Alien from L.A.

Alien from L.A. is a 1988 science fiction film directed by Albert Pyun and starring Kathy Ireland as a young woman who visits the underground civilization of Atlantis. The film was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and since then, it was considered a cult film. This film is loosely based on Jules Verne's 1864 novel Journey to the Center of the Earth.[1]

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864)
Alien from L.A.
One-sheet for Alien from L.A.
Directed byAlbert Pyun
Produced byMenahem Golan
Yoram Globus
Written byRegina Davis
Albert Pyun
Debra Ricci
StarringKathy Ireland
William R. Moses
Richard Haines
Don Michael Paul
Thom Mathews
Janet Du Plessis
Simon Poland
Music byJim Andron
Simon LeGassick
Anthony Riparetti
James Saad
CinematographyTom Fraser
Edited byDaniel Loewenthal
Production
company
Golan-Globus Productions
Distributed byThe Cannon Group
Release date
  • February 26, 1988 (1988-02-26)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Wanda Saknussemm (Ireland) is a nerdy social misfit with large glasses and an intolerable squeaky voice who lives in Los Angeles and works at a diner. After being dumped by her boyfriend for "not having a sense of adventure", Wanda is informed by a letter that her father, an archaeologist, has died. She flies to North Africa and while going through her father's belongings, she finds his notes about Atlantis, apparently an alien ship that crashed millennia ago and sank into the center of the Earth. Wanda comes across a chamber beneath her father's apartment and accidentally sets off a chain of events that ultimately cause her to fall into a deep hole.

An unharmed Wanda wakes up deep within the Earth to find Gus (William R. Moses), a miner whom she protects from being slain by two people. Gus, who has a very inconsistent Australian accent, agrees to help Wanda find her father, whom she believes is alive and trapped underground. Wanda soon discovers that both she and her father are believed to be spies planning an invasion of Atlantis. During her adventures, Wanda's appearance changes from nerdy to attractive (by removing her glasses and using a steam vent to clean her skin). People from the surface world are referred to as "aliens" by Atlanteans, who appear virtually identical to surface dwellers, and when Wanda is overheard talking about Malibu Beach by a low-life informant (Janie Du Plessis), she soon becomes a hunted woman and must dodge efforts at capture, both from the mysterious "Government House" and from thugs in the pay of the crime lord Mambino (Deep Roy). During these sequences, many references to Wanda's "big bones" are made, as though it were a trait by which she could be identified; however, no obvious physical distinction between Wanda and the Atlanteans is noticeable.

Wanda's efforts at escape are aided by Charmin (Thom Mathews), a handsome rogue who (briefly) assists her flight and falls for Wanda. She is ultimately captured by the evil General Pykov (Du Plessis again), who wants to kill both Wanda and her incarcerated father. The Atlantean leader decides to free Wanda and her father, provided they remain quiet about Atlantis. Gus shows up and helps the duo escape while fighting off General Pykov and her soldiers. Wanda and her father board a ship that takes them back to the surface and the film ends with Wanda on the beach, wearing a bikini and a sarong. She refuses the advances of her ex-boyfriend and is soon reunited with Charmin, who inexplicably appears on a motorcycle.

Cast
Kathy Ireland plays the film's lead Wanda Saknussemm

Production

This film was shot by Golan-Globus Productions and distributed by The Cannon Group. The film was mostly shot in Johannesburg, at producer Avi Lerner's studio, plus additional shooting in Durban, South Africa and Swakopmund, Namibia. Locations ranged from South Africa's deep digging mines and gold fields both on the outskirts of Johannesburg. There was one additional day of shooting at a safari complex near Pretoria. Most of the Namibia shoot took place in and around the old German colonial town of Swakopmund, with additional scenes also shot along Namibia's famed Skeleton Coast. The film was also shot in Los Angeles, California.

The character of Arnold Saknussemm is a reference to Arne Saknussemm from Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth, an Icelandic explorer who had gone missing long before the narrative of the story had begun.

Technical Specs

The runtime for Alien from L.A. 87 minutes.

It was shot in 35 mm film and color.[2]

Soundtrack

Once Upon a Time: Written by James Saad, Anthony Riparetti, and Steve LeGassick. Performed by Steve LeGassick.[3]

State of Heart: Written by James Saad, Anthony Riparetti, and Steve LeGassick. Performed by Donna DeLory.[4]

Namibia's Skeleton Coast[5]

Release

Alien from L.A. was released on February 26, 1988.[6] The film was later released on a DVD by the Shout! Factory in March 2013. The film also had a sequel that was also directed by Albert Pyun and was called Journey to the Center of the Earth and was released July 30, 1988.[7] The film had Kathy Ireland reprising her role as Wanda Saknussemm.[8]

Reception

The film was featured in a 1993 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.[9]

Public Response

The film wasn't rated highly by reviewers due to the lack of similarity to Jules Verne's adaptation of the book. Many people also stated that the plot was done incorrectly and due to that the film suffered on the screen. The public had a problem with the lack of monsters and creatures that were found in the book.

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References
  1. "Journey to the Center of the Earth (1989 film)", Wikipedia, 2020-04-25, retrieved 2020-04-30
  2. Alien from L.A. (1988) - IMDb, retrieved 2020-05-01
  3. Alien from L.A. (1988) - IMDb, retrieved 2020-05-01
  4. Alien from L.A. (1988) - IMDb, retrieved 2020-05-01
  5. "Skeleton Coast", Wikipedia, 2020-04-26, retrieved 2020-05-01
  6. Alien from L.A. (1988) - IMDb, retrieved 2020-05-01
  7. Journey to the Center of the Earth, retrieved 2020-05-01
  8. Journey to the Center of the Earth, retrieved 2020-05-01
  9. Alien from L.A. on IMDb
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