Liquid Sky (1982)

This one actually seems to have been made by and for aliens. Its view of humanity appears to be that of an onlooker from another world, dispassionately observing us. That's what makes it so different from the usual space alien movie.

Like it or not, you must admit that it's original. There is simply nothing else like it. Perhaps the closest thing is Repo Man. But Liquid Sky is even stranger than that.

This movie lays bare much of the pretense and affectation of our society, particularly those of the shallow, pseudo-intellectual crowd. The lack of any truly likable characters may turn off a lot of viewers, but to me it simply reflects the kind of people being depicted here.

From our perspective, twenty years on, it takes on a still different aspect. Here was life before AIDS, before 9/11 (including a shot of the World Trade Center), and before tattoos and body piercing became fashionable.

Forget ET and MIB. If you want to see a real alien movie, check this one out.

Fmovies: "Liquid Sky" (1982 - 114 minutes), film written, produced and directed by the Russian director Slava Tsukerman, can be considered a classic underground cinema full of fantastic realism. Liquid Sky means "heroin" in the New York slang of that time. This is a scientific fiction movie whose scene is the world of the fashion and the heavy drugs in Manhattan.

The plot seems comic but the result is surprising: a flying saucer lands on the penthouse's roof of a famous model called Margareth [the actress Anne Carlisle, who also interprets the androgynous model Jimmy]. A very small alien creature hidden in a spaceship of the size and format of a little signature TV antenna, captures the energies of the place, earning force through a substance produced in the human brain at the moment of orgasm. So, the extraterrestrial exterminates one by one, the partners of the model. These events are followed by a German astrophysicist that also researches Ufology. The film presents a savage sense of humor and an elaborated visual technique through blown up colors, fluorescent makeup, melting forms, many neon and ultraviolet lights.

In New York, a small flying saucer lands on the roof of a penthouse seeking for heroin. In the apartment, the cocaine addicted model Margaret (Anne Carlisle) is a promiscuous bisexual androgynous woman that lives with her lover, the drug dealer Adrian (Paula E. Sheppard). Margaret has sex with many partners asking for cocaine in return.

The aliens discover that the sensation of the orgasm is equivalent to the heroin and they suck the brains of Margaret's lovers, killing them first and then making their bodies disappear. Meanwhile, a German scientist is chasing the extraterrestrial beings and arrives in a building in front of Margaret's apartment to observe the creatures.

"Liquid Sky" is one of the weirdest films that I have ever seen. When I saw this low-budget cult-movie for the first time in the 80's, I remember that I liked it a lot. However, now I have just watched it on DVD I have found the plot dated and the image needs to be restored. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Liquid Sky"

Liquid Sky fmovies. After years of trying to locate this film on vhs I finally bought it from a used vhs retailer a couple of years ago. Upon my initial viewing of the film, I was a bit disappointed. I didn't dislike it, I was just a bit let down. Yet I couldn't get the film out of my mind. The images, the acid dialogue, and especially Anne Carlisle. . . A couple of viewings later, I suddenly came to an unexpected conclusion - I loved this movie! Rarely does my opinion of a film change from tolerance and mild fascination to pure amazement. That's probably because everything about Liquid Sky is so different from ordinary films, even I was a bit disoriented at first, and I'm a true fan of cult and avant-garde films. It presents hatred as such a way of life, even the people who are "friends" in this film hate each other, the contempt for humanity is so second nature, yet it's never "loud" about this . . . everyone just quietly hates everyone around them, and vocalizes it so quietly and precisely-without shouting-that it takes you by surprise! The visuals are excellent, proof that you don't need a big budget to make a superb sci-film - even though Liquid Sky is much more than mere sci-fi. It's a haunting look into the lives of some unforgettable characters. Another unique aspect of the film is the way it alternates very quickly between two or three different scenes, each with different characters. The first time I watched it I didn't really enjoy it because of this. That's another reason Liquid Sky must be watched more than once to fully appreciate it. The film has its flaws, mainly because of some mediocre acting, but Anne Carlisle has huge screen presence in both of her roles. See this immediately if you haven't already, but give it time to sink in. It soon became one of my five favorite films, and it may appeal to you as well if you have some patience. My score: 9.5/10

I saw LIQUID SKY at a Midnight Showing here in Kansas City, back in 1983 or 84. I was in my late teens and just discovering Independent and Foreign films. A true cinematic oddity, this was a far cry from most of the schlock I was paying to see at the multiplex at that time. To each his own, but I LOVED LIQUID SKY! It's everything a Cult classic should be. The cinematography and use of color are incredible and has the Empire State building ever looked as majestic on screen? In retrospect, I also think the film is a harbinger of what was to come in the mid-late 80's. It's look at excess and style over substance more or less defined that period in time......and despite the crazy hair and Day-Glo makeup, Anne Carlisle is simply stunning.

About two years ago, I bought the DVD from AMAZON.com and although the packaging and overall quality could have been better, I was just glad to finally have a copy of the film in ANY format. Until that time, the only place in KC I could find Liquid Sky, was a beat up copy on VHS from my local Library(!). I probably checked that tape out a dozen times, just to show friends, many of whom, despite what you might think of us simple folk (alleged) here in Middle America, absolutely loved it's warped charms. The film made New York and it's hip, arty inhabitants seem as if they were from another planet. They were no less strange than the killer Alien, or whatever the hell that thing in the film was.

I am curious to know what ever became of Anne Carlisle and Paula E. Sheppard. There is almost zero information about them anywhere in Cyberspace. I did want to join in to say, after viewing the film again last night on DVD for the umpteenth time, that I am crazy about this weird, beautiful little film. It as if an 80's equivalent of Andy Warhol's Factory pooled their money and ideas together to make the coolest low-budget film ever. It captures everything that was fascinating about Independent film in the 80's. A visual experience that is colorful, bizarre, risqué, dark, smart and yes, even funny. I can see how this film would divide people, but if you like it, that's cool. If you don't, well, that's also cool. That I still have it etched in my brain over 20 years later, to me, says a good deal about Liquid Sky's unusual appeal.

Okay, I'm dating myself here: When I was in college, my best buds and I saw this movie repeatedly and began dressing like the characters. What a trippy experience. We bought the soundtrack -- in vinyl, no less, because there were no CDs yet! -- and wore it out.

I can't give Liquid Sky a 10 because I feel like I have to save that for a film that leaves no doubt about its excellence. But this once shines, if for no other reason than that this mid-40s woman still remembers it vividly from two decades ago.

If Liquid Sky was digitally remastered for DVD, I'd buy it in a second. I'd be a little scared to watch it because I don't know how it would hold up after all these years. (I have similar fears about watching Pink Floyd The Wall again.)