Alien From L.A.
Director: Albert Pyun Run Time: 87 min. Format: 35mm Rating: PG Release Year: 1988
Starring: Kathy Ireland, Thom Mathews, Don Michael Paul
Journey to the Center of the Earth meets The Wizard of Oz Albert Pyun style!
A master of creating wild landscapes on a budget, here Pyun crafts an underworld with a steampunk vibe, with flecks of light and smoke, another signature of his style. There lands Wanda (Kathy Ireland), who has fled Los Angeles after getting dumped and is in search of her archaeologist father. The local population believe she has colonizer intentions, and have her on the run, not knowing who to trust.
Though perhaps best known as fodder for Mystery Science Theater 3000, Alien from L.A. transcends such a dismissal – the charm lies in the details, from character flamboyance to textured color palettes, which will be on glorious display in what we’re told is a flawless 35mm print.