From the legendary Bruce Campbell (star of The Evil Dead and Bubba Ho-Tep) and horror maven Sean S. Cunningham (director of Friday the 13th and DeepStar Six) comes an unrelenting assault of extraterrestrial terror: Terminal Invasion. Inside an isolated airport, seven anxious passengers learn that their charter flight has been grounded by a blizzard. The unhappy passengers are soon stunned into silence by the arrival of Jack Edwards (Campbell), a convicted murderer escorted by two guards. But these soon prove to be the least of the passengers’ problems, as they realize that some members of the group are not who, or what, they seem. Fasten your seatbelts for a pulse-pounding sci-fi thrill ride, co-starring Chase Masterson (TV’s Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).
For thoughts on Terminal Invasion, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/8VuXnHIaTrw?t=1716]
Video Quality
Terminal Invasion comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original aspect ratio from a pretty decent older master. While we would have appreciated a complete refresh, the source seems to be in pretty good shape. Minor specks of print damage are sprinkled throughout without distracting, and clarity and detail holds up better than expected. The interior of the airport has a believable production design, and there are elements that probably could not be spotted when this first aired over 20 years ago.
The color palette stays primarily natural with some shifts to a cooler tone to suit the winter weather. Skin tones have a subdued look with grotesque details shining through when the alien transformations happen. Black levels could be a bit more robust, as the transfer exhibits moments of banding and crush. Digital noise also pops up, but not to a detrimental level. While a fresh master may have livened this up a bit, most will be happy just to have it in HD at all.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that holds up as well as it needs to. With this being in the sci-fi horror genre, environmental effects hold an important place in the experience. Every sound is dispatched deliberately to create a three-dimensional soundscape to conjure maximum tension. Every sound is rendered deliberately and remains distinct from all other components. This track has been taken care of over the years as it does not show any majorly noticeable instances of age-related flaws.
While there are pops of suspense, this feature is driven primarily by dialogue, and this track never struggles to relay this information. The score maintains a decent fidelity throughout the duration of the film. You do not experience any moments where it drowns out the dialogue, as the track maintains a good balance so that everything comes through clearly. Kino Classics has done a fine job with this one. This disc comes with optional English SDH subtitles.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Sean S. Cunningham and Executive Producer Chuck Simon provide a nifty commentary track in which they discuss the film’s place as a made-for-television feature, the evolution of the narrative, the production process, shooting in Canada, the special effects, memories of working with the performers, the tight production schedule and more.
- Alien Costume Test: A seven-minute test which allows the creative team to see how the special effects would hold up on camera.
- Trailers: There are trailers provided for Deepstar Six, The Puppet Masters, Spaced Invaders, Without Warning and Deep Rising.
Final Thoughts
Terminal Invasion will feel very familiar to anyone who has seen The Thing or any number or covert alien narratives. Despite it not exactly feeling original, the film does offer a B-tier thrill the likes of which you seek out from made-for-television fare. The film is greatly elevated by genre icon Bruce Campbell, who understands the assignment and executes it with the right level of winking humor. It is not a great film, but it is fun enough for a viewing if you know what you are getting into. Kino Classics has provided a Blu-Ray with a good A/V presentation and a couple of fine special features. If you like Campbell, this should suit you well. Recommended
Terminal Invasion is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
