tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post4111687561660275655..comments2024-03-29T04:19:43.461-05:00Comments on F This Movie!: Talking Xtro With the #1 Fan of XtroPatrick Bromleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-51243583216279009192020-06-27T00:52:21.249-05:002020-06-27T00:52:21.249-05:00Hi Dennis,
I can confirm that I am neither Tik no...Hi Dennis,<br /><br />I can confirm that I am neither Tik nor Tok, haha! More like "Timmy Towers", at least according to my show on North Manchester FM. I cover all types of electronic music on there, especially film scores which I've collected since I was a kid. The Halloween shows are my faves; a chance once a year to play wall to wall horror movie music from Carpenter to Goblin, obscure British movies, Italian gut-munchers and tv shows. I mean, how often do you get the chance to hear the themes from Sapphire And Steel, The Tomorrow People and Cannibal Holocaust on the radio?!<br /><br />Anyhoo, I was revisiting the Second Sight Xtro box set and loved your interview and enthusiasm for the flick and had to drop you a line - a brother from another mother, indeed! I find it funny that its us northeners that seem to connect so strongly with this movie. Well, us and Mike Stoklasa of Red Letter Media in the US.<br /><br />I always think of Xtro in the original Spectrum Video release from 83 that I rented from a video shop in Hollinwood when it first came out. And yes, I do still own a copy of that VHS edition alongside my old That's Entertainment vinyl LP. I guess they go with the multiple DVD and blu-ray editions from around the world...I just wish I could pinpoint WHY its always had such an appeal. Best not to question it too much, I guess! 😉<br /><br />It must have been great to meet all the Xtro crew for the bluey, a real dream come true! Congrats on that...and I'm not the least bit jealous! Haha!<br /><br />Stay safe and keep watching the skies!<br /><br />Tim<br /><br />(p.s. here's a link if you're ever stuck for a -ahem!- decent radio show!<br />https://m.mixcloud.com/timmy-towers/ )Tim A Warrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015944464626451777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-45073442130039371092020-06-15T15:20:59.866-05:002020-06-15T15:20:59.866-05:00Hi Tim
Your my brother from another mother. What...Hi Tim<br /><br /> Your my brother from another mother. What more can I say! Absolutely Xtrodinarilly brilliant. You've made me smile big time. Playing the music on the show is also amazing. That music alone can warp your brain. Very nice to hear I'm not alone. <br /><br />Ps I had to check your second name to be sure it's not Tim Dry<br /> Aka Xtro himself. For an Xtro lover you have the perfect name<br />Best wishes DennisDennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-4598526040875091502020-06-15T15:02:56.632-05:002020-06-15T15:02:56.632-05:00Hey Dennis,
Good to know I'm not the only one ...Hey Dennis,<br />Good to know I'm not the only one with this level of love for "the dreaded Xtro!"<br />I've loved it since seeing it on video in 83, and it seems to be part of my life's work to bring the film - and a deeper appreciation of it - to as many movie fans as I can, for example regularly playing selections from the soundtrack on my radio show.<br />I've never understood why people say there is a lack of logic in this film, as everything is meticulously set up and paid off, and the story follows a logical trajectory. Panthers, Action Man, clowns, et al, are all seen as Tony's toys before he brings them to life to enact vengeance and retribution. Sam has returned to take his son back to space, transforming him as he was himself changed by the aliens. This is not an illogical Dardano Sacchetti script by any means!<br />Add in the wonderful atmospheric score by Harry Bromley Davenport himself, great performances from the main cast, lashings of atmosphere and outrageous gore setpieces, and a perfect snapshot of England circa 1982 and you have a much maligned and misunderstood gem of a film. Its low-budget grittiness only adds to the experience.<br />Director Harry is self-deprecating to a fault, but is obviously too smart to believe his own anti-hype as to the genesis, production and final product he and his team produced.<br />If a future Xtro project were to be filmed in and around sunny Manchester, I'd most willingly transform my first-born into a murderous alien entity for a chance to participate!<br />Shame the sequels have never delivered as unique an experience, but Harry if you're listening out there, call me. Together we can give Xtro the sequel it deserves! Just saying... :)Tim A Warrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015944464626451777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-30324959701693119492018-01-26T12:06:34.075-06:002018-01-26T12:06:34.075-06:00Mine too I just saw
