Rymdinvasion i Lappland (1959)

Aka Terror in the Midnight Sun aka Invasion of the Animal People.
 

Aliens go to Sweden...

Terror in the Midnight Sun is an American/Swedish co-production. After a meteorite crashes in the wilds of Lapland scientists are sent to investigate. There is something peculiar about this, since meteorites generally don’t leave skid marks. Dr. Frederick Wilson (Robert Burton) provides the Swedish scientists with international expertise. His niece Diane Wilson (Barbara Wilson) also happens to be in the area. They are both great excuses for making the locals in large part speak in English, though with that heavy Scandinavian accent.

The movie spends the first half hour setting up the mystery that surrounds this meteorite crash. Based on the title alone you know aliens will be involved and waiting for the characters to become as knowledgeable as the audience becomes slightly boring. After the aliens’ presences have been established the movie picks up pace. We are treated to an alluring shot of Diane behind the shower curtain early on though. There is also a great silhouette shot of her later on. It’s a nice reminder in today’s world of excess that less can indeed be more. This applies for the big alien creature as well. Director Virgil Vogel wisely keeps it off screen for a long time instead of optioning for fast gratification. Miniature models and conscious editing does the magic in creating the illusion of a giant alien, not just a regular guy in a fancy suit.

Playing with perspectives. The big alien creature planning to raise hell.

The landscapes of Lapland help creating a moody atmosphere. Man seems insignificant in these vast landscapes and even more so when juxtaposed against the creature. There is an otherworldly feel to this snow and ice covered place.

Inspired cinematography; Look at the twisted human shapes along with the crooked camera angle and a ski tracks swinging slightly from the left.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover Vogel previously had served as an editor on Touch of Evil (1958) and cult sci-fi This Island Earth (1955). His career directing has mostly been in television with westerns such as Bonanza and High Chaparral and crimes like Mission: Impossible, Streets of San Francisco, Airwolf and Magnum P.I. to name a few. I doubt Vogel will ever have a huge fan base, but I for one intend to seek out more from him.  

Terror in the Midnight Sun is a run-of-the-mill alien monster movie. There are no big surprises, but what’s on display looks pretty good. What sets it apart from others is the atmospheric setting and use of Sami and Swedish actors giving a cultural flavor to it. Besides how many alien monster movies set in Sweden from the 50s are you likely to find? Terror in the Midnight Sun is a rare movie that deserves more attention from sci-fi and horror fans.

 6/10

Zoo (2007)

Human sexuality in one of its many, many forms…

Zoophilia comes from two Greek words; zoo meaning animal and philia, friendship or love. It is referred to as the practice of sexual between a human and a non-human animal. Popularly it’s called bestiality. People who practice zoophilia are known as zoophiles, zoosexuals or just “zoos”.

Zoo tells the story of what is now known as “The Enumclaw horse sex case”. July 2^nd 2005 Kenneth Pinyan died of a perforated colon as result of receiving anal sex from a horse. In the movie he is only referred to as Mr. Hands, which was his name when distributing videos of different encounters with horses. Zoo addresses that Pinyan’s name was meant to be kept secret, but of course a swift search on the internet following the movie, his real name came up immediately.

The participants in Zoo want to keep their anonymity given the subject matter, so director Robinson Devor tells the story by having different people related to the case narrate over reenactments. It makes the film flow better than if he had chosen to show blacked-out faces for the duration. The cinematography and lighting help to create an at times artful looking documentary. Paul Matthew Moore’s moody score gives Zoo a more humane feel to it. Devor’s many tricks to downplay the sensationalism, unlike the media, is an intelligent choice. The subject matter is highly controversial, so by not giving into sensationalism, we are better able to look at it without our guards up. It gives the “zoos” narrating a chance to talk about how they perceive this. “The sexual aspect was only a minor part of it”, says one of the “zoos”. They treat their animals right other than in that one area, which they don’t feel is wrong. Is this damaging to the animals? Are these people really monsters? Zoo left me longing for more insight into these minds, but what we are granted is highly interesting.

I was really surprised by how tasteful the subject was handled. Zoo paints a more sympathetic picture of zoophiles. That may also cause some discomfort. You could dismiss them as “horsefuckers” and such because it makes it easier to keep at a distance, but it won’t give you more room for understanding. An animal rescuer that came to pick up the horse after the incident says; “I don’t quite yet know how I feel about [zoophilia], but I’m on the verge of understanding.”

Devor deserves praise for having guts to make a documentary on this subject and even more so for make it as non-exploitative as this. Ignoring zoophilia will not make it go away, so I for one am glad someone sheds light on this subject.

7.5/10