Xtro
Encyclopedia
Xtro is a low-budget British science fiction
horror film
made in 1982 and directed by Harry Bromley Davenport
and co-produced by Bob Shaye.
), his wife Rachel (Bernice Stegers) and their young son Tony (Simon Nash
). One evening when Rachel is out a mysterious light appears in the night sky and Sam disappears. People believe he has just run out on the family. Only Tony knows what really happened but no one believes him.
Three years after the disappearance of Sam, Tony still pines for his father. His mother Rachel has taken up with another man, photographer Joe Daniels (Danny Brainin). The fractured household, which also includes a sexy French babysitter Analise (Maryam d'Abo
). They live in a small apartment in the city.
An alien crashes to earth and approaches the farm where the Phillips had previously lived in. The cottage is now inhabited by a woman (Susie Silvey). The alien attacks her and covers her mouth with an appendage and pumps something into her.
In the morning she wakes and the alien is dead. As she goes into the kitchen she suddenly feels sick. Her stomach swells and she dies as she gives birth to a fully grown man – Sam.
Sam makes his way to the city – somehow able to find where his son now lives. He reintroduces himself to the family and despite the obvious tension with Joe is allowed to stay.
Tony catches his father eating his pet snake's eggs and runs away. Sam catches up with him and tells him that the aliens changed him. He puts his mouth to his son's neck and injects chemicals into him. He wishes to change his son so he can take him back with him.
Tony finds he can make his wishes reality. His toy clown becomes a dwarf. His toy soldier becomes a life-sized plastic soldier who kills a neighbour with its bayonet.
Analise has a male visitor Michael (David Cardy) alone in her room. They are disturbed as Tony demands that she play with him. His toy clown knocks her out and he presses his mouth to her side and injects chemicals into her. Meanwhile a toy tank chases Michael around the apartment shooting live ammunition.
Analise is transformed. She is in a cocoon in the bathroom with green rubbery eggs coming out the bottom of the cocoon into the bath. The clown collects these eggs.
Tony and his father return to the cottage, pursued by Rachel. A bright light from the sky shines on them and Rachel sees Sam and Tony transformed into alien beings. The two aliens disappear into the night sky.
Rachel returns to the apartment and finds the fridge on its side. She opens the fridge door. The fridge is filled with a green semi-liquid substance. In it are several rubbery eggs. She picks an egg up. It seems to move. Suddenly an appendage bursts out covering her mouth. She falls to the floor with the egg pumping something into her mouth. The camera rolls back and the door closes on them.
by New Line Cinema
in 1983.
Xtro was briefly vilified as a video nasty
, especially due to a particularly graphic scene early in film wherein a woman gives birth
to a fully grown man. However, it was granted an uncut video certificate by the BBFC shortly after its successful cinema run.
The film was released on DVD
three times in the United States
by Image Entertainment
. The first DVD of the film was released in 2005 as a double feature with sequel Xtro II: The Second Encounter
. The second DVD was released in 2006 as a standalone release. The third DVD was released in 2007 and was a triple feature alongside Xtro II: The Second Encounter
and Skeeter.
In Britain the entire Xtro trilogy was released in box-set, remastered anamorphic widescreen with 5.1 for Xtro II and an interview with director Harry Bromley Davenport covering the production of all three films.
and Xtro 3: Watch the Skies
.
In March 2010, Davenport confirmed that Xtro 4 was in the works. Speaking to Fangoria.com, he stated:
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
made in 1982 and directed by Harry Bromley Davenport
Harry Bromley Davenport
Harry Bromley Davenport is an English director, producer as well as in the beginning of his career a film screenwriter...
and co-produced by Bob Shaye.
Plot
A family of three live in rural Britain. Sam Phillips (Philip SayerPhilip Sayer
Philip Sayer was a British actor. He worked for stage, film and television; and was probably best known for his role as Sam Phillips in the science-fiction horror film, Xtro .- Biography :...
), his wife Rachel (Bernice Stegers) and their young son Tony (Simon Nash
Simon Nash
- Television Fame :Nash made his television debut in 1980 at the age of 8 as Sammy in the 1980 sitcom Nobody's Perfect. He later starred as Sean Stebbings in the 1987 black sitcom Tickets for the Titanic, as Garth Stubbs in the first series of Birds of a Feather, and in the children's TV programme...
). One evening when Rachel is out a mysterious light appears in the night sky and Sam disappears. People believe he has just run out on the family. Only Tony knows what really happened but no one believes him.
Three years after the disappearance of Sam, Tony still pines for his father. His mother Rachel has taken up with another man, photographer Joe Daniels (Danny Brainin). The fractured household, which also includes a sexy French babysitter Analise (Maryam d'Abo
Maryam d'Abo
Maryam d'Abo is an English film and television actress, best known as Bond girl Kara Milovy in the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights.-Early life:...
). They live in a small apartment in the city.
An alien crashes to earth and approaches the farm where the Phillips had previously lived in. The cottage is now inhabited by a woman (Susie Silvey). The alien attacks her and covers her mouth with an appendage and pumps something into her.
In the morning she wakes and the alien is dead. As she goes into the kitchen she suddenly feels sick. Her stomach swells and she dies as she gives birth to a fully grown man – Sam.
