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Alien Nation: Ultimate Movie Collection
01/05/2008 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
Region One DVD: pub: 20th Century Fox 2251276. Price: $49.98 (US), $69.98 (CAN). 3 double-sided DVDs 447 minutes 5 * 90 minute films with extras)stars: Gary Graham, Eric Pierpoint, Michelle Scarabelli, Terry Treas, Lauren Woodland and Sean Six. Buy Alien Nation in the USA - or Buy Alien Nation in the UK  check out www.foxtvdvd.com and www.kennethjohnson.us
It's hard to believe its been nine years since I saw the last of these five TV movies of 'Alien Nation'. Even longer since I saw the thirty episodes series as well. Makes a note to himself to fit those in my schedule to watch again some time as they are available on DVD. Even more remarkable, they still hold up very well proving that strong themes have a timeless quality.
Indeed, the whole point of 'Alien Nation' in TV format was to address the problems of racism both within the human race and those of the Newcomers, the name used for those who can say Tenctonese. An alien spaceship crashes in the Mojave Desert and deposits a quarter of a million alien slaves on Earth, most of whom become part of a Los Angeles sub-culture. In poor light, the Tenctonese look human but their oddities make them stand out as you get to know them. Physically stronger, many very intelligent, a disposition towards an odd diet including sour milk and a taste for mustard and tomato sauce in coffee and a bio-chemistry melted by salt water. They are also less prudish sexually and have the ultimate contraceptive as it takes three to tango to fertilise their women even if the husband is ultimately left to hold the baby for its gestation. If you follow the sex education books and video, its even possible for humans and Tenctonese to have sex but be careful with those erogenous zone spots they have.
The Tenctonese background is very well developed which makes these five TV movies easy to look at some aspect of them in greater detail and still tell a story.
'Dark Horizon' has the Tenctonese mothership vessels stationed around Saturn, waiting as an overseer, Ahpossno, lands on Earth to see what has happened to the slaves. He mixes in and helps when a separatist group plans to kill the Tenctonese, helping Cathy to find a cure when George Fransisco's family are struck prematurely out for personal revenge. The twist in the end of the story ensures the slaveships won't be returning.
'Body And Soul' is an examination of experimentation on the Tenctonese covertly by their own people. Francisco and Sykes get involved when a raging giant and a mute girl are brought into the station.
'Millennium' was actually filmed five years before the actual 2000 in our time. A Tenctonese led cult using alien technology that was normally used for religious belief to show their home world but scamming its members for money before killing them.
'The Enemy Within' shows that the Tenctonese themselves have their own prejudices. The Eeno are a Tenctonese underclass who got all the dirty work, as in down in the sewers. When it is discovered that they've been used to give birth to mutants, Francisco has not only to over-come his own prejudice but help Sykes sort the matter out.
The final story, 'The Udara Legacy' is essentially a Tenctonese take on 'The Manchurian Candidate'. The Udara were a fifth column on the slaveships determined to over-throw the overseers which kind of lost its purpose when they landed on Earth. However, the means to control pre-programmed Tenctonese comes to light and is used by humans to turn some of them into assassins.
Giving the brief summaries here belies how much fun there is to be had with this series as you really have to pay attention to the details or miss a lot of in-jokes. Producer/director/writer Kenny Johnson's audio commentaries for all five films tell you a lot about what was going on behind the scenes, ably followed up with making of featurettes, production stills and gag reels. It's no wonder the cast still gets together regularly. One of the things I liked about the featurettes is that you get to see cast members without their Tenctonese make-up on even if it does make their human heads look a little odd.
I don't know how long it will be before this boxset gets a UK distribution. Hopefully not too long. If you have a Region 0 DVD player then you'll probably snap this up a lot sooner. It was a lot of fun re-watching 'Alien Nation' again and its also the kind of series you'll watch again just for the pleasure of catching details you missed the first and second time. Great stuff!
GF Willmetts
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