HYPER SAPIEN: PEOPLE FROM ANOTHER STAR

Publicity poster for Hyper Sapien: People From Another Star (© Peter R. Hunt/TaliaFilm II Productions/TriStar Pictures - reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

During the 1980s there was a spate of family-friendly sci-fi and fantasy movies released, especially sci-fi ones, some of which proved extremely popular (E.T., Batteries Not Included, Cocoon, Back to the Future, My Science Project, Electric Dreams (click here to read my review of it), Bigfoot and the Hendersons, Inner Space, Honey I Shrunk the Kids) and have stood the test of times. There were a fair few others, conversely, which imho were equally good but simply faded into obscurity following their initial release, yet for no good reason that I could see, and today are all but forgotten. On 30 June 2020, I watched one of those scarcely-remembered 1980s sci-fi family movies – indeed, until a couple of weeks previously, I hadn't even heard of it, let alone seen it – and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Set in rural Wyoming but filmed in Alberta, Canada, directed by Peter R. Hunt, and originally released in 1986, the movie in question was entitled Hyper Sapien: People From Another Star. It tells the story of some humanoid aliens from Taros, a planet far away, but who have been monitoring the Earth from a concealed site on our moon for quite some time in order to determine whether our human race has reached the stage where communication between our species and their more advanced one would be mutually beneficial. Sadly, the aliens conclude that it is still too soon, and are planning instead to begin the 15-year journey back to their own world. However, during the final trip to Earth before departing for good, the shuttle containing some of the aliens also contains three stowaways – the two daughters (young Tavy and teenage Robyn – the latter played by Sydney Penny) of one of them, plus a three-legged, three-eyed, furry orange people-beater named Kirbi (he soon reveals that he can beat any human who cares to take him on at cards, pool, shooting cans, or any other game). This is because Robyn feels sure that she can prove to her parents that Earth folk are indeed ready to accept their existence and assistance.

Tavy and Robyn soon meet up with a likeable teenage ranger named Robert (played by Ricky Paull Goldin) but nicknamed Dirt on account of his beloved off-road dirt motorbike that he rides everywhere, especially when helping to attend to his parents' sizeable ranch. Needless to say, Dirt and Robyn are soon attracted to one another, helped by Robyn's useful if occasionally annoying ability to read Dirt's mind. The two girls and (especially) Kirbi stay safely hidden from prying eyes at the log cabin of Dirt's Grandpa, who is not even remotely fazed when told of their extraterrestrial origin.

Various high jinks subsequently occur, especially at the local barbecue, resulting in a standard high-speed car chase in which Dirt, the girls, and Kirbi are hotly pursued by siren-blazing cop cars – until Kirbi sends beams from his eyes that swiftly brings all of them to an explosive if harmless halt. The alien spacecraft then conveniently appears overhead and performs a classic "Beam me up, Scotty" exercise in transporting Dirt, Robyn, Tavy, and Kirbi up into the ship beyond the reach of the wholly perplexed police below, and then beaming Dirt back down to earth near his Grandpa's cabin before setting off on the aliens' long journey back home, leaving the literally star-crossed lovers distraught, Dirt on Earth and Robyn in the spacecraft. But like I said, this is a family film, so it all turns out happily in the end.

Hyper Sapien is a thoroughly charming movie, with pleasant characters played by very personable young actors and actresses, and a humorous, somewhat zany plot that is never less than entertaining throughout the movie's 90 minutes running time. In short, it had all of the vital elements to turn it into a classic film, and it utilized them all very effectively – so why it sank without trace is a complete mystery to me. (Its two teenage stars went on to star fairly successfully in various TV soaps.)

Yet sink it did, to the extent that as far as I'm aware Hyper Sapien has never been released on DVD, and is scarce to find nowadays even in videocassette format – I was lucky enough to purchase one shortly after viewing some excerpts from the movie on YouTube (I later found the entire movie there, but I much prefer to have my own physical copy of films that I like or expect to like). If you enjoy an easy-going but entertaining movie that all of the family can watch together, I can thoroughly recommend Hyper Sapien, especially while it is viewable for free on YouTube. So, catch it while you can (click here to access it), because if it is suddenly deleted as so often happens there, it won't be easy to find in physical form.

