Video Nasty #27 : Contamination AKA Alien Contamination

Synopsis: After a ghost ship arrives in a New York dock Lieutenant Aris is sent to investigate, quickly discovering its cargo of mysterious green glowing egg-like lifeforms. Before you can say 'I've seen this somewhere before' the eggs burst open, causing those who come into contact with the psuedo-yolk to explode, chest first. Can Aris and Colonel Holmes from the secretive Special Division Five uncover the true origins of the alien eggs (*cough* Ridley Scott's Alien *cough*) before they are distributed across the planet?

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The problem is, when money's involved imitation becomes a thin line between flattery and plagiarism. Superficially Contamination is a cheap Italian rip-off of the seminal Alien, released to quickly cash in on its phenomenal success. Actually, other than the iconic eggs and its short lived title of 'Alien 2', Contamination has far more in common with camp 50's b-movie sci-fi then the haunted house atmosphere of Alien.


The plot is silly, but bumbles along quickly enough. I think the film was made to appeal to an American audience, and in many ways fits into the cookie cutter template of an early 80's action flick - The unlikely love affair between the quarrelling leads is very Indiana Jones, and the evil corporation's elaborate and presumed successful attempts to kill our heros is textbook Bond. In a way these elements make the film comfortably predictable, like a pair of manky slippers you wouldn't want anyone else to see you wearing.

Special mention is deserved for the sets of Special Division Five's laboratory, almost exclusively built using hexagons, because, you know, architecturally awkward six sides shapes that don't fit together are soo futuristic. Wrongly I assumed the set was a homage to cheep and cheerful b-movies, the sliding door's jerking movement and cardboard aesthetic a deliberate decision. Unfortunately, after listening to the director discuss the timeless quality he was trying to achieve in the movie (hahaha!) i'm not so sure.


Whilst the film's sets are unimaginative, there is glimpses of the film-makers true vision in the quirky costumes and special effects. Some of the effects are realisticly gorey (I will never get tired of seeing people explode), and others are hilarious but enderaring, such as the mother alien locked away in the evil organisation's basement. Cameron's sequel to Alien introduced the terrifying queen, where as Contamination has a green octo-thing with a huge glowing yellow eye and extended osmosis tube that eats its victims whole, like a snake. Possibly the most hilarious shot is that of the Alien cave on mars, filled with hundreds of eggs - it's clearly a scale model of peas in a paper mache diorama.


I really liked Contamination. It was rubbish, but had enough fun moments to keep me hooked. Despite the sometimes poor effects, at least the director tried to deliver pay-offs instead of relying on stock footage and reaction shots. Its biggest downfall is its (admittedly underplayed) efforts to cash in on Alien; It's easy to blame the poor quality of the film on age, but when you remember it was released after Alien the age cannot mitigate the lack of quality. Contamination is cheap, cheerful and, I think, is just intended as a bit of escapist fun. A rareity on the list.