HMS Friday’s Top 5 L.A. Alien Invasion Movies

Above is the latest trailer for Battle: Los Angeles. Yes it’s another alien invasion movie. Yes, it’s set in L.A. (again), but doesn’t it look good? All that sweaty tension, shaky camera work and open mouths. It’s directed by South African film maker Jonathan Liebesman whose most notable film to date is the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake. It stars Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez, so no prizes for guessing her character will probably buy the farm by the end of the film.

With the release of this trailer and Skyline, yet another alien invasion/visitation movie set in the City Of Angels, we compiled our very own Top 5 list for alien invasion movies set in L.A.

5. V – The Original Mini-Series – (we know it’s not a movie, so shut your whore mouth), starring Beastmaster Marc Singer, who famously turned down the role of Connor Macleod in Highlander due to his commitment to the series. It also featured a plethora of young, talented American women in tight fitting jumpsuits as well as staple 80s bad-ass Michael Ironside and Freddy Krueger in a bow tie.

4. Transformers – Gigantic alien robots, which can change into everyday vehicles, drop off for a visit on earth to wage a monumental battle against each other, helped and hindered by humans along the way. It’s deafening and filled with eye watering special effects and Megan Fox is in it. How can you possibly loose?

3. The Hidden – Where do we start with this underrated classic? The basic premise is an alien lands on earth inhabits the bodies of innocent men and women and does a lot of bad things and by bad we mean insanely great things like stealing sports cars, robbing banks and firing rocket launchers at the police. Think The Thing spliced with Grand Theft Auto but with loads more polyester suits, big hair and shoulder pads. The Hidden has another classic 80’s cast starring Kyle Maclachlan before he went on to appear in Twin Peaks and Showgirls. Alongside him was Michael Nouri fresh from his Flashdance fame, Clauida Christian, or for those of you who have never kissed a girl before  Commander Susan Ivanova from Babylon 5, Ed O’Ross the bad guy from Red Heat and Another 48 Hours and Chris Mulkey who also appeared in Twin Peaks and more recently Cloverfield and 24.

2. Alien Nation – Made in 1988 but depicting a future of 1991? Where an alien race known as The Newcomers have settled and integrated in Los Angeles much to the anger and frustration of the local populus. A balding James Caan plays Sykes, a bigoted hard ass cop who is reluctantly partnered with alien detective Sam Francisco played by Mandy Patinkin who have to try to solve the death of Sykes’ partner which involves a Newcomer businessman, played by an even balder Terence Stamp and his plans to mass produce an alien drug called Jabroka.

1. Predator 2 – Oh yes! The ageless Danny Glover replaces Big Arnie, the jungle is now the concrete jungle of L.A, (see how clever they were?), and once more the alien predator returns to hunt down more unsuspecting humans. Glover and a team of four other detectives, including Gary Busey, and Bill Paxton, (the appearance of these two alone merits it’s number one position), try to hunt down the alien invader in the middle of a heat wave and an on going gang war between heavily armed Columbians and Jamicans.  In our own humble opinion this is the best Predator sequel there has ever been.

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