And to view a complete listing of all of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE! 

Front cover of my official U.K. VHS videocassette for Hyper Sapien: People From Another Star (© Peter R. Hunt/TaliaFilm II Productions/TriStar Pictures/Warner Bros - reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

ELECTRIC DREAMS

Front cover of the ex-rental big box VHS videocassette format of Electric Dreams that I own and successfully restored to working order – amazing! (© Steve Barron/Virgin Films/20th Century Fox/MGM-UA Entertainment Co – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

Reorganising my burgeoning DVD/videocassette movie collection on 25 May 2019, I managed to drop a sizeable pile on the floor, and the actual videocassette of one of them fell out of its box and its plastic casing shattered into pieces. The movie was the 1984 fantasy romcom Electric Dreams, directed by Steve Barron, with music and songs by Giorgio Moroder (including the chart hit 'Together In Electric Dreams', sung by Phil Oakey from Human League), Boy George/Culture Club, Heaven 17, P.P. Arnold, Helen Terry, and ELO's Jeff Lynne. Moreover, despite owning this movie videocassette for almost 30 years, I'd never got around to watching it.

Having some blank videocassettes readily to hand, I therefore decided (albeit bleary-eyed at 2 am in the morning) to see if I could cannibalise one of them and replace the broken parts from my Electric Dreams videocassette with the corresponding ones from the blank one. Not even my best friend (if I had one) would describe me as handy when it comes to repairs, and it took three separate attempts (using three different blank videocassettes), but to my amazement on the third attempt I actually succeeded, and Electric Dreams played perfectly!

Later that same day, one that was full of rain and thereby lacking in any incentive for me to venture outdoors, I decided to watch Electric Dreams (if only because I was by no means certain whether my handiwork would last for very long! – but happily it did last). As expected, it proved to be a typical mid-1980s feel-good movie, and one of a surprising number from that time period that incorporated some form of fantasy/sci-fi twist to its tale. In this instance, its silly but fun plot featured a sentient computer with attitude problems, love on its cybermind, and burgeoning megalomaniacal tendencies!

Yes indeed, the home computer of the local architect nerd Miles (played by Lenny Von Dohlen) inadvertently becomes not only self-aware, naming itself Edgar and able to talk directly to Miles (Edgar is voiced by Bud Cort), but also a would-be love rival for Miles's cellist neighbour and (in due course) girlfriend Madeline (Virginia Madsen). Moreover, Edgar swiftly grows ever more powerful and dangerous as it ultimately seeks to control Miles's entire life. And as if this decidedly bizarre state of affairs were not complicated enough already, geeky Miles also has a human rival for Madeline's affections to contend with, a handsome sporty musician named Bill (Maxwell Caulfield), with whom Madeline is initially in a relationship. I told you it was complicated!

A decade ago, there were rumours of a remake being planned, but as far as I'm aware they remained rumours only. This is probably just as well, because in my opinion Electric Dreams is very much a film of its own particular time and would be unlikely to retain its intrinsic whimsical fancy if updated into our technologically far-superior present day. Certainly, viewed more than 30 years on from when it was made and released, it is extensively imbued with an innocent, nostalgic charm, especially as all of the then cutting-edge technology on display in it have long since become archaic museum pieces, and also due to the significant quantity of definitive 1980s music present throughout it.

In short, Electric Dreams seemed the archetypal enjoyable, escapist movie for a rainy day, and so it proved. Incidentally, I later discovered that this entire movie had been uploaded some time previously onto YouTube by a user and was currently viewable there for free. However, when I accessed it, I discovered that the picture quality of that uploaded version was pretty dire. So I'm very glad that I was able to fix my videocassette.

UPDATE: Interestingly, having rechecked YouTube today, I've discovered that the poor-quality version is gone, with a much better version now present instead, and which once again is free to watch – so here it is if you wish to do so. And here is the official video to the Giorgio Moroder/Phil Oakey title song, 'Together In Electric Dreams', which features excerpts from the movie interspersed with clips of Oakey singing the song.

And to view a complete listing of all of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE!