Memorable, crazy movie

Don't Believe the Hype

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

this is not a comedy,this is not a spoof,whoever titles it as that should have corrective brain surgery asap,this is without a doubt a movie that was shot in the running time,with no script whatsoever,why i am wasting so many words on this turkey is beyond me,oh my god people,this rating i see is so sad,Slither was funny,but this amateur home shot movie is an insult to even amateurs,and this movie proves beyond a doubt,that man has not stepped on the moon in light of this turkey,good lord you people are terribly bored or lacking in oxygen,i wish there was a rating below 1,this rating owes us a few points,a spoof? on what?

This full-colour comedy satirizes the old black-and-white science fiction films that you might see if you watch Mystery Science Theatre, succeeding where the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra failed. First of all, the dialogue and visual jokes come fast, relying on our ability to recognize allusions to Silence of the Lambs, Monty Python, This Island Earth and so on. Deliberately oversimplified science jargon and repetitious rambling one-man soliloquies feature briefly but do not make the majority of the script, making a nod to the style of the birth of the B-movie genre without letting it overburden its listeners.Top of the Food Chain features several of the easily recognizable character tropes: Dr. Karel Lamonte is an "Atomic Scientist from Atomic University", a bespectacled and timid young man who loses said glasses, starts looking a bit more muscular and starts spouting 1950's hero-clichés and barking orders partway through the film. As you watch, however, you see that a man this straight-laced and stiff is sexually repressed to the point of ridiculousness, making it impossible for him to respond properly to the female love interest's perfectly obvious advances. The love interest, Sandy, is Exceptional Vista's femme fatale but over-sexualized to the point where she is a raging nymphomaniac involved with practically every man in town. Other clichés abound as we meet the cop character who is suspicious of the FBI, the small town men who are offended by the "big city" scientist. These clichés are often turned on their heads. At several points in the film Sandy makes it known that she is every bit as bright as the professor, but this is ignored by all. In another example, it is mentioned that the city coroner vivisected himself (and then filled out the required paperwork before he keeled over: a true citizen!) and the so-called "uneducated cop" has been performing all of the town's autopsies since (although when he inspects human remains at one point he uses kitchen cutting boards and eats crackers at the time.) This movie lampoons alien-centric films, government conspiracy-centric films, genetic engineering and sasquatch-centric films, horror films, action films, and mid-1900s' Hollywood. It is dialogue-heavy and relies on the viewers understanding the jokes regarding chauvinistic attitudes, propagandist nationalist/stupidly simplified scientific language, and sexual innuendo that permeate the interactions between characters. This is a funny film, but only if you have a feel for the genre. If you're looking for high-action, special effects or potty humour directed at pre-pubescent teens, you won't find it here. If you want a funny satire of 1950s sci-fi then you're in for a treat.

Reading the list of comments I found only one negative response. I find it very surprising that it comes from someone who's familiar with Plan 9 From Outer Space. If you like bad movies (for laughs, of course) I can't see how you could dislike this movie. I guess some people just don't have the patience (or brain power) for jokes that are subtle.My personal favourite part of this movie is the "prayer" that Sandy delivers in song. Heh heh. I memorized it. Those who plan to see the movie shouldn't read this next part, as it contains many spoilers. :) "They say that in Rupert's Land They found our Lady of Fatima's Hat. Holy Mary, Mother of God. They found your hat, How did it come off your head? Did you sneeze, Or drive in a convertable? Did a gust of wind take it away, Or were you eaten by aliens?"As if the lyrics weren't hilariously nonsensical enough, the song's melody also bounces haphazardly. Listening to it just brings so many questions to a logical person's mind. Why is she praying about aliens? Why would this mysterious angelic matriarch be driving in a convertable? Why is it a song? Just brilliant on so many levels.And of course, I love how they glaze over the fact that you can't tell what country they live in. The city is Exceptional Vista in Left Hemisphere, and the secret agent who aids them in finding the "moonmen" works for the "National Government", which is of course written on his ID card.What I especially love is when Sandy points out a plot hole, after Karel tries to explain how "cool fusion" works.I'd recommend this to everyone. Even to those who don't get it and find it unfunny. Maybe someday they'll learn.

I picked up this movie on a whim at the local video store knowing nothing at all about it. I'm glad I did. This has to be one of the funniest movies I've seen in the past year. It's hard to even know where to begin. The basic plot is simple. A small town that is dying out is invaded by aliens with a taste for humans.Minor spoiler- one joke from the movie ahead!All in all a simple premise. The genius of this movie lies in the acting and the dialogue. The town's people are completely crazy in the most interesting ways. The actors carry it off perfectly. The lead, Campbell Scott, has a deadpan delivery that is hilarious given some of the lines he has in the movie. The end of the movie is stolen however by Tom Everett Scott who delivers one of the most amazing performances I've seen lately. I was in serious pain from laughing by the final credits.The humor is of the quirky kind, similar to some of the work of John Cleese. It's based on absurdity but also on incongruity. If the idea of an "atomic scientist" trying to stall attacking alien monsters by welcoming them to Earth and describing some of the interesting flora and fauna to be found here, such as the wily skunk which comes in three types, tickles your funny bone then you need to see this movie. It's not for everyone but if you like British humor I'd give it a shot.