MovieChat Forums > Communion (1989) Discussion > OMG!!!

OMG!!!

posted 19 years ago by tiger-crane
7 replies | jump to latest

After watching Fire in the Sky many years ago, and then hearing about this film, I went out and bought it. Man, what a mistake and what a waste of £12.99!

Ok, the scene with alien peering round the cupbard was a tad bit eerie, but in my opinion this film was a world away from being good, more like barely watchable. I found myself forwarding to the end credits about 10 mins before the end, in hope to see something exciting.

The aliens (grays) looked too fake and looked too much like string puppets, especially with them dangling in the air in the space ship, they were laughable. The shorter fatter aliens - you could easily tell that these were midgets in costumes. FOr a film made in 1989, I would have hoped for better effects. The story started off well then as each minute passed it became annoyingly boring, and stupid. There was no space ship, you are only shown a budget interior.

The scene with Christopher Walken dancing with the aliens? Please stop!

I would recommend you watch Fire in the Sky. All round a better and more enjoyable film, much better effects (granted it was made in 1993)and more realistic, more harrowing and true to the actual events.

I was very dissapointed.

[–] JimSpy 19 years ago

Your review and reaction to the movie is perfectly understandable. However, you should know that the "crudeness" of the alien costumes was done on purpose - because that's exactly how they seemed to Strieber. He is disarmingly honest in saying that he knows the creatures looked kind "fake," but their fakeness added to the surrealistic, other-worldly quality of the experiences. Remember, he doesn't claim that these experiences were "real" in our everyday, ordinary definition of reality - the reality where space aliens are supposed to look genuine, even the celluloid ones.

==JJS==

[–] RackAttack 19 years ago

Just a quick comment: “Fire in the Sky” was NOT “…more…true to the actual events.” I don’t remember where I saw what I am about to relate but it was some sort of commentary that I saw (on TV?) about that film. (Probably a “History Channel” documentary regarding the actual events surrounding what was portrayed in that movie.)

Within that documentary, It was expressly said (I forget by whom) that the events portrayed in that movie were exceedingly embellished upon to increase the drama.

In short it was far from, “…true to the actual events.”

At least that’s how I remember it from what I saw about the film “Fire in the Sky.” However, you could do the research to find out if my memory of the commentary is true or not.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] starfighter15 19 years ago

Yea but that moronic piece of scum 'rtz549'is a drastically opinionised dork, who would never have the right mind capability to see all these interesting comments you folks have stated. He's one of those people who are swarming this world without thought, and will never be able to evolve as SOME of us will. Anywayz, besides my opinion there, he will enevr even answer any of these posts after all that he said, and was wrong about, he was told and should never have to answer any of you. But..hmm I think this film was excellently well done (not exactely like the novel) But..what ever is? I've spoken by email with Mr. Strieber about this whole delema. And really think about it, hardly any great bestselling fictional/true storys are never accounted perfectely on screen...never have from what I've seen, but what matters is is that the characters, and plot are close enough to make some of these Earthly nittwits stop once in a while to just think for the first time in their lives.

[–] filmbuff1974 15 years ago

Yeah, it was pretty bad. The pacing was just slow and I found the characters just very self-indulgent. I could excuse the effects but when it comes to the screenplay I'm a lot less forgiving. The producers made a huge mistake letting Whitley Strieber adapt his own material.

If you love and support Michael Jackson 100%, copy & paste this into your signature. We love MJ!

[–] jabberttp 14 years ago

While I liked Fire In The Sky, and rated it a '7', I LOVED Communion, and rated it a '10'.

Things you didn't like about the movie, at first blush, neither did I, but viewing it as the 'trippy' nature of the film, ultimately I thought it was brilliant.

Communion spanned MANY genres, including comedy.

His getting SO scared by the 13-year old girl and pulling out a gun was fantastically hilarious on a couple levels.

Plus THAT praying mantis costume WAS a pretty damn awesome horrifying costume.

Much more so than The Grays or the other guys. lol

[–] AM_Brandt 14 years ago

The praying mantis part was discussed in more detail in the later two books... Breakthrough and The Secret School.
As far as how hokey the movie seems at times, given the subject matter, no big name Hollywood studio would give them a big budget. The script is more the result of not being able to squeeze the vast amount of material covered in the book into an acceptable 2 hour movie.

And, about 12 years after first reading it, the cover image is still frightening on some odd level.

http://ambrandt.servehttp.com <-- it's my site... like duh!