# Who else loves "The Hidden"? (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 14, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165 "2005-10-14T02:59:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/1 "2005-10-14T02:59:33Z")
This is the proverbial Great Science Fiction B-Movie. I first saw it when it came out in 1987, and loved it. Over the top but fun, with a tight script, some great car chases and action sequences, a dash of political humor, and a surprisingly touching ending. Courage, madness, vengeance and self-sacrifice - it’s all in there. A pre-“Twin Peaks” Kyle MacLachlan is an alien detective on the hunt in Los Angeles for a slimy, lizardlike badass alien who can move from body to body. (A great, unforgettable scene in a hospital room when the villain picks a new host!). Michael Nouri is the overworked, weary LAPD detective who initially thinks MacLachlan’s nuts, but then sees too much and becomes his ally. The badass alien loves loud music, big guns, fast cars and random ultraviolence. While possessing the nubile form of future “Babylon 5” star Claudia Christian, it literally humps a guy to death in a car. Amazing stuff. Never saw the sequel, but I’ve heard it sucks. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/2 "2005-10-14T03:07:51Z")
Count me in. That movie was hilarious back in the day, but I’m not sure I’d like it were I to watch it today. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/3 "2005-10-14T03:17:59Z")
I understand 40% of the film’s budget was spent on squibs. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/4 "2005-10-14T03:24:42Z")
Me! I love that movie. Kyle McLachlan is just strange enough for me. (Ok, he’s a little strange at the best of times, but still) And that nasty alien hoppng from host to host… ew.) That and “They Live” are probably two of my favorite B-movie science fiction films. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/5 "2005-10-14T03:25:44Z")
Another fan here. I enjoyed in the theatre, and have since rented it (as well as a couple viewings on cable). Great concept, twist on the “body snatchers” theme as well as the cop-chasing-criminal-across-the-galaxy theme. I’ve always been just a little confused about the ending, though (perhaps as the filmmakers intended). So did Kyle “take over” Nouri’s body/soul, or not ? Not to change the subject, but another B-movie that I found myself enjoying far more than I expected to was “Chronicles of Riddick”. I expected complete trash, but found myself really enjoying the story and especially the thought that went into the story. Just my 2 cents. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/6 "2005-10-14T04:34:16Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > I’ve always been just a little confused about the ending, though (perhaps as the filmmakers intended). So did Kyle “take over” Nouri’s body/soul, or not ? That’s how I interpreted it – that he did take over Nouri’s body. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/7 "2005-10-14T11:42:54Z")
A great and under-appreciated low-budget SF film. The sequels (there were two) were incredibly awful. Don’t watch them. I always got the feeling that Kyle McLachlan’s character on Twin Peaks was just the guy from The Hidden, only now working out of Seattle. It explained a lot. And somebody has to say it – if you liked The Hidden, you really should read Hal Clement’s classic SF novel **Needle** , which Hidden feels as if it’s ripped off from. There was a sequel – **Through the Eye of a Needle** , which isn’t as good as the original, but is a helluva lot better than The Hidden 2. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/8 "2005-10-14T11:48:09Z")
My favorite sci-fi film. I watch it every year, at least. The idea of an alien who loves heavy metal music and Ferraris is just beautiful. And I found the sappy ending rather touching. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/9 "2005-10-14T11:52:51Z")
I absolutely love this film. I haven’t watched it anywhere near enough times. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/10 "2005-10-14T11:59:32Z")
It’s kind of amazing, isn’t it, how THE HIDDEN has such a passionate following here (until this morning, I thought it was just one of my quirkier tastes), yet isn’t really a “cult” film? No HIDDEN parties, no hip allusions to it, no nothing, really. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/11 "2005-10-14T14:31:11Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > A great and under-appreciated low-budget SF film. The sequels (there were two) were incredibly awful. Don’t watch them. > > I always got the feeling that Kyle McLachlan’s character on Twin Peaks was just the guy from The Hidden, only now working out of Seattle. It explained a lot. Damn, Cal. Suddenly it all begins to fall into place. You’re a genius. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/12 "2005-10-14T17:53:31Z")
