Rating: 
Summary: An A + of a B movie
Review: If the first 10 minutes of this movie don't rock you, please check your pulse: you are probably dead. What, exactly, would you do with a psychopathic, impulse-driven monster who can change from body to body the way you change your socks and whose appetites run to A) fast cars B) big guns C) punk-metal music and D) things which don't belong to it? If you're the irritable, hard-bitten LAPD Detective Thomas Beck (brilliantly played by Michael Nouri) you don't do much, except stumble over the glass and the bodies and wonder in vain what the hell is going on. Luckily for Beck (though he doesn't think so) FBI Agent Lloyd Gallagher (superb performance by Kyle MacLachlan) arrives on the scene and seems to have all the answers, if absolutely no idea how to use Alka Seltzer. So what if Gallagher is so square he probably mows the lawn in a jacket and tie....okay, it is a problem, because he gets along with grouchy Beck like oil with water...or maybe gasoline with a hefty handful of Borax. What really matters is the chemistry between the two actors. Nouri alone is so good it makes you very sad to think how little he probably made for this flick when a one-note wonder like Bruce Willis is getting 25 million samolians for "Die Hard IV." Anyway, the in-spite-of-it, can't-admit-it friendship between Beck and Gallagher, which somehow never falls into buddy-buddy cop convention, the nice little inerplay between Beck and his crew of backup detectives, and the touching relationship between Gallagher and Beck's daughter, help prevent the movie from degenerating into just a series of explosions and and shoot-outs (though they are pretty cool too). I first saw this flick in 1988 and before the opening credits had expired I put the tape on pause, broke out the Doritos and planted myself in the easy chair, because I knew it was gonna kick butt. It did. It still does. The opening scene alone, which pits a Ferarri GTO against about 20 LAPD black and whites with Hollywood as the racetrack and pedestrians as saftey cones, recently made E's Best Five Car Chases of All Time. Speaking of lists, "The Hidden" regularly makes critics' lists of "best films you never saw." Do yourself a favor -- see it today.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie with little extras
Review: If you expect the same extensive extras as released on the Collector's Edition LaserDisc by Lumivision, you'll be disappointed. Unfortunately, special features like behind-the-scenes photos, production material, original sketches or isolated music & effects track are missing. Only the commentary track, the special effects footage and the original theatrical trailer are included. But in return you get for the first time a Dolby Digital 5.1 version of this originally mono recorded cult classic.
Rating: 
Summary: Probably my favorite little-known horror film.
Review: If you're all stocked up on the requisite horror/sci-fi DVDs and are looking to go deeper in your collection, here is a little gem from 1987 that I guarantee will please. Everyone has a movie they love that nobody else saw - this is one of mine. You can get a feel for the story from the Amazon blurb above. My testimony is for the fun of the film. It's not gory, or even necesarrily bone-chillingly scary. It's just extremely entertaining and really well done (it's cousin in this genre is TREMORS, for the fun and campiness of it all). But what makes this DVD worth BUYING is its extras, especially the commentary by director Jack Sholder. This guy is a B-movie director if ever there was one, and his resume isn't all that impressive: Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Renegades, some other forgettable 80's films, and the recently abysmal Supernova. But gosh darnit if he didn't make a good enough film to warrant some director's audio commentary, and boy does he go to town. You can tell he's probably a real jerk to work with, and quite impressed with himself. And his cranky disposition makes for some great dirt on the making of this film. He disses the star, Michael Nouri, and even blasts the poor acting of some of his bit players. This is a guy who likely makes few friends with his commentary, and it's VERY entertaining, especially after having enjoyed the film for your first time. On top of that, he's a pretty practical low-budget director who shares the tricks of what he did and adds depth to one's appreciation for the film. So to sum up - a great little movie on its own merits, with great director's commentary to warrant purchasing the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: A Testosterone Based Parasitic Roller Coaster Ride
Review: Jack Sholder's (Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, Supernova) The Hidden is a tremendously kinetic horror escapade that shimmers with startling tounge-in-cheeck humor, impressive stylistic tension, marvelously executed special effects (even by modern standards), sharply effective editing, intelligent political and social commentary, and a truly spectacularly droll performance by Kyle MacLachlan (Blue Velvet) as F.B.I. agent Lloyd Gallagher. Now thirteen years since it's theatrical release, The Hidden remains one of the 1980's most underrated horror gems that definitely needs serious rediscovery today. Chronicling the tale about an extra-terrestial body snatcher that relishes high-speed sports cars, earsplitting rock and roll music, robbery, and mass homicide. The Hidden deals with the impulisve animal instincts of human nature and what would happen with an alien unable to control them would walk the streets of America and be able to jump from body to body anytime it felt like it. Overflowing with a chilling film-noirish atmosphere, orginal sci/fi concepts, ingenious rehashing of old sci/fi cliches, a suprising humanity, and one unforgettable antagionist makes the Hidden one of the most effective achievements of 80's horror. As for the DVD edition of the Hidden, it contains a magnificent anomorhphic widescreen presentation, a Jack Sholder commentary track, and the film's theatrical trailer. A Must-buy for any horror fan. P.S. Remember to put your aspirin into your glass of water.
