[miketardis]

INVADERS FROM MARS (1986)
It probably has to do with the fact that I first saw this in the theater when I was 15, but I really like Tobe Hooper's remake of the 50s classic. It carries over that "suburbia gone weird" tone that Hooper injected (and partially succeeded with) into POLTERGEIST. Re-visiting it as an adult, there is still a lot to admire about the film. Technically it is a superior film with great cinematography, excellent make-up and some stunning sets (back when people could do stunning sets on a "meager" budget of $12 million). But what I really enjoy are the spirited performances, especially the ones from Louise Fletcher as the frog eating teacher and James Karen as the Marine commander ("Marines have no qualms about killing Martians son."). The script by Don Jakoby and Dan O'Bannon is fun and adds some nice twists to the original story. Sure, it won't replace the original but I think this is probably the best remake we could ever hope for. For me this is also the next to last good movie that Hooper made (TCM2 being the last).