Oh yeah Claudia Christian kicks SO MUCH ASS in that movie, and all in that tight skirt, too! When I first watched Babylon 5 I had zero problem buying her as a hard ass military chick, I already knew she’d bust ass, take names and send a bill for the damage afterward. And Kyle McLachlan is a space alien masquerading as human, no wonder he couldn’t have sex with Kristen in “Sex and the City!” ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/13 "2005-10-14T18:26:46Z")
Another “The Hidden” fan checking in! The opening car chase is what hooks you. Oh no! The baby buggy! I need to find it on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/14 "2005-10-14T18:43:39Z")
I also enjoy _The Hidden_. It’s amazing how many movies and TV shows I’ve seen rip off the concept directly, right down to the icky alien crawling in and out of its hosts. The actor who played Hank Jennings on _Twin Peaks_ (Chris Mulkey, who has a small part in every movie made since 1985) is in the opening scene too. The director, Jack Sholder, also directed _A Nightmare on Elm Street, Part 2_, which is known among Elm Street fans as “the gay one”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/15 "2005-10-14T20:23:24Z")
Director Jack Sholder has certainly been busy over the years, but there’s absolutely nothing distinctive about any of his subsequent work. _The Hidden_ may have merely been a fluke, but it’s a terrific film, and not just a “guilty pleasure”. Certainly leagues better than _They Live_ (which starts off well, and then, you know… 🙂 ) Screenwriter Jim Kouf’s career has only been marginally more interesting, but he wrote _The Hidden_ under a pseudonym. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/16 "2005-10-15T20:47:43Z")
Hey, don’t be dissing _They Live_. If there’s a better science-fiction commentary on Reaganomics, I’d like to see it! ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/17 "2005-10-16T17:05:34Z")
A truly great film. I too recognized Agent Cooper \*immediately \*the first time he came on the scene in _Twin Peaks_. When _The Hidden_ was in first run, the previews were really really bad; I crossed it right off my list. At about that time I was in the middle of a 17-year stretch of living entirely without a TV, around the corner from a $2 movie house with a different double feature weekly. I usually got bored enough at least one night a week to see whatever was playing, no matter how bad it looked. I discovered some overlooked movies that way, including of course _The Hidden_. (Also better than they looked, discovered during this period: _Stone Cold, Made in Heaven, Last Action Hero_, and I might never have bothered with the masterpiece \*Groundhog Day \*if it hadn’t been one of my weekly double features.) What I love most about \*The Hidden \*is how ludicrous and hilarious all the situations are, but how straightforwardly all the characters play it. It’s a straightfaced scifi horror flick that just cracks you up. And it’s as if they tried to make a movie mixed up of as many genres as possible. It’s an amalgamated satire of scifi movies, cop movies, horror movies, buddy movies, tragic-family movies, political movies–it even has a little _Manchurian Candidate_ tossed in for good measure. The senator who licks his hungry lips! You’re killin’ me! Plus the best thing about movies like this and _The Borrower_ is everybody gets to play the monster! Even the _dog!_ (I recorded it with my new DVD recorder when it was on IFC lately, so now I’ll get a chance to determine how many plays it takes to wear through the data of a homemade disc.) ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/18 "2005-10-16T17:50:56Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > (I recorded it with my new DVD recorder when it was on IFC lately, so now I’ll get a chance to determine how many plays it takes to wear through the data of a homemade disc.) Hey, store it as an ISO on your hard drive, that way you can burn it any time you want and make copies for your friends… unless that would be wrong. How does that work, if you record from broadcast digitally, does it fall into the same category as a VCR recording? [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-loves-the-hidden-open-spoilers/326165/19 "2005-10-17T10:49:56Z")
I enjoyed the original film quite a bit. I also have a crush on the [guy who played the good alien](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0768620/) in The Hidden 2, solely based on his voice acting in the video game Knights of the Old Republic (_drool_), but man, he just has not had a good record of other projects. I’m thinking even a drooling fangirl should pass on this?