The latest UFO Movie Club episode takes an in-depth look at the film adaptation of Whitley Strieber’s best-selling novel Communion.
Love it or hate it, director Philippe Mora’s Communion leaves a lasting impression. Strieber’s 1987 alien abduction novel was a runaway hit. But Mora’s 1989 horror/biopic bombed with critics and viewers. Fortunately, Communion now lives on in pop culture thanks to an over-the-top Christopher Walken performance.
Mora put his own spin on the alien abduction phenomenon and released a movie that was too far out there for skeptics and UFO believers. But now, looking back on the film, its presentation of nonhuman intelligence falls more in line with theories posited by modern ufologists.
Communion offers an intriguing look at the life of an alleged abductee packaged as a surreal horror thrill ride that ventures into camp. Come for the fascinating look at a landmark UFO case, but stay for the wild-eyed Walken performance for the ages.
COMMUNION VIDEO REVIEW
Communion Official Synopsis: Christopher Walken stars as novelist Whitley Strieber in this tense alien abduction thriller. Vacationing at his family’s home in the woods, Whitley is awakened one night by bright lights outside his window.
The next morning he believes he dreamed of being taken by aliens to a spaceship. As the frequency of these “dreams” increase he wonders: are these encounters just hallucinations, or is this really happening? In desperation he seeks out a therapist who believes hypnosis may expose the truth.
Based on Strieber’s own experiences, this eerie precursor to the “X-Files” delivers some genuine chills and adds fuel to the debate about whether we are alone in the universe.
About Communion
Director: Philippe Mora Writers: Whitley Strieber Cinematography: Louis Irving Music: Eric Clapton, Allan Zavod, Alan Clarke, Eduardo Ponsdomenech Cast: Christopher Walken, Lindsay Crouse, Frances Sternhagen, Andreas Katsulas, Joel Carlson.
Let me know your thoughts about Communion on Twitter and in the comments below. If you enjoyed this review please help out the site by sharing it on social media. And keep coming back to VSR for new reviews, interviews, and videos.
Interesting article as it updated, re-evaluated the ‘pros versus the cons’ of Communion.
Thanks for watching!
This movie really messed me up as a kid so it was fun to go back and watch it from a new perspective. It’s not a great all-around movie, but it has its moments and I appreciate what it tries to say.