Rating:
Summary: Underappeciated gem
Review: Jack Sholder's THE HIDDEN is one of those films that should have done better when it was originally released in 1987. This was my second viewing and I found it even more entertaining than the first time I saw it many moons ago. Being one of the first of those aliens inhabiting humans movies, it has a frenetic pace that seldom lets up. Sholder keeps things moving and has staged some incredible car chases and shootouts. And I appreciated the subtly superb performances of both Michael Nouri and Kyle McLachlan. Their bantering and uneasy friendship, along with some of the humorous asides, propels the movie throughout. I especially liked McLachlan's duel with both Alka Seltzer and aspirin. You can see why he was destined to star in the quirky but brilliant TWIN PEAKS. Claudia Christian's sultry "cameo" is also well performed; if you look beautiful, then just do your stuff; what a commando, though!!! I also enjoyed Katherine Cannon's performance as Nouri's wife--a small role but one that revealed the life of a cop's wife.
This movie in spite of its sci-fi basis, has heart, and that is revealed in the ending, maudlin but necessary.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Rating:
Summary: AN UNDERAPPRECIATED CLASSIC
Review: Jack Sholder's THE HIDDEN is one of those films that should have done better when it was originally released in 1987. This was my second viewing and I found it even more entertaining than the first time I saw it many moons ago. Being one of the first of those aliens inhabiting humans movies, it has a frenetic pace that seldom lets up. Sholder keeps things moving and has staged some incredible car chases and shootouts. And I appreciated the subtly superb performances of both Michael Nouri and Kyle McLachlan. Their bantering and uneasy friendship, along with some of the humorous asides, propels the movie throughout. I especially liked McLachlan's duel with both Alka Seltzer and aspirin. You can see why he was destined to star in the quirky but brilliant TWIN PEAKS. Claudia Christian's sultry "cameo" is also well performed; if you look beautiful, then just do your stuff; what a commando, though!!! I also enjoyed Katherine Cannon's performance as Nouri's wife--a small role but one that revealed the life of a cop's wife.
This movie in spite of its sci-fi basis, has heart, and that is revealed in the ending, maudlin but necessary.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Rating:
Summary: sweet movie
Review: one day i went through old movies in the attic and found (cobwebs all over it) "The Hidden." didnt look interesting but i popped it in the VHS and i was blown away at the opening sequence alone! this movie has the best action i've ever seen in cinema and done on a small budget! i love this alien, all it cares about is ferraris, heavy metal and world domination. i love the dark humor in this film as well and goes excellent with the fast pace of the film. a great scifi/action film that deserves more attention. i think the best part was when claudia christian distacts the two LAPD cops with a little show after a car chase and when they put there guard down she blows their squad car to smithereens. i guess the cops couldn't see the big gun behind her back(which is obvious), but i guess Jack Shoulder wanted to portray the LAPD accurately.
Rating:
Summary: Something Hidden, Something Special.
Review: One of the better 80's Sci-Fi flicks before the advent of CGI. THE HIDDEN is an intelligent and fun piece of filmaking perhaps made as a protest to films like E.T. or STARMAN. Although modest in budget, the production values are excellent (car crashes, stunt work and special effects) and the cast and script are top notch. Kyle MacLachlan (Gallager) is an FBI agent (or is he?) assigned to track down an alien life form going through a multitude of human hosts, inhabiting a body and going on a destructive path of stealing fancy sports cars and robbing banks. With disregard to the human host during these crime sprees, the alien lets the body be destroyed in various ways (like letting it be shot, or crashing it in a car) so he can escape and find another host and start the cycle over again. All this is done in horror yet in a humorous undertone as the alien chooses a stripper, a police detective and even a pet dog as it's victims. A genuine type B-movie, it is nontheless a fun, smart, not-too-campy, sci-fi horror film. Good support work from Michael Nouri (*61) and Claudia Christian (Babylon 5).
Rating:
Summary: A HIDDEN LITTLE TREASURE OF A MOVIE
Review: Sci-Fi, horror, cop thriller, action flick. THE HIDDEN is a delightful combo of all of these genres. It's almost like watching the best scenes from THE TERMINATOR, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, ROBOCOP and SPECIES all in the same movie! And yet, despite having all the necessary ingredients that make up a summer blockbuster, THE HIDDEN has recieved instead a decent-sized cult following over the years. Perhaps one day it will join other movie greats like BLADE RUNNER and HIGHLANDER, both of which were flops at the time of their release but have since then become classics of science fiction and fantasy. Peace.
Rating:
Summary: Stylish and intelligent thriller
Review: Some aliens just don't have any self-control at all. This particular one makes his (its?) way to Earth and finds it's much easier to be a criminal here than at home. People, he discovers, are such easy prey --they're completely defenseless against his hopping inside and taking control (which is unfortunate for the hitchhikee, who kicks the bucket as soon as he pulls his baby-Alien implantation routine). Earth is bunches of fun: he finds he enjoys fast Italian cars, very loud (and very bad) music, greasy diner food, and, best of all, mangling people. Not at all surprisingly, he is pursued by an alien detective who _also_ can only get around Earth by using peoples' bodies (his method is, thankfully, _much_ different than our gleeful alien serial-killer). Enter Earth cop Michael Nouri, who has no idea what the hell is going on -- why do completely normal people go insane and slaughter people, and why does it takes 100 bullets to stop them? And why does this FBI agent who appeared out of nowhere claim he's an alien? And why the heck does Claudia Christian have _any_ clothes on at all? (Oh well, no movie's perfect.) If you enjoy a lot of violence leavened with just as much wit, this movie fits the bill. (By the way, avoid the sequel -- it's completely hideous.)
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