Sam makes his way to the city – somehow able to find where his son now lives. He reintroduces himself to the family and despite the obvious tension with Joe is allowed to stay.
Tony catches his father eating his pet snake's eggs and runs away. Sam catches up with him and tells him that the aliens changed him. He puts his mouth to his son's neck and injects chemicals into him. He wishes to change his son so he can take him back with him.
Tony finds he can make his wishes reality. His toy clown becomes a dwarf. His toy soldier becomes a life-sized plastic soldier who kills a neighbour with its bayonet.
Analise has a male visitor Michael (David Cardy) alone in her room. They are disturbed as Tony demands that she play with him. His toy clown knocks her out and he presses his mouth to her side and injects chemicals into her. Meanwhile a toy tank chases Michael around the apartment shooting live ammunition.
Analise is transformed. She is in a cocoon in the bathroom with green rubbery eggs coming out the bottom of the cocoon into the bath. The clown collects these eggs.
Tony and his father return to the cottage, pursued by Rachel. A bright light from the sky shines on them and Rachel sees Sam and Tony transformed into alien beings. The two aliens disappear into the night sky.
Rachel returns to the apartment and finds the fridge on its side. She opens the fridge door. The fridge is filled with a green semi-liquid substance. In it are several rubbery eggs. She picks an egg up. It seems to move. Suddenly an appendage bursts out covering her mouth. She falls to the floor with the egg pumping something into her mouth. The camera rolls back and the door closes on them.
Cast
- Maryam d'AboMaryam d'AboMaryam d'Abo is an English film and television actress, best known as Bond girl Kara Milovy in the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights.-Early life:...
as Analise Mercier - Philip SayerPhilip SayerPhilip Sayer was a British actor. He worked for stage, film and television; and was probably best known for his role as Sam Phillips in the science-fiction horror film, Xtro .- Biography :...
as Sam Phillips - Bernice Stegers as Rachel Phillips
- Simon NashSimon Nash- Television Fame :Nash made his television debut in 1980 at the age of 8 as Sammy in the 1980 sitcom Nobody's Perfect. He later starred as Sean Stebbings in the 1987 black sitcom Tickets for the Titanic, as Garth Stubbs in the first series of Birds of a Feather, and in the children's TV programme...
as Tony Phillips - Peter Mandell as Clown
- David Cardy as Michael
- Anna WingAnna WingAnna Eva Lydia Catherine Wing, MBE is an English actress. She has had a long career in television and theatre.-Personal life:...
as Mrs. Goodman - Susie Silvey as Woman In Cottage
- Katherine Best as Jane
Release
The film was released theatrically in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
in 1983.
Xtro was briefly vilified as a video nasty
Video nasty
"Video nasty" was a colloquial term coined in the United Kingdom by 1982 which originally applied to a number of films distributed on video cassette that were criticized for their violent content by the press, commentators such as Mary Whitehouse and various religious organizations.While violence...
, especially due to a particularly graphic scene early in film wherein a woman gives birth
Birth
Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring. The offspring is brought forth from the mother. The time of human birth is defined as the time at which the fetus comes out of the mother's womb into the world...
to a fully grown man. However, it was granted an uncut video certificate by the BBFC shortly after its successful cinema run.
The film was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
three times in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
. The first DVD of the film was released in 2005 as a double feature with sequel Xtro II: The Second Encounter
Xtro II: The Second Encounter
Xtro II: The Second Encounter is a 1990 horror/science fiction film.-Plot:Scientists at a secret underground complex have found a way to travel to another dimension. Three dimension-travellers are the first to go through the gate - but are soon attacked by something that interrupts the...
. The second DVD was released in 2006 as a standalone release. The third DVD was released in 2007 and was a triple feature alongside Xtro II: The Second Encounter
Xtro II: The Second Encounter
Xtro II: The Second Encounter is a 1990 horror/science fiction film.-Plot:Scientists at a secret underground complex have found a way to travel to another dimension. Three dimension-travellers are the first to go through the gate - but are soon attacked by something that interrupts the...
and Skeeter.
In Britain the entire Xtro trilogy was released in box-set, remastered anamorphic widescreen with 5.1 for Xtro II and an interview with director Harry Bromley Davenport covering the production of all three films.
Sequels
Director Harry Bromley Davenport made two sequels to the film, Xtro II: The Second EncounterXtro II: The Second Encounter
Xtro II: The Second Encounter is a 1990 horror/science fiction film.-Plot:Scientists at a secret underground complex have found a way to travel to another dimension. Three dimension-travellers are the first to go through the gate - but are soon attacked by something that interrupts the...
and Xtro 3: Watch the Skies
Xtro 3: Watch the Skies
Xtro 3: Watch the Skies is the third film in the low-budget British science fiction/horror Xtro series.-Plot:For years, the government has successfully covered up very real proof of U.F.O.s...
.
In March 2010, Davenport confirmed that Xtro 4 was in the works. Speaking to Fangoria.com, he stated:
“I am going to be starting XTRO 4 this summer; you are the first to receive this shattering news,” Davenport tells us. “A script by Daryl Haney is in the works, and my sales guys are salivating. It’s going to be a very odd movie indeed. Sort of back to the roots of the first one, but much stranger and, hopefully, more uncomfortable.”