Such a frustrating disappointment

Powerful

Just perfect...

Good concept, poorly executed.

There are 2 kinds of awful: so awful it's good then there is the so awful it's just awful and this film is just awful awful. I personally cannot understand how this film is getting 4/10 IMDb stars... maybe 2/10 but 4/10?! Wow! What am I missing here? For me this is not a good zero budget film - some of them I really like but this one does not do it for me.I have not a problem with the idea of an alien craft carrying it's zoo animals and it crashes on planet Earth - that's fine. I don't have a problem with some bad acting (this film has some bad acting but the actors are not all that bad). It's the aliens themselves that are putting me off this film for some reason - they did not do it for me, intrigue me that is. Looked like very burnt hot dogs or trash bags to me and I wasn't able to laugh about it so I was put off by them.If you like really, really bad films (as I do) and you like the zero budget sci-fi films (as I do) plus have a tolerance for silly aliens that are suppose to be taken seriously (and I do not) then you might like this film. Otherwise just pass it by... not much to see here.1/10

Man, you've gotta love Don Dohler. He was the man responsible The Galaxy Invader (1985), an alien film which transcended its low budget restrictions and was a laugh-a-minute, extremely entertaining bit of sci-fi hokum. I thought that Dohler couldn't surely top that one and subsequently found his earlier horror film Fiend (1980) to be nowhere near as psychotronically entertaining. However, having seen his debut firm The Alien Factor I figure I must now have surely seen Dohler's true masterpiece. This one is pretty similar in plot-line to Galaxy Invader, except where that latter movie had a sympathetic E.T. influenced alien, The Alien Factor sports a trio of vicious nasty old-school monsters and so this sci-fi effort has one foot firmly in the horror genre too.The story starts directly after an alien spaceship crash lands in Maryland resulting in three deadly aliens being released to terrorize the local population.Like all of Dohler's films this one was independently made and low budget. But also, like his films in general, some actual care has been taken to make the film as good as it can be. Sure, there's lots of dodgy acting and ropey dialogue (which add a lot of fun value it has to be said) but some effort has also been taken in other areas. For instance, we have five different aliens in total, and all are rather interestingly designed. There is some stop motion work used for one of the creatures - a giant invisible lizard, we also have a giant insectoid, there is a hairy enormously tall yeti-like creature, a white haired space pilot and a shape-shifting being with a monstrous face. It's all very commendably done, with lots of imagination involved in the design work. Accompanying all of this is one of the most insistent synthesizer scores you will ever hear, it's a soundtrack that takes every given opportunity to sound 'futuristic' - in 1978, this was the sound of the future. On the other hand, space is also found for more traditional music, via a performance of a song from a rock band called Padding...I mean Atlantis. Again, details like this, merely add to this film's overall charm.I would have to say that this one is a great example of an independent, low-budget b-movie. The film-makers never forget to keep things interesting. It's one of those films whose very shortcomings actually seem mostly like positives too and that is quite a rarity. The film eventually wraps up on a pleasingly ironic and downbeat fashion, which seemed a perfect way to end this particular story.

THE ALIEN FACTOR is my first exposure to the no-budget sci-fi works of auteur Don Dohler, and coincidentally it's his first film as director. People are criticising this for being goofy, amateurish, filmmaking at its worst, but to them I say go and watch the works of a contemporary - like Robert Emenegger's BEYOND THE UNIVERSE - see how corny and plain boring they are - and then criticise this one. Dohler knows how to entertain, and that's the important thing.The plotting in THE ALIEN FACTOR is pure hokum, of course, involving various alien monsters roaming around in the woods and the efforts of local townsfolk to kill them. The acting is amateur level, as you'd expect, and the production values are just about adequate given the film's lack of budget and expertise. And yet how can you not like this? The pacing is fast, the alien costumes are a hoot, and the lo-fi special effects are a delight to watch. There's even a tragic climax that I didn't expect to be moved by. If you're any kind of a fan of low budget filmmaking, I'd recommend giving Dohler's work a chance - you might just enjoy it...

You may remember the TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000, where the captive subjects were forced to watch bad movies? Cinematic Titanic features five of the original cast of talent from that show, and The Alien Factor is one of their latest releases.The scenes with the best riffing: Opening credits! Couple making out in VW. First scene with the Sheriff. The rock band- oh my god! When the "hunting party" goes out looking for aliens. And many more...I've watched this version of The Alien Factor at least 10 times now, and it's really funny. It's definitely worth finding on-line and ordering yourself a copy.Now I need to find AF2!