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Released by: Elite Entertainment
Released on: 4/15/2003
Director: Marc Berlin
Cast: Spring Hill, Cynthia Klayman, Stephen Sheffield, Marc Berlin
Year: 1999
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The Movie:
Take the Blair Witch Project, change the witch aspect to an alien, and throw in some bad sex jokes and you've more or less got People From Space nailed down. While I normally have a high tolerance for the low budget and/or shot-on-video discs that make their way into my review pile, this one really left me cold.
The story revolves around Bob (played by the films writer/director Marc Berlin) and his hot wife Felicia (Cindy Klayman) who, while bored one day, decide to venture off towards Beavertail Lake. In tow, they bring along their friends Missy and Sean and the four of them are off in search of a UFO that reportedly landed in the area, as the local paper is offering a $100,000 reward for anyone who can find the elusive craft.
Once they're out into the woods on their search, they start coming across some really strange people and events that lead to a lot of very blatant Blair Witch Project rip offs and a lot of bad, bad jokes that really aren't very funny.
The main flaw with the movie is that, try as you might, it's just not possible to care about the characters. They're not believable at all, they don't seem like they could really hang out together in real life, and to be honest, they are all kind of annoying. Sure, Felicia is fun to look at and Bob does make a few funny moments happen but these are few and far between and certainly not enough to carry the film for over ninety minutes.
If you're a hardcore Blair Witch Project parody fan, then I suppose you'll eat this baby up right quick, but otherwise, go rent The Blair Thumb or The Bare Wench Project instead, they're both actually better.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The transfer is fine for what it is, a decent disc of some iffy source material. Don't expect miracles here, but this is a well authored release that looks as good as the original elements probably allow for.
With the exception of a couple of moments, the dialogue and music in the film come through nice and clear with barely any problems to speak of. There are some nice moments of distinct channel separation and overall the mix is quite listenable.
The extras on the disc include a moderately interesting commentary with director Marc Berlin and actress Cindy Klayman. Those interested in the 'how's and why's' of low budget film making will probably enjoy hearing about what went into getting the film off the ground and how it was shot over three days on a microscopic budget without much of a script. There is also a stills gallery included on the disc as well.
The Final Word:
Elite has done a respectable job considering the shot on video origins of the film, but it can't save the film no matter how hard it tries.