It says "I got believe&q...Mine too I just saw<br /><br />It says "I got believe" <br /><br />I'm illiterate! <br />Or my phone is...Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-29943459197303086432018-01-26T07:33:03.284-06:002018-01-26T07:33:03.284-06:00"THAT'S" stupid phone auto correcti..."THAT'S" stupid phone auto correctingChaybeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00696179838579647187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-43426249697209682242018-01-26T07:32:32.458-06:002018-01-26T07:32:32.458-06:00Thanks awesome, Dennis! Congrats!Thanks awesome, Dennis! Congrats!Chaybeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00696179838579647187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-48179344733209817702018-01-26T07:13:15.912-06:002018-01-26T07:13:15.912-06:00Ps and of course I make sure Fthismovie gets lots...Ps and of course I make sure Fthismovie gets lots of shout outs tooDennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-70435173472280643802018-01-26T07:12:38.092-06:002018-01-26T07:12:38.092-06:00I don't know if anyone goes back to old column...I don't know if anyone goes back to old columns but a quick update<br /><br /> Since writing this article and shouting about Xtro for a good few years I have now become friends with the Producer, and because of my friendship I got to be involved in the new Bluray from Second Sight coming out in April 2018, I have now met with all the actors and chatted with them in the Bluray documentary<br /><br /> But here is the crazy bit. The brand new Bluray has a full 1 hour Feature about the love of Xtro from me alone. I got believe I get my own special feature on the new disc<br /><br />What a crazy world it is? Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-66880773724273701512017-08-11T16:05:51.649-05:002017-08-11T16:05:51.649-05:00Update
I pre ordered the Bluray in November 2016
...Update<br /><br />I pre ordered the Bluray in November 2016<br /><br />Im still waiting. Damn this sucks !<br /><br /> Officially the longest pre order date I have ever waited forDennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-13248905224212889662017-01-22T09:03:37.199-06:002017-01-22T09:03:37.199-06:00Synopsis from Harry above, release date on 2017 ap...Synopsis from Harry above, release date on 2017 april<br /><br /> fingers crossed it happens!!!Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-67416414159182411982017-01-22T09:02:19.458-06:002017-01-22T09:02:19.458-06:00finally becomes unmanageably strange... and her fr...finally becomes unmanageably strange... and her friends realize she’s leading them away from the designated meeting place... the kids revolt, violently. It’s life-and-death for Jodie until... The Programmer arrives in person, to protect Jodie, its ‘investment’. In spite of its unearthly powers and singleminded ferocity, The Programmer is ambushed and slaughtered by Mike, who thinks he’s saving Jodie and the others. But out of The Programmer’s corpse emerges a new threat: an army of ravenous alien Parasites – scuttling crustaceans the size of bulldogs. What they do to people who get in their way is, unlike the Probes, never a surprise. They burrow into the victim’s body, gnawing the skull to splinters from within before they emerge, ready for more. As this new terror runs riot in the city, an ancient Indian sacred site in the near desert begins to shudder with what feels like a major aftershock. The tremors open a fracture, revealing ancient & elaborate rock art depicting what could be a spaceship hitting the ground and exploding. As the earth buckles wildly, rays of light stab-out from fissures rent in the arid terrain. Then, a terrifying sound as the spacecraft emerges from its underground hiding place. An entry hatch opens and, right on time, Jodie... now fully-entranced... enters the craft. In the spaceship, The Programmer, now reconstituted, examines Jodie, the prize he’s waited a billion years to claim. Her eyes are nasty pinpoints of light – she’s not human anymore. The Programmer walks around her, inspecting the specimen. When he completes his circuit, leans in and looks into Jodie’s eyes... she brazenly bites his face off. Then Jodie stalks-away to deal with the Probes and Parasites who remain onboard. With The Programmer out of commission and the mesmerized, fully-empowered Jodie on a murderous mission... the spacecraft quavers in mid-air. It looks about to change course for a moment. Then the ship detonates so completely, not a neutron remains, leaving the city at the mercy of homicidal Drones and Parasites which have no leader and no direction, only their gruesome instincts to guide them. ***<br /><br />Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-16320992877420240312017-01-22T09:01:32.240-06:002017-01-22T09:01:32.240-06:00Eight Years Ago. Not far from where the desert beg...