Alien Raiders (2008) Starring Carlos Bernard, Mathew St. Patrick, Courtney Ford, Jeff Licon, Samantha Streets & Dreck Basco Directed by Ben Rock Written by Julia Fair & David Simkins

As this fast paced story unfolds in near real time it becomes clear that something far more sinister is lurking beneath the surface than a simple hostage sweep and clear. Aliens, folks. Goddamned body snatching aliens. Worse than being held hostage to some gun toting vigilantes who appear to be hunting aliens is being forcibly held in a supermarket while an alien invasion is starting to break out in the store.

Outside a different situation is mounting. The cops have arrived. Led by former big city hostage negotiator Seth Steadman (Mathew St. Patrick of Six Feet Under) the cops have full intent to bring this hostage situation to a safe end quickly, and possibly by any means necessary. There’s no way for the cops to have any clue at what they are truly up against and lead “raider” Aaron Ritter (Carlos Bernard of 24) has no time or interest for negotiating, making the intensity of the standoff mount as the race to seek out and destroy the alien threat increases by the minute.

There’s no doubt that this sci-fi thriller from director Ben Rock is the best of the Raw Feed lot. Admittedly that’s a bit of a backhanded compliment given that just about everything else (with the possible exception of Otis) has been a 2 star film at best. However, I mean it with all sincerity. Alien Raiders is a wonderfully refreshing and highly entertaining film. This low budget sci-fi horror flick was shot in a mere fifteen days, but Rock clearly has a firm grasp on his source material and makes the best of a bad situation by stocking the story with some great characters who feature not only excellent dialogue but (gasp) believable acting. The effects are used minimally, but when they are pulled out they pack a wallop of a punch.

Most know Ben Rock from his involvement as set designer with The Blair Witch project. It is his handiwork on display when you lay eyes on that unforgettable stick figure. In addition to which he directed the film Shadow of the Blair Witch, a faux documentary that appeared on the Sci-Fi channel prior to The Blair Witch’s theatrical debut. In my humble opinion Rock’s documentary was far creepier than the actual film itself, and only helped fuel the marketing that truly made The Blair Witch the phenomenon that it was. It’s the stripped down sensibilities from The Blair Witch that Ben utilizes so effectively in Alien Raiders. Same as in The Blair Witch, the fear and suspense is not propelled from the horror you see, but from that which you don’t see.

Ben also proves himself a master of production by surrounding himself with a talented crew. Most notably is veteran DP Walt Lloyd, who showcases his ability to take old school shooting techniques and translate them into a modern set producing a visually crisp and stunning piece despite use of HD cameras to shoot (Everyone knows film still rules). Most of the eerie lighting that effectively sets the tone throughout was accomplished through the use of green gels that progressively get stronger as the film goes on, turning a one location shoot from a bright and friendly environment into an ominous and fear filled set. This emphasis on practical shooting techniques allows the film a look that is as powerful as the story.

A lot of people have complained that despite its plain Jane (and quite horrendous) title, that Alien Raiders was deserving of a theatrical run. While this is a sentiment that I would wholeheartedly endorse, a recent conversation I had with Ben sheds some light on to why this was destined from pre-production to never see the big screen. Raw Feed as a company has a direct to DVD business model. Films are shot back to back utilizing the same crew, and LA based locations on small budgets. “The Raw Feed model is basically that they roll from film to film to film. They went from Otis to Rest Stop 2, to our film”, says Ben. While they’re certainly backed under the Warner umbrella, and could have found the funding to push the film theatrically, it just wasn’t in the cards.

The DVD extras are quite nice, but a little lacking in sustenance. There’s the basic behind the scenes featurette, “Hidden Terrors”, which became overly repetitive shortly. Then take a look at the special effects with “Blood, Sweat, and Fears: The Making of Alien Raiders”. Again, nothing major here. While there were some great effects, I didn’t think there were enough to validate an extra. Probably the best feature was “Spookie’s Job, The Alien Buster Explains his Job”, a short extra where “Spookie” stays in character throughout. Noticeably lacking was a commentary track. There’s no doubt that Ben would have had plenty to talk about, and perhaps a future re-release will see this added.

From top to bottom Alien Raiders is low budget filmmaking at its absolute finest, and should be referred to often by any aspiring filmmaker as what should be done when you’re strapped for cash and have to turn a film around in a miniscule amount of time. Sharp as a tack, and with more twists than a pack of Twizzlers, you can’t afford miss this film. It’s a guaranteed great time and we’re recommended you go out and get this film today!