4. Evolution

Director: Ivan Reitman
Cast: David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott, Ted Levine, Ethan Suplee, Michael Bower, Pat Kilbane, Ty Burrell, Dan Aykroyd, Katharine Towne, Gregory Itzin, Ashley Clark, Michelle Wolff, Sarah Silverman
Year: 2001

Evolution is a sci-fi comedy film starring some great actors - David Duchovny, Seann William Scott and Julianne Moore - and is directed by Mr. Ghostbusters, Ivan Reitman. Underrated picture, the plot of Evolution follows a professor – played by David Duchovny - and geologists who investigate a meteor crash and discover that the meteor harbours alien life that is evolving very very quickly and into very very large, dangerous and outlandish creatures

Of course the government tries to take over, but in the end, it’s up to two college professors, a government scientists and a firefighter to take on those aliens (think Ghostbusters). A fun and crazy alien invasion film Evolution is bizarre and nonetheless entertaining – and there are some great scenes. Don’t take Evolution too serious – and just have fun

3. Village of the Damned

Director: Wolf Rilla
Cast: George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Martin Stephens, Michael Gwynn, Laurence Naismith, Richard Warner, Jenny Laird, Sarah Long, Thomas Heathcote, Charlotte Mitchell, Pamela Buck, Rosamund Greenwood, Susan Richards, Bernard Archard, Peter Vaughan
Year: 1960

No not the recent John Carpenter remake, but the original German film, from Wolf Rilla, and adaption from the book The Midwich Cuckoos. Village of the Damned is smart, scary and just oh so great! The tagline is great (Beware the stare that will paralze the will of the world!). So, the story of Village of the Damned centers around the English town of Midwich. One day everybody falls into a mysterious sleep in the middle of the day and there seems to be known reason why… months later, all the women are pregnant, and all of their children grow fast and have the same unsettling look – blond hair and penetrating eyes that make people do things they don’t want to

The alien invasion is subtle and terrifying. Village of the Damned stars the great George Sanders, and is one of those children-horrors, which would become a craze a decade later (Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen, etc). Watch Village of the Damned now if you haven’t already!

2. The Faculty

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Salma Hayek, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, Christopher McDonald, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Patrick, Usher Raymond, Jon Stewart, Daniel von Bargen, Elijah Wood
Year: 1998

The Faculty is a sci-fi film from the mind of Kevin Williamson - author of the Scream quadrilogy - and the direction of Robert Rodriguez - director of Desperado, Machete and the Spy Kids quadrilogy). It takes Josh Harnett, Elijah Wood, Salma Hayek and even Jon Stewart and places them right in an alien-invasion film, but not quite your ordinary one! The Faculty stems from a bunch of high school students who suspect that their own teachers and staff are themselves aliens and are intent on turning against them! If this has grabbed you, you’ll love it! If not, then maybe go on to the next film in the list

The Faculty meshes together all types of alien invasion film features and lands in straight into a high school. Great if you ask me! Think The Thing & Invasion of the Body Snatchers with high school kids

1. They Live

Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George ‘Buck’ Flower , Peter Jason, Raymond St. Jacques, Jason Robards III, John Lawrence, Susan Barnes, Sy Richardson, Wendy Brainard, Lucille Meredith, Susan Blanchard, Norman Alden, Dana Bratton
Year: 1988

They Live is a sci-fi horror film directed by none other than John Carpenter. They Live follows a nameless drifter around LA, who is often referred to as “Nada” (Roddy Piper). Part sci fi and part dark-comedy They Live tells a story that is as relevant today as it was in the 1980’s – about the declining economy within a culture of greed and American consumption. In They Live the aliens are actually the ruling class – the 1% elite – and their appearance is concealed by a TV broadcast signal

Sounds great right? Nada finds a very special pair of sunglasses, which look absolutely normal but allow you to see through the subliminal advertisements – obey, no independent though… – and see the elite for what they really are – horribly disfigured aliens! They Live recounts of a world where an alien invasion has already happened – everybody is subdued and they don’t even know. A great moment: before facing a horde of aliens, Nada delivers the epic line I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubble gum. I strongly recommend seeing They Live

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