Customer Reviews

Spaceman

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Eugine the Spaceman is the ultimate killing machine, and he is a pretty good cashier too. This movie is about a lost warrior from outerspace that has to fight off the FBI, a group of hitmen, learn to think for himself, and serch for his true identity. I found this movie to be both action-packed and hilarious. I loved the parts where Spaceman riped out a mans vocal cords and threw a couple of forks into another guys eyeballs. Also I loved the pipe fight and kung-fu fight between Spaceman and the Japanese guy. Spaceman will never quit killing!!!

In all honesty, I worked on this film in two capacities: as an actor and as the recordist/producer/mixing engineer for the orchestral soundtrack. Because of this, I offer a review which is not entirely objective. Having said that, I was thrilled to be involved with this film because Scott Dikkers--the director and former comic genius behind The Onion--is simply one of the most comedically talented people I've ever come into contact with. This movie is the result of an arduous journey to a man's dream, and I am honored to have been able to take part in it.

Scotty, as we his friends call him, adores the big action movie. If one could make the comedy equivalent of "Terminator II" for a pathetic $50,000, he would be the one to do it. "Spaceman", of course, is not "Terminator II", and we were unfortunately assigned the daunting task of completing it for $50k. But what we ended up with was so much more than the sum of it's Radio Shack parts. It has action, it has romance, and by golly it is funny as well. And between Scott's vision in the filmmaking process, and Ed Pearsall's in the amazing scoring of the orchestral parts, we ended up with a film that will indeed entertain you. Give Spaceman a shot; I believe you'll enjoy it immensely, just as we did making it.

Trying to convince you (those who choose to read this) that this campy movie is worth every minute of your time will be my toughest job here, as I'm going to say some things that will seem at odds with each other when referring to this film. But I'm going to give it a go anyway and hope that you bear with me for a few moments...

If you watched the TV series Batman (starring Adam West) and thought the BAM! BOOF! and CRASH! pop-ups were cool whenever he and Robin got into fights with the Riddler, the Joker or some other dastardly villain, or if you didn't mind the fact that the early rocket propulsion system of Flash Gordon was accomplished by a fourth of July sparkler, you're the right person to watch SPACEMAN. I'm not saying you need to be a simpleton in order to watch this! Quite the contrary, you just have to be the type of person who's not overly-critical of such things.

SPACEMAN is ...I'm not sure how to put this without sounding ridiculous ...um ...it's the best B-movie, low-budget, science fiction, romance, kung fu/gangster film I've ever seen.

I stumbled upon SPACEMAN when nothing else was on TV. I was looking for something different, something refreshingly out-of-the-ordinary, but I had no idea what I'd clicked onto when I found SPACEMAN. At first glance, I was ready to turn it off. The production value was obviously very low. The filming was grainy or overexposed in places and the costumes were immediately laughable. But I decided to give the story a try. I'm very glad I did.

It's the story that pulls you through and makes this film a definitive triumph. The script is sheer genius and the acting is good.

Spaceman (David Ghilardi) starts out as a four-year-old child who is abducted from his front yard by aliens. Twenty-five years later, Spaceman crash lands back on Earth and finds himself unprepared for a world he barely remembers. His brain has been altered, and he is trained for combat and submission to a "commander". Any commander will do, really. So, in order to make himself feel more comfortable, he finds a job so that he has a commander (a boss). His first job is as a stock boy at a supermarket. But problems quickly arise as Spaceman has to improvise when his commander (boss) isn't around. When he witnesses a shoplifting, he takes matters into his own deadly hands and injures the thief, thus getting himself fired. Spaceman tries other locations for possible employment, including the military, the FBI, and the Mob, but none will have him.

During all of this, there's a love story building between Spaceman and a pretty apartment neighbor named Sue (Deborah King). She's drawn to his physical nature ...even though Spaceman can't procreate without orders from his commander.

Back to the FBI and the Mob ...

The FBI find out about Spaceman and try to capture him and his family and friends, only to find that Spaceman is no one to mess around with. His deadly demeanor ends any conflicts he encounters. Trying for a job as a hit man, Spaceman is even rebuffed by the Mob ...for a while. Sound interesting? It really is.

Give SPACEMAN a try. And trust me, you're going to want to turn it off after the first fifteen minutes. Don't! Watch closely, enjoy the story and be thankful that this campy film isn't trying to be some big blockbuster movie on half a shoestring budget. It never tries to do that. It pays homage to a time when rocket ships didn't have blue screens with CGI and had to tell a story about people; those funny, threatening, flawed, and ridiculous people!

