Review for Invasion

The lesser of two low-budget, little-seen sci-fi releases from Network this week (the other being ‘Unearthly Stranger’ on Blu-Ray, also reviewed on this site) ‘Invasion’ is based on a story by Doctor Who legend Robert Holmes, and penned by ‘Public Eye’ creator Roger Marshall. In fact, Holmes re-used elements of its plot for his storyline for a Jon Pertwee era Doctor Who serial, ‘Spearhead from Space’ and much of the ‘based on earth’ U.N.I.T. vibe is present here, army and all.



The fact that ‘Invasion’ is a black and white film belies the lateness of its release , 1965, making it one of the last black and white sci-fi films of the era. A product of ultra low-budget Merton Park studios (who were responsible for those countless Edgar Wallace support shorts ), it features lantern-jawed Edward Judd (The Day the Earth Caught Fire), actor/writer Lyndon Brook and oriental beauty Yoko Tani.


An alien spacecraft crash-lands on Earth near a secluded hospital in the Home Counties. The aliens are human in form though all resemble Asians (mainly because Asian actors play them). Nothing much is made of this though it’s part of the film’s charm that it would be impossible to imagine the idea of aliens being oriental getting past the editorial committee today.
One of the aliens, a young man, steps into the middle of the road and is accidentally run over by a man who is out on a date with a mistress. Whilst she is frightened that their affair may go public, he is determined to do the right thing and take the strangely clad man to a local hospital.


Routine tests show that the man’s blood is unidentifiable and x-rays reveal a disc embedded in his brain. His fabulous tale of being an escaped prisoner from an alien spaceship takes a turn for the sinister when the hospital staff realise that they're under a state of siege and a force-field has formed around the hospital.


The army are called in to help and just as well. Two eerie Chinese chicks kill a man before heading to the hospital searching for their colleague.
It’s all tidily shot on film and looks great on this DVD – in common with most the output from Merton Park Studios. There are substantially more exterior shots than the average studio-bound material from the studio but before you get too excited, it’s worth pointing out that most of it is set in fields and forest.


Edward Judd (Island Of Terror, First Men In the Moon) and Barrie Ingham (Dr Who And the Daleks) are both on top-form throughout and the glamour is provided by a terribly cute oriental nurse played by Yoko Tani.


One amusing touch worth noting is an army radar operator who, when asked what he ie reading, spins his book over to reveal a very salacious ‘The G-String Murders’ replete with a topless lady on its cover. Now you wouldn't have seen that on Doctor Who back in the day.




The disc comes with a stills gallery, the original trailer and three PDF documents, two being publicity pieces and the third a script.




All in all, an amusing period piece and a much sought after one by fans of the genre. If you only buy one of the two Network sci-fi releases this week then get ‘Unearthly Stranger’ – but if you’re in a generous mood then you could do worse than treat yourself to both.
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