<br />Eight Years Ago. Not far from where the desert begins at the eastern edge of sprawling Los Angeles... a willful, stormy 9-year-old named Jodie bursts out the front door of her house after an argument with her parents. She’s running away, the way kids do, but Jodie only gets as far as a nearby patch of barren scrub where strange flickerings stop her in her tracks. Jodie is abducted... and worse... by aliens aboard a darkly menacing spaceship that’s been hidden for eons beneath the shifting sands. Present Day. Jodie’s seventeen and lovely, but just as feisty and self-absorbed and manipulative as when she was little. At school, Jodie’s holding court with her handsome admirer Jack and her good-hearted best friend Marisa when a huge earthquake rocks Greater L.A. As the city goes into emergency lockdown and chaos rules the streets... Jodie, Jack, Marisa and their buddy Mike set out for a shopping mall where the four have arranged to meet their parents in case of emergency. Most of the city’s population has fled and many of those who remain are lowlifes – vandals, bikers, rapists & muggers looking to loot, shoot and raise hell amidst the regular folks who weren’t able to make it out of town. So, for the teenagers, it’s a journey through quake-stricken, bedlam-ridden Los Angeles to find their families. What nobody suspects is that this earthquake was not caused by tectonic forces, but by the alien craft that Jodie encountered when she was a child. It’s been reactivated and ordered to complete its mission. Part of that mission is to finish programming Jodie’s life-force while drawing her to the ship so it can return to its home world with its hand-picked captive human cargo. Rushing through the rubble to meet and care for their kids, the concerned parents include a nature-activist mom who liberates a wild animal from a zoo, thinking she’s doing the right thing, until it reverts to its feral nature in the teeming streets. A single dad who’s so concerned with uploading his every exploit to his YouTube channel that he ignores crucial warning signs and pays the price. And a blind couple who come to believe, as things go from grisly to worse, that perhaps they’re the lucky ones. Clearing the path for Jodie to get where they want her to go, the alien intruders deploy an advance force of cybertronic Probes. They seem to just appear, floating at eye level, organic and mechanical, surveilling the situation and the players at hand before deciding whether or not to churn the living tissue of a potential hindrance into the sort of grotesquery that could only spring from a twisted otherworldly mentality. The characters never know who these Probes will consider an enemy or what they’ll do about it. And things gets worse. As the teenagers move along, Jodie is changing... or rather being changed... by forces beyond her control. She’s increasingly entranced and empowered by her alien controllers under the direction of The Programmer – a dim entity we glimpse at the helm of the alien craft, guiding Probes and people on the ground. But when JodieDennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-71023845228858428812017-01-22T08:39:00.008-06:002017-01-22T08:39:00.008-06:00and to keep this thread up to date,here is the lat...and to keep this thread up to date,here is the latest<br /><br />Xtro Reboot!!!<br /><br /><br /> The original producer along with the director of Xtro have been collaborating to make an Xtro reboot about an Alien invasion of Xtro's all over the earth, Xtro, The Big one! im not yet sold on the title but it is all the same amazing thinking I might get another film from the original team, here is the statement they released<br /><br />"We – Harry Bromley Davenport and I – are at the start of a plan to make a new version of XTRO. It’s going to be called XTRO -The Big One, and I’ll explain why later. Harry and I made the original XTRO in 1981-2 and it was released in 1983. It was very successful for New Line Cinema, who were in dire need of cash-flow at that time and XTRO kept the company afloat until they found massive success with A Nightmare on Elm Street.<br /><br />Harry went on to do two sequels to XTRO, neither of which I produced. Two years ago he asked me if I was interested in working with him again on a new version and I thought that was a good idea. Harry introduced me to a writer he wanted to work with- Ken Segall. With Harry and Ken in LA and me in London, we had to use email and skype to send scripts, notes, ideas and comments back and forth. A slightly cumbersome process, but one which seems to have worked. The new script, which has gone through about 6 drafts, is now in good shape. It’s full of that special blend of XTRO weirdness.<br /><br />The story of the new film imagines what it would be like if an alien invasion took place during a massive earthquake – hence the title XTRO – The Big One. The new film is certainly not lacking in scope or ambition. We are really pushing the boat out.<br /><br />So now comes the big problem of all indie producers – raising the money. How do you raise enough to make an exciting film featuring good actors and with imaginative and striking FX that will stand comparison with other Sci-Fi films?"<br /><br /> Most likely may not happen, its too early to tell, the bluray is out in Feb after the 4K official screening at the Berlin film festival, the 35th anniversary release, Damn this makes me feel old, I cant wait for my bluray, test footage looks stunningDennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-81137951858456595522016-11-15T15:05:12.810-06:002016-11-15T15:05:12.810-06:00https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CqKWGTojb8
