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Invaders


RRP: £29.99
Our Price: £12.59 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

"If they’re really after you, you’re not paranoid" is a lesson The Invaders' David Vincent has learned all too well. Vincent (portrayed by Roy Thinnes) knows that aliens from a dying planet have come to Earth and are planning to take over; having lost his way and fallen asleep in his car in the remote woods one night, he saw their flying saucer land. What’s worse, the invaders know he knows. And worst of all, the rest of the world is willfully oblivious, and little interested in the rantings of this madman. That's the premise of this series from producer Quinn (The Fugitive) Martin, and even if the 16 episodes from the show’s first season (1967) don’t always match the promise of the concept, this is still an intriguing, entertaining ride. The aliens, crafty critters that they are, look exactly like us, save for a slight disfigurement of one finger; they also completely disintegrate when killed, a convenient little conceit that prevents anyone from figuring out who or what they really are. Their dastardly schemes for eliminating the Earthlings are many and varied, ranging from nuclear bombs, plagues of locusts (and carnivorous butterflies!), and manufactured hurricanes to brainwashing and mind control experiments.

Standing against this implacable foe is just one man--an amateur (Vincent was an architect before all the craziness began) who works alone (the other true believers he encounters almost invariably end up dead) and is often stymied by his own impetuousness and lack of preparation. Admittedly, the concept doesn’t hold up under close scrutiny; even if the aliens are trying to take over by stealth instead of one massive invasion, it doesn’t make a lot of sense that they can’t eliminate a guy who doesn’t even own a gun. There is no series arc; each episode is stand-alone, so by the end of the season the invaders still have barely established a foothold. Moreover, while there are plenty of fistfights and chase sequences, the special effects are ludicrous, the alien technology looks like something out of a high school play, the stories are obvious, and the acting is melodramatic (notwithstanding guest appearances by the Jack Warden and familiar TV faces like Suzanne Pleshette, Arthur Hill, Joseph Campanella, Jack Lord, Ed Asner, and many others). Nevertheless, with the help of Dominic Frontiere’s music and the portentous narration that begins and ends each episode, The Invaders manages to consistently maintain its paranoid, Kafka-esque vibe, and that alone makes it compellingly watchable. --Sam Graham


Think thriller rather than standard Sci-Fi, amazing quality on this DVD set.
Review date: 2008-08-10 Rating: 10 out of 10

This brings back memories of watching this series with my dad when it was aired back on BBC2 probably sometime in the 80's.

Originally made around 1967 from the creator of The Streets of San Francisco, it is truly amazing how high quality this DVD set is. Sure there are some scenes where the film has been marked, but not badly, probably in production rather than later. However the vast majority is flawless and stunning in its colour reproduction quality. I have been amazed at the beautiful outdoor scenes and even studio sets, could have been made yesterday far les 40 years ago, just has not aged.

As for the content, this is not your average Sci-Fi program, all about tech and warp drives, this is all about the main character and his fight to be believed in a world that is hostile to his words of alien invasion.

This is more thriller than pure sci-fi and that is what makes this so unmissable, if you havent seen this your doing yourself a great disservice, get this now. If you have seen this, your a fan, I can almost guarantee it, that is how groundbreaking this series was and still is.

The stories draw you in, they are action packed and exciting and the human story, the sympathy for David Vincents plight will have you hooked.

There are only two words needed in this review. Get it.

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Reviews


Beware!
Review date: 2008-06-27 Rating: 4 out of 10

Anyone contemplating buying the UK release should be aware that an authoring bungle on the discs results in subtitles occasionaly popping up in a couple of episodes even when they are turned off. It's only for a few seconds, and is usually of an out-of-sight sound effect (such as "DOOR CLOSES"), but is distracting and should not be seen at all. Aside from this the episodes look and sound good. However, errors plus the fact that the UK release is totally lacking in extras whilst the USA one has the extended version of the pilot episode AND a commentary by Roy Thinnes, means this welcome but ultimately inferior release only merits two stars.

The best 60s sci-fi show
Review date: 2008-05-14 Rating: 10 out of 10

Back in the late eighties there was always a double bill of The Invaders and Batman in the late afternoon on BBC unless I'm mistaken. Although The Invaders were an old show by 80s standards (bearing in mind that technology had developed at an incredible speed in those twenty years) it was still a gripping show. The Invaders took the basic concept of The Fugitive (also a Quinn Martin production) and combined it with elements of 50s paranoia science fiction. No security and no one was what he seemed to be. That made for great opportunities in story telling: Vincent was always in different places and the stories often took very unexpected twists. You also were unsure whether Vincent would lose this episode's battle or score a small victory against the aliens. The show was also fairly atmospheric. Interestingly enough that was reached mostly by the dramatic voice overs. Roy Thinnes was a good looking chap and I quite liked his performance as driven man who really was an intruder in ordinary people's lives. To me, The Invaders is probably the best 60s sci-fi show.

It's in colour!!!!
Review date: 2008-04-04 Rating: 10 out of 10

I only say that to capture your attention .... BUT seriously, when I watched the series and was terrified as a youngster all we had was a black and white television, and I've never ever seen re-runs, so the pleasure when all my black and white memories of episodes were turned into technicolor was a real high!

It's cheesy at times, but considering it is from 40 years ago the plot, the acting, the direction and scripts are first class in this first series and Roy Thinnes' acting will have you as paranoid and suspicious as him.

For 17 episodes and £17.00 how can you make a mistake ... purchase immediately and enjoy your socks off, I did! Best purchase on DVD for many a year.

"Les envahisseurs"
Review date: 2008-03-14 Rating: 10 out of 10

If you liked season one then order seasons two and three from Amazon.fr. The French subtitles are not a problem and you'll forget they're there after five minutes. The same great picture quality belies it's age and the DVD packaging is superior to the UK season one version. No dodgy "paintshop" mock up of David Vincent here! In fact if you haven't got the UK season one set yet, then get the French one! The French site is in the same format as the UK one so you don't need to know the language to place the order and you will find the site already holds your account/payment details.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Kent Smith
William Woodson
J D Cannon
Roy Thinnes

Creators:
Roy Thinnes (Primary Contributor)
J D Cannon (Primary Contributor)

Recording label: Paramount Home Entertainment (UK)
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Entertainment (UK)
EAN: 5014437937636
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 5
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2007-09-17
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 835 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1995
Language: English (Original Language)

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