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Alien Abduction
01/07/2005 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
DVD: The Asylum SCI-FI 1676. 95 minutes. Price: $17.99 (US). director: Eric Rorsberg. Stars: Megan Lee Ethridge, Griff Feurstein, Melanie Porter, Patrick Thomassie and Jilon Ghai. Buy Alien Abduction in the USA - or Buy Alien Abduction in the UK  check out website: www.theasylum.cc
If you have a multi-regional DVD player, a lot of you shouldn't have any problem playing this rather interesting film. However, before I raise your hopes too high, I should point out that if you've experienced hip-cups through pixililation, then you'll have to be prepared for a re-boot and jump past the areas where this hits. There were 4 when I watched this film.
This is a shame really because despite being a low-budget film, 'Alien Abduction' has a lot going for it in terms of SF but mostly horror that bring a whole new dimension to brain surgery.
While the rest of her friends are away from the camp, Jean (actress Ethridge) collecting firewood sees and films a UFO. Later, they all have a close encounter of the third kind and the woman wakes up in what she thinks is a military hospital who are supposedly processing abductees. She gets a bit concerned when she doesn't see her friends, before eventually finally finding them and discovering one of them is rather incapacitated through brain surgery. It then becomes apparent that the people in charge aren't human and so begins the escape.
There's a lot more going on than that but why should I spoil all the surprises? I have to confess that the initial build-up in the forest didn't exactly inspire me. On low budget, outside filming doesn't always gel and I suspect this was one of the initial stages of filming. The UFO effect is barely visible as a moving light and I think we're rather fortunate in not seeing too much of the initial aliens. Oddly enough, these don't resemble the aliens the woman sees later.
However, things are much stronger in the 'hospital'. If you have nightmares about hospitals, I don't think this one will make it any better. A combination of asylum and surgery and you do see a lot of it being carried out in a somewhat realistic fashion. In this way, having an unknown cast actually works in the film's favour because you can't anticipate who's going to get out at the end.
The plot shows some intelligent planning and isn't done to gore you out totally as Jean pieces together what is going on. There is also enough plot twists to keep you guessing until the end. It's not too undemanding and will keep you watching to see what is going on.
There's a director commentary which I have to confess to not getting through, largely cos of the pixililation and a haunting intro music. If you like low-budget movies to watch with friends then I think this will keep you happy.
GF Willmetts
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