Customer Reviews:
This is the shiznit!.......2008-01-12
New Line Cinema scoffed up a lot of movies just so they could show that Freddy wasnt the only one in the house...The Hidden is one of there better acquisitions it is a smart and little known gem of a film that combines ahead of its time prodution values and acting, if ever there was a great mix of Horror/action/sci-fi/comedy this is it. The Hidden 2: The Spawning is also good but doenst go anywhere new or has the same actors.
A Hidden Gem.......2006-02-01
Sholder's allegorical B-movie offers unblinking aliens, loud rock music, car chases, and the presence of Kyle MacLachlan together with a quiet, emotional core. It's the sort of film that gives low budget science fiction a good name, one that effortlessly combines a sharp view of society together with the brisk pace of `The Terminator' (1984)
At one level, `The Hidden' is a film about acquisition, by implication digging at the American Dream. The aliens acquire human bodies, much as humans might go shopping, casually discarding one form for another when it is worn out or no longer wanted. The possessed Jonathan P. Miller sees a ghetto blaster on display, takes it after clubbing the salesman to death. A little later on, after viewing the Ferrari just sold to a arms and antique dealer, he states glibly `I want that car'. Its new owner has just mused `Do I trade in my Mercedes or just hang on to it?' (his white suit ironically anticipating imminent mortality.) Later, in his final incarnation as Senator Holt,like a child who has made its mind up, the alien can announce just as decidedly and without any sense of irony `I want to be President'. Power in American politics can be `bought' just as easily as a cassette player, its accession just an impulsive decision by the strong. Apart from the scheming necessary to exchange bodies, what is most disturbing about this invasion is its relative guilelessness, how the alien `Sees something. He takes it.' Other SF films might offer up a plan to be defeated; `The Hidden' replaces galactic conquest with ghastly cupidity.
Kyle MacLachlan makes an excellent Lloyd Gallagher, a weird `FBI' presence instantly suggesting that of Agent Dale Cooper, whom he was to play 3 years later. MacLachlan had previously only appeared in two other Lynch productions : `Dune' (1984) and, more notably, `Blue Velvet' (1986). Sholder was quick to take advantage of MacLachlan's quirkiness and androgynous appearance, ideal for a part in which ambivalence and social disorientation are essential. There's a faint echo too of `The Man Who Fell to Earth' (1976) in this character separated from his loved ones, a lonely survivor on Earth.
The title of `The Hidden' refers most obviously to the invader lurking within humans, only emerging to swop bodies. But there's something else, equally hard to see, and only gradually expressed: the emotional link which binds kind and kin. The recognition of these ties is one of the film's most rewarding aspects. Beck's home and family life are both a new, and a familiar, experience to Gallagher. His question `Your little girl. She is very special to you?' is both naïve and affirmative, a means to assign the value of such relationships in a way initially quite lost on Beck. `Gallagher's melancholy predominates during his visit to the Detective's home (despite the humorous nature of his indigestion). His sense of loss, which overshadows so much of his mood is only finally resolved in the last scene, as `Beck' is welcomed back to life by his daughter.
Men, a woman, even a dog, are all possessed by the alien before it ends up as the Senator. Both the bespectacled de Vries (`that Jack - kinda quiet. What'd he do? Rob a bank?') and the sedentary Miller are ostensible squares, mild-mannered citizens whose ensuing transgressions are completely out of character. Even the police Lieutenant, one of the alien's last victims, apparently lives alone with his dog. Their violent actions are faintly ludicrous, even to the point of raising nervous laughter. When Miller smashes the radio playing `I believe in sunshine', after glaring at it with alien incredulity for a long moments, it invariably raises a chuckle in the audience, as does his belching in the diner. Far more of a frisson is created by the take-over of the stripper. Her already aggressive on-stage sexuality, and existing control over the patrons has been supplemented by something far more dangerous. To a (largely male?) audience, this is female empowerment brought home with a vengeance, her cool return of the gaze unnerving.
Sholder's uneven career contains at least one other good film. 12:01 (1993) is an effective and amusing variation on the `Groundhog Day' theme co-starring Martin Landau. Others are best passed over in silence. It may well be that and `The Hidden' will remain his best work, as they still play well and remains fresh on repeated viewings. A sequel to the present film followed, by a different director, but it was not in the same league.
The Hidden DVD-a supernatural thriller.......2004-01-01
I live in South Korea, and I bought the DVD there. I was not disappointed, as the film is a well-paced thriller, and as the box states, a cross between 'Invasion of the Bodysnatchers' and 'The Terminator'. Fascinatingly, it features a pre-'Twin Peaks' Kyle McLachlan, whose other-worldly persona suits his character (an FBI agent-typecasting, anyone?) The story revolves around the search for a creature from another planet which mutates from one body to another. This idea is not explored in depth; instead the film decides to become a rollercoaster ride through San Francisco, and saves a nice surprise for the end. The DVD is not exactly packed with extra features (the usual scene selection, audio commentary and cast listing) but is an entertaining 90 minutes and worth it to see McLachlan's early role.
Product Description
DVD NTSC!!!
DVD Region: ALL;
Theatrical release: 1984;
DVD release: 2005;
Play time: 90 min.;
Sound format(s): Dolby Digital 2.0;
Language(s): English;
Subtitles: No Subtitles;
Format: 4:3, Full Screen, Color;
Genre(s): Ballet.
DVD NTSC!!!
DVD Region: ALL;
Theatrical release: 1984;
DVD release: 2005;
Play time: 90 min.;
Sound format(s): Dolby Digital 2.0;
Language(s): English;
Subtitles: No Subtitles;
Format: 4:3, Full Screen, Color;
Genre(s): Ballet.
Margot Fonteyn & Rudolf Nureyev...perhaps the greatest partnership on the history of ballet. For the first time, their most acclaimed performance, which have thrilled audiences worldwide have been captured on one DVD. The program traces their partnership from its glorious inception in 1962 (in Giselle at the Covent Garden) to its grand finale some 17 years later. It is unique in that it includes rare, behind-the-scenes footage of both dancers.
This special tribute program has now become even more of a treasure due to the passing of both Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Their legendary partnership was recently hailed by the press as when "...ballet was never more gripping, never more transporting, that when her perfect pose met his ardent theatrically."
Robert Powell narrates and ballet personalities such as Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of The Royal Ballet, provide their thoughts and memories on the lives of Fonteyn, nureyev, and their association. The synergy of their partnership was electrifying, and their impact on the world of ballet remains unmatched. This collectors item is an intriguing visual biography of the greatest ballet partnership of all time.
DVD Review:
- The Hills Have Eyes 2 [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The House Where Evil Dwells [1982] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Locals [2003]
- The Punisher [1990] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Tigon Collection
- The Tourist Trap [1979]
- The Wes Craven Collection
- The Witches Sabbath
- Toolbox Murders [2003]
- Touched by an Angel: The Complete Third Season, Vol. 1 and 2 Gift Set [1996] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
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