THE ALIENS ARE COMING (1980)
TV-Movie
Article 2294 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-6-2007
Posting Date: 11-23-2007
Directed by Harvey Hart
Featuring Tom Mason, Eric Braeden, Max Gail

An alien spaceship lands on earth and the aliens on board start taking possession of various people.

Was this TV-Movie an attempt to make a pilot for a new version of the Roy Thinnes series, “The Invaders”? One of the working titles for this one was THE NEW INVADERS. I can find no evidence that this actually was a pilot, but it certainly looks like it, what with its open-ended ending and the hint that the heroes plan to continue fighting the aliens. If it was a pilot, it’s just as well that it didn’t make it to a series; our lead hero is supposed to be witty and cute, but I found him dumb and annoying, and the listless direction and a weak script (co-scripted by Herschell Gordon Lewis, of all people) destroy any chance of suspense and excitement. Max Gail was a member of the cast of “Barney Miller”, but, given that his character spends most of the movie possessed by an alien that makes him emotionless, it’s hard to judge his performance here. The cast also features Ed Harris.