Unknown Origin

Rating:
Summary: Mentally challenged film -it's a challenge to watch it.
Review: I went ahead and bought this movie because Roddy McDowall is in it, and I was curious about it being a rip-off of John Carpenter's fantastic movie The Thing. After all, the movie Leviathan was a rip-off of Carpenter's The Thing, and it's pretty decent. Man, was Unknown Origin waste-stink-awful. McDowall was ok in it for the most part, but this is like a horribly gone wrong made for the Sci-fi channel movie (in fact, it is a made for TV movie and it would not surprise me if it was done for the sci-fi channel). Some people have claimed that decent writing helped it to overcome its obvious micro budget. I don't see that at all. It's one thing to do what Leviathan did, it's a whole different thing to lift whole lines and direct concepts from Carpenter's The Thing. If these film makers were not sued, they pry should be. But even with lifted lines and concepts, it could have been watchable for some I guess. This film has more problems than that. Horribly cheesy dialog, very hokey looking sets, terrible glaring costumes, bad lighting and bad camera work made for an awful, awful movie. I'm not sure but I get the feeling that these filmmakers maybe knew better, were somewhat experienced, but needed a fast buck. This is horrible stuff. This is a mentally challenged Wing Commander-ish spoiled cheese fest.

This movie is not to be confused with 1983's Of Unknown Origin staring Peter Weller. Incidentally, Peter Weller was good in the above-mentioned Leviathan, as well as in Screamers. Check them out instead.

Rating:
Summary: Lots of fun!
Review: Terrific, "Alien" underwater homage about creature who takes over bodies and minds of undersea mining crew. Hearkens back to the days of the best of 60's drive-in horror flicks! Lots of fun and genuinely creepy at times.

Rating:
Summary: Alien Underwater.
Review: That's what I have to say about this one. It's fun to watch if only to see Roddy McDowell and Shatner's daughter in this film. It also stars the first Mr. Fantastic, Alex Hyde-White, from the Corman unreleased Fantastic Four movie. Also appearing in this quick sci fi movie is the Richard Biggs, the doctor on Babylon 5. It's fun to watch the low budget version of alien here. It even has an andriod character that's very much like Data in Next Generation. I have to say it's a keeper because it has so many familiar faces in it.

Rating:
Summary: great movie for a late night
Review: what can anyone say Roddy McDowall is always great and this is no exception...the film moves fast and has some very scary and funny moments...The cast was all good and different...loved Taylor "Rodger Halston" and his cat nip or what ever, he was the babe of the movie and should have end up with the girl. Also great to see Don Stroud he's been around along time and always does a great job. A great movie for the budget and the fear factor was right there.