In Space Man, we're treated to a genuine, low bugdet, sci-fi, gangster, kung-fu, comedy, love story. I saw this as a refreshing break from the hi-tech, mega bugdet, CGI bloated features we've been seeing. It's the story of a man who was kidnapped as a young boy by space aliens and returns back to earth 25 years later. During his time away from earth, he has been trained and conditioned to be the ultimate hunter/fighter/killer and now has to try and assimilate back into earth culture. I thought this movie was pretty funny, and for it's budgetary limitations, it had some pretty good fight scenes and effects. While the movie was made for around $50,000, it looks like the director got the most out of it he could. I would be interested in seeing what he could do with a larger budget. It's nice to know that movies like this can still be made. If you liked this, I would also recommend Dark Star.

It's ironic for someone reviewing movies on the Internet to have such a predilection for low-tech films.

Much of the charm of Scott Dikkers' B-movie comedy SPACEMAN is its nostalgia for the days when sci-fi was made on the cheap. When I was a kid watching Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon on Saturday morning TV, it didn't bother me that his rocket was powered by a 4th of July sparkler!

SPACEMAN'S writer/director Scott Dikkers created THE ONION, which proclaims itself America's Finest News Source. With branches in several major cities, it's the largest circulation humor publication in the country. The paper's satirical take on the major and minuscule events of the day is certainly more frank than your average daily rag.

One of the driving forces behind THE ONION'S success was Scott's uncanny media savvy. In additon to editing the newspaper, he has created radio, TV, the Web, and edited a couple of best selling books.

SPACEMAN is the tale of a young boy who is abducted by aliens only to crash land on earth twenty-five years later with powers pretty far beyond those of mortal men. Spaceman's (David Ghilardi) commanders have inserted an electrode in his brain that stimulates his taste for violence and obedience. On this planet, however, he finds little demand for his work experience as a ceremonial combatant. Given the way TV is trending he's slightly ahead of his time.

He makes a reliable but intense grocery clerk until a series of culture clashes lead him to an inevitable brush with the law and commitment to a hospital for psychiatric treatment. When a fellow patient mentions that he'd rather hire a hitman for himself than go through another drinking binge, Spaceman stumbles upon a line of work for which he's suited.

Along the way, he meets a young woman (Deborah King) who is turned on by the fact that he kills people, is stalked by a pair of X-File government agents who LOVE to dissect aliens, and seeks employment with a sorry excuse for a Chicago mob based in a rundown barber shop.

It's all a pleasant departure from Hollywood's current love affair with gross out comedies. The commentary track by director Scott Dikkers (who claims to have gone insane during this Quixotic no-budget enterprise) is a shot by shot lesson in why you shouldn't try this at home!

For all of its budgetary constraints (two of the actors were homeless men, one of whom had to be reached through his parole officer) it is sharply written and performed and boasts an unexpected original symphonic score (by Edward Pearsall).

i caught this on the sci-fi channel late one night and immediately had to hunt for it on dvd. This is one of the greatest movies i've ever seen. honest.. yes, it's cheesy, it's silly, but huck it, it's brilliant. I love the cynicism that runs deep through the core of this film for western society. You laugh as the spaceman's fate seems to absurdly fall into place, but by the end you can get honestly choked up at his final crowning achievement of his goal. i did... This isn't just a film that says if you have an idea follow it, it says freedom for the self; the ability to make decisions for one's self, is the greatest gift life has to offer. I am making "Spaceman" my pick of the month for a local paper i write for.

Spaceman (David Ghilardi) was taken by aliens when he was four. Trained and bread to kill for his masters. It was his misfortune due to the rebellion to get marooned on earth. Here he must learn to adapt with the help of Sue (Deborah King.) Mean time earth authorities want to dissect him. Will his unique skills assist or hinder his adaptation. And will he ever be reunited with his mother?

Well played out and they added plenty of elements from gangsters, to psychologists, to kung fu, to kids making through slitting gesticulations.

Low budget but incredibly fun to watch. Thoughtful Sci-Fi mixed with intense action and uplifting romantic comedy all culminating with one of the greatest pipe fighting scenes ever filmed. This movie is not to be missed! No joke. This movie really is fun to watch and that's why we watch movies, right?

Spaceman (David Ghilardi) was taken by aliens when he was four. Trained and bread to kill for his masters. It was his misfortune due to the rebellion to get marooned on earth. Here he must learn to adapt with the help of Sue (Deborah King.) Mean time earth authorities want to dissect him. Will his unique skills assist or hinder his adaptation. And will he ever be reunited with his mother?

Well played out and they added plenty of elements from gangsters, to psychologists, to kung fu, to kids making through slitting gesticulations.

This movie is low, low budget, but high, high up on the entertainment meter. Hilarious, action-packed, and surprisingly sweet. If you like the Onion, you'll love it.