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ACTOR
Robert CarradineCherie CurrieKeenan WynnCal Bowman
DIRECTOR
Mike Gray
SYNOPSICS
Wavelength (1983) is a English movie. Mike Gray has directed this movie. Robert Carradine,Cherie Currie,Keenan Wynn,Cal Bowman are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1983. Wavelength (1983) is considered one of the best Sci-Fi,Thriller movie in India and around the world.
Two young lovers learn that a small group of child-like space aliens are marooned on Earth and are being held prisoner at a top secret military facility. The couple then decide to liberate the extraterrestrial castaways and help them make a rendezvous with a rescue ship sent from the alien home planet.
Wavelength (1983) Reviews
Wavelength: More than meets the eye
This early 80's lighthearted scifi is going to win no awards for, well anything but certainly does have its qualities. Starring Robert "Revenge Of The Nerds" Carradine this early 80's scifi effort tells the story of a girl who begins to hear ominous noises coming from a supposedly abandoned military base. With her boyfriend in tow they go investigating and find more than they ever could have expected. Though extremely dated the film is interesting enough to keep a viewers attention but has severe pacing issues and the ending is highly predictable and underwhelming. I was just waiting for Carradine to deliver his trademark laugh and always find myself struggling to take him seriously despite him being a terrific actor. Wavelength is a decent enough effort but hardly original. The Good: Robert Carradine Well made The Bad: Very dated Pacing issues Weak finale Things I Learnt From This Movie: Naked children make me very uncomfortable If Carradine had played his Revenge Of The Nerds character this film would have been brilliant In every single movie the governments reaction to aliens is exactly how I'd imagine they'd react in real life
An overlooked gem, nice emphasis on drama
I love to debate with those who claimed this was a rip-off of E.T... While E.T. was good, it was obviously more cute with cute kids and a cute alien. Wavelength is much more adult. I didn't see this as the same film as E.T. at all, if anything, I found John Carpenter's film Starman a replica of Wavelength--it came two years after Wavelength and had the EXACT same silver sphere spaceship hovering in the desert!! The story of someone discovering aliens in a secret underground government complex may not be new, but it's how the story is told and how the characters affect us that make it work. Robert Carradine is likeable and even sings a few of his own songs. Would have been nice to add those to the soundtrack CD, but I can't complain about having this great Tangerine Dream score (particularly the Church Theme). Former Runaways band member Cherie Currie was a nice surprise in the cast--it's a shame someone felt it necessary to exploit her by having her in a brief nude scene. It's so cliche to have a naked woman get out of bed and never the man...it's as if to say, yeah, we can pull in the male audience by giving them a naked woman to gawk at. Since this was from New World Pictures, I had to check to make sure Roger Corman wasn't listed as producer since his name (like John Landis) automatically means breasts are mandatory. Keenan Wynn adds sass as usual to any film he's in, and doesn't disappoint. The real stars are the aliens. It's wonderful to see how much can be conveyed without dialogue! One particular moment of brilliance (and a nice comment on religious ideology) is when they are whisked into a church to hide and Carradine and Currie try to get the aliens to put clothes on to disguise them as children. At first the aliens won't cooperate, but when they look up at a statue of Jesus on the cross (and seeing the despair on Jesus' face), they quickly start to grab for the clothes! That scene deserves to be listed as one of the all-time best scenes in film. It's important to note too that the minimalist makeup job for the aliens is very good, I didn't notice any seams or wrinkles on the skin. They seemed naked, but who's to say what beings from other worlds wear? Nice pacing, believable performances, great Tangerine Dream score, and good use of location (yes, using the desert is economical, but the final sequence is a wow), and the emphasis on the drama of the situation instead of bombastic sci-fi visuals make Wavelength a worthwhile time. I've seen and forgotten many films in my life, and when a film like this is one you think about once in a while, then it did its job well. I only hope that someday it's re-issued on DVD and given the chance to be re-discovered and acknowledged!
"WAVELENGTH" a worthwhile effort, not a rip-off.
After viewing this film for the first time (and with an open mind), I feel the need to defend it against the general naysayers who condemn it, claiming that it is nothing but a rip-off. Unfortunately, this film has just about been buried by several bad reviews, and the fact that "E.T." was released just prior to this film, didn't help it, either. The fact is, it's nearly 20 years down the line, and people are still comparing it to "E.T.". I certainly don't feel that this is a rip-off of "E.T.", nor do I feel that it bears much resemblance. It may be true that this film was made with the intent to cash in on the alien/science-fiction trend of that period, but then again, when doesn't that happen in Hollywood? If we are going to compare films about extra-terrestrials, then this one ranks more closely to Steven Spielberg's earlier accomplishment, "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND". Overall, I enjoyed this film. Robert Carradine and Cherrie Currie (of The Runaways fame) turn in some solid performances, which rise above most films of this caliber. Keenan Wynn, reprising his usual stubborn old man role, is always worth watching. Tangerine Dream provides the music for the film, and as usual, their score is especially effective, and works best in the most critical areas. One has to appreciate the intelligence that the film has, which clearly indicates that this was not just another "hatchet-job" rushed effort, that some would suspect. The end result is, by no means, tremendous. But, this film is extremely underrated, and is at the very least, worthwhile entertainment. If you get a chance, give it a shot.
Thoughtful plot, natural acting and a handful of superb effects....
You can count on one hand the number of "aliens on earth" movies that are well made since the 1980's. "Wavelength", with a plot containing a few elements of several other sci-fi movies, pulls off an intriguing look into why we seem to have no knowledge of alien contact--only our ever increasing suspicions. The short length is perfect, as you care about the characters but don't have to wade through more-than-enough exposition to reach the thrilling denouement. However, if you go in expecting a big-bucks budget and effects you will not get your fill. Instead, enjoy the cast who carry off the narrative through good chemistry and solid, non-flashy acting. The director/screenwriter has given them a sci-fi film with plenty to work with, including an eye-popping finale. As other reviewers have previously noted, the Tangerine Dream filmscore is excellent, too. It is a shame that this little gem isn't available in a widescreen DVD format yet. Catch it some other way when you can.
Thumbs up!
I saw the trailer for this film on an old VHS I was watching, and was intrigued enough to purchase it on eBay. All I can say is it was worth every cent. A marvellous little "unknown", with strong performances from the whole cast and great chemistry between them. The storyline is solid and unique, and is nowhere near a rip-off of earlier films. Of course, the music was another bonus, particularly the quick, sharp cues we get during the most dramatic scenes. A lot of tension is evident throughout the film, building up as we go along to a most memorable conclusion. The shots of the spaceship in the desert with the stunned Air Force pilots were great! There seems to have been a great deal of effort put into pacing too, and the film flows along very smoothly. Just an excellent movie and very highly recommended!