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Alien Factor Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 28, 2016

Magazine publisher and genre enthusiast Don Dohler decided to try his luck as a movie director in the 1970s, with his debut, “The Alien Factor,” a riff on the extraterrestrial terror pictures from the 1950s. Armed with a severely limited budget, Dohler elected to use his home community as a backlot, turning rural Maryland into a battleground for intergalactic war. “The Alien Factor” is undeniably shoddy in construction and muddled in tone, and it won’t win any accolades for helming finesse, watching Dohler trip over himself trying to keep up with basic technical challenges, but for those who embrace the art of schlock, especially one that’s not striving to be campy, the feature has its bottom-shelf charms. At the very least, Dohler keeps the malevolent creatures coming throughout the run time, proving his awareness of the film’s appeal.

In the small town of Perry Hill, an alien outbreak has occurred, with various creatures targeting locals, leaving Sheriff Cinder (Tom Griffith) and Deputy Pete (Richard Geiwitz) perplexed, trying to convince themselves that wild animals are the reason for this surge in violence. Fearing mass panic if word of multiple deaths were to break out, threatening a lucrative land dead, Mayor Wicker (Richard Dyszel) hopes to resolve the issues quietly. As bodies begin to pile up, finding citizens unable to handle power from outer space, local astrobiologist Zachary (Don Liefert) springs into action, setting out to find the source of this invasion and stop it from spreading out of town.

“The Alien Factor” is a modest adventure with big dreams of entertainment value. Dohler, clearly out to scratch a specific itch when it comes to his love of sci-fi/horror, does what he can with limited resources and minimal filmmaking practice. The feature resembles an early John Waters effort, sending a cast peppered with amateur performers out into the wilds of Maryland, tasked with communicating urgency and mystery as an unknown threat comes to town. The actors aren’t polished, but either is Dohler, who’s hanging on by his fingertips here, barely able to keep the image in focus as he builds a monster movie with little to no story. Narrative ambition doesn’t drive “The Alien Factor,” which offers only moderate tension, with most of the excitement arriving with creature reveals, presenting bizarre looking ghouls to study as they hide out in the woods, waiting to strike. The rest of the feature is standard small town law enforcement stuff, with Sheriff Cinder struggling to contain increasing oddity, fresh murder scenes, and the suggestion that what’s terrorizing the population isn’t even from Earth.

It’s low-fi filmmaking all the way, and for some, visible mistakes and dramatic inertia is going to make “The Alien Factor” feel like watching footage of a parking lot. For those willing to accept the feature’s severe shortcomings, there’s fun to be found, especially with make-up efforts and special effects, finding the stars of the show interesting to study. Dohler keeps his beasts scaly and tall, stalking and slaying idiot characters who demand confrontations. There’s even a bit of stop-motion animation in the climax to keep things interesting.

“The Alien Factor” enjoys model work and spends extended time in the woods, giving the feature some room to roam, and there are baffling breaks in the action as well, including a trip to a local bar where the band Atlantis rocks out to a room full of drunks. Dohler spends much of the effort looking for things to do, but his heart is in the right place, striving to generate a sense of time and location to help his endeavor, mixing Ed Wood-style limitation and indie filmmaking passion, coming up with a picture that’s not dynamic, but carries a dented B-movie personality, perfect for a drowsy late-night viewing.

The Alien Factor Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

We're talking about "The Alien Factor" here, so expectations should be brought down to a manageable level. However, working with a picture that was never pretty to begin with, Retromedia does a fine job with the AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation. Trouble spots remain, including some jumpy and quaking frames, vertical scratches, and hard reel changes, and grain is thick and swarmy. Despite some setbacks, the viewing experience is likely the best this effort will ever look, finding passable detail despite intense focus issues, with alien encounters finding modest textures. Facial particulars are also preserved as far as 16mm cinematography and softness allows. Colors handle well, bringing out environmental changes and period costuming, while skintones are within the realm of natural. Delineation is capable.

The Alien Factor Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 LPCM sound mix isn't easy on the ears, trying to make the most of a limited soundscape riddled with technical issues. Hiss and pops are common, along with a muffled presentation of dramatics, but dialogue exchanges aren't impossible to follow. More troubling is the score, which hits sharp, painful highs along the way, requiring some volume riding to manage. Sound effects are basically the star of "The Alien Factor," and while precision isn't available, presence remains.

The Alien Factor Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features select cast & crew, hosted by actor George Stover.

• "1993 Reunion" (31:59, SD) takes viewers back to the FANEX Convention, where Stover, Don Leifert, Richard Dyszel, Dave Ellis, Anne Frith, and Christopher Gummer discuss the making of "The Alien Factor" during a panel presentation. Anecdotes are shared, records are sold from the stage, and laughs are awkward. Perhaps most interesting in the revelation that the film was only reviewed by two publications during its initial theatrical release: Variety and Penthouse.

• "Meet the Cast & Crew" (35:22, SD) returns to Stover, who edits together a collection of brief interviews with "Alien Factor" participants. The line-up includes Glenn Barnes, Bill Consentino, Gregg & Kim Dohler, Dyszel, Ellis, Ernest Farino (who created the main title sequence), Richard Geiwitz, Tom Griffith, Gummer, Eleanor Herman, Tony Malanowski, Britt McDonough, and Larry Schlechter. Tales are quick, but memories are strong, and there's also a display of models and props to enjoy, along with choice BTS photographs.

• "The Television Years" (38:19, SD) presents clips from "Creature Feature," a horror program specializing in B-movies, hosted by Dyszel. Costumes are showcased and key players from "The Alien Factor" are interviewed, and there's even a special cameo from Darth Vader. Also included are local news reports celebrating the production and its homegrown appeal, and T.V. promos from the feature's journey into cable and UHF rotation.

• Behind the Scenes (6:17, SD) reunites with Stover, who displays his personal collection of "Alien Factor" costumes, props, and art, creating a museum display in what appears to be his backyard.

• "Alternate Leemoid Sequence" (2:13, SD) presents the first pass at the picture's climatic alien battle, offered with commentary from cinematographer Britt McDonough.

• Blooper Reel (3:38, SD) showcases various mix-ups and blown lines generated during production.

• "Retromedia Drive-In Theater" (2:36, SD) is hosted by filmmaker Fred Olen Ray, who celebrates the magic of outdoor film exhibition with co-host Miss Kim.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

The Alien Factor Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Alien Factor" tries to whip up a frenzy on occasion, including explosions and an aggressive sound design to help cover for Dohler's adoration for phone conversations and sketchily defined supporting characters. Again, this is no stellar achievement in cinema, but "The Alien Factor" retains appeal through respect for creative inspirations and Dohler's tireless work to transform his limited resources into something resembling a chiller.