And...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CqKWGTojb8<br /><br /> And here is the first footage ever of Xtro in HD<br /><br /> Holy crap I'm excited Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-34443507632319518642016-11-15T12:21:12.858-06:002016-11-15T12:21:12.858-06:00http://www.platinumcultedition.com/produkt/xtro-35...http://www.platinumcultedition.com/produkt/xtro-35th-anniversary-deluxe-edition-limitiert-auf-500-inkl-figur-filmbild-t-shirt-soundtrack-etc/<br /><br /><br /> Dream coming true, Thanks to Patrick for the heads up, a fucking four disc Bluray, holy fucking fuck, 4 disc edition <br /> God damn we need stuff like this in this Brexit Trump world <br /> This is truely amazing Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-62062517465523797542016-10-09T02:15:05.845-05:002016-10-09T02:15:05.845-05:00How was it Michael joining our cult? At least th...How was it Michael joining our cult? At least the kool aid tastes sweet Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-81410413544196463462016-10-08T16:19:35.514-05:002016-10-08T16:19:35.514-05:00Bump again Bump again Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-212768597700875972016-10-08T16:18:51.314-05:002016-10-08T16:18:51.314-05:00This is what I said to Patrick, there really is a...This is what I said to Patrick, there really is a great through line that connects all of this crazyness, the family drama in the first half builds the story so that by the time the craxy stuff kicks in you already are invested in the people, the effects still look great on a good looking dvdDennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-73602947052989111542016-10-08T16:14:41.697-05:002016-10-08T16:14:41.697-05:00Yeah I get it now, with a different score on certa...Yeah I get it now, with a different score on certain scenes it could of been really scary, but it is kinda upbeat and funny, its a strange mix of tones, I'm with yaDennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-71275021828377300692016-10-08T11:12:14.851-05:002016-10-08T11:12:14.851-05:00Awesome! One of the best things is always seeing t...Awesome! One of the best things is always seeing these what to watch lists on twitter and different sites and knowing that Dennis is going to pop up with the Xtro bump! Your love for the film is infectious good sir!tj_mackey432https://www.blogger.com/profile/09194712321171991356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-12501296257228657212016-10-08T09:57:01.645-05:002016-10-08T09:57:01.645-05:00Totally agree the with family aspect. At its core ...Totally agree the with family aspect. At its core it's about a family in transition but struggling to move forward, dealing with stress, abandonment, anger, grief etc. The first 45 minutes is borderline a straightforward family drama, plus an alien abduction and the birth of man... I'm not going to pretend to understand everything that goes in the second half, but it works. Dreamlike is a great way to put it. But it pays a lot of what was presented earlier on - toy soldier, panther, clown etc. along with the family issues.<br />The effects are really good too. It helped I had a better version this time around (although still on YouTube). Love the alien design and I know that's not the story being told, but more of it, or a different alien invasion movie would be badass with that creature.Frank Levesquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02326363930618703504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-986941051634516982016-10-08T05:28:08.500-05:002016-10-08T05:28:08.500-05:00No no don't get me wrong - I think the score u...No no don't get me wrong - I think the score undercuts the HORROR; i.e. with a different score it might be a scarier movie; but the score is one of the big reasons it's as FUN as it is. I wouldn't have it any other way!Solhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03114869401584310369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-68465777131892047122016-10-08T03:20:05.107-05:002016-10-08T03:20:05.107-05:00Your making me emotional Frank
Happy Thanksgivin...Your making me emotional Frank<br /> Happy Thanksgiving, come back and tell me if my theory is correct, "Xtro is much better the second time". It's to much to take first viewing, second time you can really enjoy it more for what it is is and connect with the family struggle at the heart of the movie more, the monster stuff has more resonance once you feel sympathy for the family breakdown Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-20561738429271107612016-10-08T03:12:48.443-05:002016-10-08T03:12:48.443-05:00Interesting reaction to the score because Chaybee ...Interesting reaction to the score because Chaybee went the other way and loved the scoreDennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-88225540776292639902016-10-08T03:10:57.049-05:002016-10-08T03:10:57.049-05:00That's excellent, the love comes next, first...That's excellent, the love comes next, first time you see it it goes to so many places you are always pulled out by its Bonkersness, is that a word? It is now, next viewing I find you can enjoy it for what it actually is<br /> The Optimum release Dvd looks pretty good, I can't even imagine that birth scene in Bluray or that Clown, One day hopefully my dreams will come true Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.com