Contamination (1980)

Country of Origin: Italy
Year of Production: 1980
Running Times: 90 mins (USA)     95 mins (Italy)
Format: Eastmancolor     Telecolor
Ratio:
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Alex Cinematografica/Barthonia Film/Lisa Film
Producer: Charles Mancini (real name: Claudio Mancini)
Associate Producer: Ugo Valenti
Unit Manager: Walter Siffert

SCRIPT
Script: Lewis Coates (real name: Luigi Cozzi), Erich Tomek
Story: Lewis Coates (real name: Luigi Cozzi)

DIRECTION
Director: Lewis Coates (real name: Luigi Cozzi)
Assistant Director: Franco Coduti

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Joseph Pinori (real name: Giuseppe Pinori)
Camera Operators: Carlo Tafani, Adolfo Bartoli
Gaffer: Romano Mancini
Key Grip: Augusto Diamanti
Labs: Telecolor

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Nino Baragli
Assistant Editors: Gisela Haller, Angela Bordi

MUSIC
Music: The Goblin (real names: Agostino Marangolo, Fabio Pignatelli, Roberto Puleo, Maurizio Guarini, Antonio Marangolo)
Music Publishers: Bixio Cemsa

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Gaetano Testa
Boom Operator: Giuseppe Testa
Re-Recording Engineer: Romano Checcacci
Sound Effects: Luciano Anzellotti, Massimo Anzellotti
Dialogue Director: Hartmut Neugebauer
Dubbing Director: Nick Alexander

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up: Pierantonio Mecacci
Assistant Make Up: Mario Michisanti
Hair: Corrado Cristofori
Costume Designer: Tiziana Mancini
Seamstress: Orsola Liberati

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: John Corridori (real name: Giovanni Corridori)
Alien Cyclops Designer: Claudio Mazzoli
Alien Cyclops Built By: Georgio Ferrari

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Massimo Antonello Geleng
Set Dresser: Giacomo Caló Carducci
Property Master: Gianni Fiumi

OTHER CREW
Continuity: Daniela Tonti
Production Assistants: Walter Massi, Tullio Lullo, Maurizio Mancini

LOCATIONS
Studio: INCIR - De Paolis Studios, Rome
Locations: New York, USA; Florida, USA; Santo Domingo; Colombia

CAST
Ian McCulloch (Commander Ian Hubbard)
Louise Marleau (Colonel Stella Holmes)
Marino Masé (Lieutenant Tony Aris)
Siegfried Rauch (Hamilton)
Gisela Hahn (Perla de la Cruz)
Carlo De Mejo (Agent Young)
Carlo Monni (Dr Turner)
Pier Luigi Conti (Dr Turner's partner - uncredited)
Martin Sorrentino (black warehouse worker - uncredited)
Brigitte Wagner (doctor - uncredited)

SUMMARY

An out of control ship proves to be completely unmanned, its hold full of mysterious eggs which spew a corrosive substance over the search party, causing their chests to messily explode. The eggs have been brought back from Mars by an ill-fated expedition which resulted in one of the astronauts, Hubbard, going completely mad. Hubbard and an unlikely group of allies uncover a plot to cultivate the eggs and release them into the sewers where they will ripen, explode and contaminate the whole of New York.

CAPSULE REVIEW

A very silly film indeed - but still great fun of course - Contamination is enlivened by the charms of its inane dialogue, the inept gore scenes and the truly hysterical climactic appearence of the 'Alien Cyclops'. Nothing can capture the essence of this daft film quite like the first sight of this tragic creature, futily waving its tentacles around while the cast stiffle their giggles. Treasure that dialogue and marvel at how these people have the nerve to call themselves actors in polite company and you 'll glean some perverse pleasure from the silliness. Marleau's bathroom scene is one of the funniest moments in exploitation film history and McCullough gives it his all as the burnt out, borderline psychotic astronaut, and he alone is enough to save this sorry affair from going down with all hands.

Canada
Theatrical Distributors: Citadel Films

France
Video Distributors: Hollywood

Italy
Theatrical Distributors: P.A.C.

UK
Video Distributors: VIP; European Creative

USA
Theatrical Distributors: The Cannon Group Inc
Video Distributors: Lettuce Entertain You Inc; Paragon Video; Cannon; Regal
DVD Distributors: Blue Underground Inc; Image Entertainment (BU1937DVD)

West Germany
Video Distributors: VPS

France
Rating: -12

Norway
Rating: banned in 1984

UK
Rating: banned; 18 (with 2 minutes and 40 seconds of cuts); 15 (uncut but not yet released - 2003)

USA
Rating: R

West Germany
Rating: 18

TIMELINE

1980
August
2: Italy - theatrical release

September
5: West Germany – theatrical release

1981
July
15: France – theatrical release

1982
June
Day Unknown: USA - theatrical release

2003
February
11: USA - DVD release (Image Entertainment (BU1937DVD))

POSTER TAGS

They invade your body... control your mind... blow you apart!

...et demain ce sera votre tour!

You can feel them in your blood!

Alien 2 - advertising title
Alien Contamination - US title
Alien Contamination: Alien on Earth
Astaron - Brut des Schreckens - West German title
Contaminacion: Alien invade la Tierra - Spanish title
Contamination - Alien arriva sulla terra - Italian title
Contamination: Alien on Earth - publicity title
Contaminazione: Alien arriva sulla terra
Kuoleman koura - Finnish title
Toxic Spawn - US video title
Het Zaad van Mars - Dutch title

SEE ALSO
Alien (1979)
The Tony Blair Witch Project (2000)
Zombi 2 (1979)

MAGAZINES

Absurd no.3 p.22 (UK)
credits, review

Delirium no.3 pp.17-18 (UK)
review

Strange Adventures no.46 p.18 (UK)
review

Video Watchdog no.14 p.21 (USA)
review

BOOKS

Creature Features Strikes Back p.15
credits, review (by John Stanley)

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Fantasy and Horror Movies 1991 – 1992 p.78
credits, review

Horror and Science Fiction Films Volume II p.4
credits

The Seduction of the Gullible p.51
credits, synopsis, review (by John Martin)

acid, alien invasions, aliens, astronauts, eggs, exploding heads, gore, helicopters, mars, new york, rats, scientists, ships, toxic horror, video nasties

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008