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Alien Nation

  • 1988
  • R
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
17K
YOUR RATING
Alien Nation (1988)
Home Video Trailer from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Play trailer0:32
1 Video
63 Photos
ActionSci-Fi

In 1988, Earth makes the first contact with an alien civilization. In 1991, these aliens, known as Newcomers, slowly begin to be integrated into human society after three years of quarantine... Read allIn 1988, Earth makes the first contact with an alien civilization. In 1991, these aliens, known as Newcomers, slowly begin to be integrated into human society after three years of quarantine.In 1988, Earth makes the first contact with an alien civilization. In 1991, these aliens, known as Newcomers, slowly begin to be integrated into human society after three years of quarantine.

  • Director
    • Graham Baker
  • Writer
    • Rockne S. O'Bannon
  • Stars
    • James Caan
    • Mandy Patinkin
    • Terence Stamp
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    17K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Graham Baker
    • Writer
      • Rockne S. O'Bannon
    • Stars
      • James Caan
      • Mandy Patinkin
      • Terence Stamp
    • 73User reviews
    • 60Critic reviews
    • 45Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    Alien Nation
    Trailer 0:32
    Watch Alien Nation

    Photos63

    James Caan in Alien Nation (1988)
    James Caan and Mandy Patinkin in Alien Nation (1988)
    James Caan and Mandy Patinkin in Alien Nation (1988)
    James Caan in Alien Nation (1988)
    James Caan in Alien Nation (1988)
    James Caan and Mandy Patinkin in Alien Nation (1988)
    James Caan in Alien Nation (1988)
    James Caan and Mandy Patinkin in Alien Nation (1988)
    James Caan and Mandy Patinkin in Alien Nation (1988)
    James Caan and Mandy Patinkin in Alien Nation (1988)
    Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. in Enemy Mine (1985)
    James Caan and Mandy Patinkin in Alien Nation (1988)

    Cast54

    Edit
    James Caan
    James Caan
    • Matthew Sykes
    Mandy Patinkin
    Mandy Patinkin
    • Sam Francisco
    Terence Stamp
    Terence Stamp
    • William Harcourt
    Kevyn Major Howard
    Kevyn Major Howard
    • Rudyard Kipling
    Leslie Bevis
    Leslie Bevis
    • Cassandra
    Peter Jason
    Peter Jason
    • Fedorchuk
    Conrad Dunn
    • Quint
    • (as George Jenesky)
    Jeff Kober
    Jeff Kober
    • Joshua Strader
    Roger Aaron Brown
    Roger Aaron Brown
    • Bill Tuggle
    Tony Simotes
    • Wiltey
    Michael David Simms
    Michael David Simms
    • Human Dealer
    Ed Krieger
    • Alien Dealer
    Tony Perez
    Tony Perez
    • Alterez
    Brian Thompson
    Brian Thompson
    • Trent Porter
    Francis X. McCarthy
    Francis X. McCarthy
    • Capt. Warner
    • (as Frank McCarthy)
    Keone Young
    Keone Young
    • Winter
    Don Hood
    Don Hood
    • Moffet
    Earl Boen
    Earl Boen
    • Duncan Crais
    • Director
      • Graham Baker
    • Writer
      • Rockne S. O'Bannon
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sam Francisco (Mandy Patinkin) was originally going to be named George Jetson, but Hanna-Barbera wouldn't give the rights to the name. The decision to call his character "George" in the movie was kept as an in-joke to the George Jetson character name.
    • Goofs
      When George is hanging outside the helicopter, above the water surface, he should be screaming in pain since the rotor-blades would whip up a pretty dense cloud of seawater, thus he would be injured since his race is extremely sensitive against seawater, as pointed out by Joshua Strader, and William Harcourt in the end scene, their bodies react to it as we would to sulfuric acid, as referenced in the movie.
    • Quotes

      [after hearing some derisive comments about Sykes partner avoiding the beach]

      Det. Sgt. Matthew Sykes: Why don't you try standing next to an ocean of hydrochloric acid and see how well you surf.

    • Alternate versions
      In UK cinemas, 2 versions were shown in different cinemas. In some cinemas, certain Newcomer native dialogue was subtitled into English and in others it was not. This happens most notably in the scene where George and the morgue attendant discuss the Newcomer corpse and recognise aspects of the body as representing the drug addiction. Also a short dialogue between Harcourt and Kipling after Harcourt first meets George and Matt where Kipling tells Harcourt that Sykes was the policeman in the shootout at the film's opening.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Alien Nation/Elvira: Mistress of the Dark/Imagine: John Lennon/Salaam Bombay/Track 29 (1988)
    • Soundtracks
      You've Really Got a Hold on Me
      Written by Smokey Robinson (as William Robinson)

      Performed by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (as Smokey Robinson and The Miracles)

      Courtesy of Motown Record Company, L.P.

    User reviews73

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Not as Good as First Advertised but Still a Decent Sci-Fi Film Just the Same
    This film begins in the future with a giant spacecraft hovering over Los Angeles and it's filled with alien beings who have come to Earth hoping to find a better life than the one they left behind. As it so happens these "newcomers" were genetically bred for hard labor and as such they are an extremely adaptable species to just about any environment. Yet in spite of the advantages of having a docile and hard-working group of workers like these many Americans are fearful and intolerant of them. Such is the case with a Los Angeles police detective named "Sergeant Matthew Sykes" (James Caan) who has just lost his partner during a shootout with two of these aliens. Yet rather than distancing himself from these aliens he volunteers to accept a brand new partner by the name of "Sam Francisco" (Mandy Patinkin) who just happens to be one. But there's something about these "newcomers" that even he doesn't know and it's going to make his life much more difficult than he ever would have dreamed possible. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this movie was heavily advertised when it first came out and because of that I was somewhat disappointed with it at first. However, even though it may not have been the blockbuster I was expecting it was still entertaining enough due in large part to the acting for James Caan who played his role in an excellent manner. That being said, I liked this film for the most part and I have rated it accordingly.
    helpful•4
    0
    • Uriah43
    • Sep 14, 2021

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    FAQ21

    • How long is Alien Nation?Powered by Alexa
    • What planet did the Newcomers come to Earth from?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 7, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Alien Nation: The Movie
    • Filming locations
      • Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites - 404 S. Figueroa Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • American Entertainment Partners II L.P.
      • Pacific Western
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $16,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $25,216,243
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,421,429
      • Oct 10, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $32,155,047
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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