DVD Region 1. pub: Alliance Atlantic 20968. 2 films 98/91minutes plus extras. Price: $ 5.81 (US) if you know where to look). The Hidden stars: Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Nouri. The Hidden 2 stars: Raphael Sbarge and Kate Hodge.

When I was looking around to replace some of my videos with DVDs, I came across this pair at such a cheap price it seemed unwise to leave it alone, especially as I'd never seen the sequel. Then again, when was the last time you saw 'The Hidden' on terrestrial TV? Director Jack Sholder in the audio commentary with this 1987 film says it was produced on a low budget with a determination to get everything on screen. Watching the second film, one gets the feeling the budget was cut to TV movie proportions. Neither of which should deter you from the skill both directors and their scriptwriters did to ensure the budget was used to their advantage.

'The Hidden' has an alien bug capable of taking over and killing its host so that it can enjoy human tastes. It likes drinking, food, cars and killing people. It's also very hard to kill. When police detective Tom Beck (actor Michael Nouri) is investigating the results of one of these skirmishes, he is joined by FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher (actor Kyle MacLachlan) who seems to know more what is going on. Together they trail the bug/human and Beck learns that Gallagher is host to another alien who is a policeman. Ultimately, they team up to beat the human/bug as it moves from body to body. The story is a roller-coaster ride of death and carnage yet with an intelligently written script by Bob Hunt where you learn details as Beck does. Should I point out that Claudia Christian (the lady from 'Babylon 5' and the film 'Hexed') plays host to the alien bug for a while?



According to director Sholder, he had issues with actor Michael Nouri although from the commentary it appears there were a few things he agreed with as well. He also points out that the art director did not use blue in the scenery to ensure the film looked unsettling. To tell the truth, I thought over the years when I've seen it that this looked quite normal but maybe I take on the reality within a film better than I should.

The sequel, 'The Hidden 2' happens some fifteen years later but filmed in 1994. It's a bit difficult going over where the events between the two films meet cos it would give away the ending. Suffice to say, another alien hosted police officer comes looking for the first, meet's Beck's adult daughter who is also a detective, and they have to deal with a potential swarm of these bug aliens. Rather interestingly, director/scriptwriter Seth Pinsker does an interesting take on the connection between the two sorts of aliens which doesn't hurt and why a different actor plays Beck briefly.

Considering how so many SF films are considered for conversion into TV series, I often wonder why no one has thought to do this with 'The Hidden' even if the violence had to be tempered. It has the right sort of ingredients that could perpetuate it for a few seasons and wouldn't even be contrary to the events in these two films. If you've only ever heard of but never seen either film then at the low price available this is a good buy.

GF Willmetts