John's Talk

The Hidden

Think you've seen every possible incarnation of the cop/buddy flick? Well, if you missed this gem from 1987, think again. Kyle MacLachlan plays FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher, who is on the trail of an alien being that killed his partner 9 years ago. This particular species of ET is not the cute, cuddly type that has a fondness for Reese's Pieces. Not even close. This slimy critter has the following M.O.: it likes to inhabit human bodies, and it has a penchant for listening to loud rock music, driving fast cars (preferably Ferraris), robbing banks, and obliterating anything or anyone that gets in its way. The opening sequence is a real grabber that involves a bank robbery (seen through a security camera), followed by a high-speed chase through the streets (and sidewalks) of Los Angeles, as the perpetrator tries to outrun a mess of squad cars, leaving a trail of bodies and wrecked vehicles in his wake. Even the guy in the wheelchair is not spared! Not coincidentally, Gallagher has tracked the alien to L.A., where he enlists the aid of Homicide Detective Tom Beck (Michael Nouri), who is not thrilled by Gallagher's idea of inter-agency co-operation. He becomes even less thrilled when law-abiding citizens start going ballistic and the bodies start piling up in his city. When Gallagher eventually lays it all out for him, Beck's response is to throw him in a cell until he can come up with a better story. It is pretty far-fetched, but Beck soon discovers the truth for himself, and they team up to try and catch the alien before it can switch bodies once the current one becomes unuseable (i.e. riddled with bullet holes). Apparently, the only time it can be killed is when it is between bodies and out in the open. There are some pretty amusing scenes where the alien is getting used to its latest new body. Check out the one where it has just taken over the body of a gorgeous and nicely endowed stripper. After it finishes fondling its new breasts, it proceeds to give some unknowing slimeball the best (and last) screwing of his miserable life. Talk about using sex as a weapon! Anyway, all I can say is any movie that pays homage to Blade Runner (the gorgeous babe being hunted down), Assault on Precinct 13 (the shootout at the police station), The Dead Zone (the political assassinaton), and especially The Thing (the alien as a dog) is pretty cool in my book. Maybe it gets a little hokey towards the end, but the road that gets you there is filled with sci-fi/action FUN. Take the ride!

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