As I kid, I used to anxiously await the arrival of each new issue of Cinemagic magazine at my local comic shop (okay, it was actually a used book store - I don't think there were any comic shops in town in those days). For the uninitiated, Cinemagic was a sort of "how-to bible" for wanna-be filmmakers, guys like me who would spend their days holed up in their bedrooms, slathering latex and Rice Krispies on their faces in an attempt to achieve the perfect zombie. The magazine was created by Maryland filmmaker Don Dohler, who later sold it to Starlog Press (I didn't stumble across it until that first Starlog issue). Dohler was never the "those who can't do, teach" sort - he was out in the trenches making his own crazy features, flicks like Fiend, Nightbeast, and what many consider his coolest movie, The Alien Factor (not having seen the first two, I can only go on what I've heard).

The Alien Factor opens as a young couple passionately make out in a secluded area, sucking back on what appears to be a bottle of Boone's Farm. The girl wants to head home, seeing as how the sun is going down (afraid of vampires, maybe?), but the fella insists on sticking his tongue in her mouth one last time - a decision he won't live to regret. As the two swap spit, the car is attacked by a slimy, insectoid creature that yanks the lad out of the car and tears him up. The girl manages to escape, but winds up practically comatose and in the hands of doctors George Stover and his Aunt Ruth ( Ann Frith). Dennis Weaver-lookin' Sheriff Cinder (Tom Griffith) is at a loss to explain the attack, but figures it may have been a bear or bobcat.

Elsewhere, saucy thang Betty sees a strange being standing near an alien spacecraft. Terrified, she runs into the path of an oncoming motorcycle and gets knocked for a loop. The biker takes off, but the alien does the old "heal with a touch" shtick and soon Betty is back on her feet.

Some guys who look like the members of Slade decide to head into the woods in search of the critter (one of them insists on taking a girl along, because "she's a cool chick"). It goes without saying that these guys are monster meat, and within minutes they're slugging it out with the insectoid creature. Cinder and his acne-ridden deputy puzzle over these new killings, putting their combined (and mightily impressive, I might add) brainpower to the test. However, before they can act (not that what they've been doing could be called "acting"), another death occurs. This is when the movie pauses for a moment to torture us with some pad-the-running-time footage of children joyously playing with a ball (fortunately, they find a corpse and are no doubt scarred for life).

With more and more locals being slaughtered, Mayor Wicker (obviously working from the Jaws mayoral handbook) starts riding Sheriff Cinder's ass, worried not so much about the murders but about his plans for a new amusement park. The movie takes another break to allow the crummiest band in the world to play a song (I'd swear part of the chorus is "Baby, choke me") at a seedy dive (which looks remarkably like somebody's basement) , but once we're back on track, the killings begin again (this time, the culprit is a furry-legged, pop-eyed beastie). That's when a mysterious stranger (Don Leifert) arrives in town, claiming to be "an adventurer," and he seems to know an awful lot about what's behind the attacks...

Released as part of Retromedia's "Drive-In Theater," The Alien Factor is a beautiful example of old-school drive-in goodness, replete with ham-fisted acting, cheesy but cool special effects, and plenty of scruffy monster suits. It's not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, but I've watched it three times already and even forced it upon several of my friends (who all had a great time with it).

The transfer from 16mm is about as good as you'd expect - some graininess and scratching (in my opinion, that kind of adds to the entertainment value), but overall it looks just fine. Six chapters (that band deserves one of their own, trust me on this) and a small handful of fun extras, including Fred Olen Ray and Miss Kim's intro, a blooper reel, still gallery, George Stover gallery (the chicks like it), and a deleted scene featuring a truly half-assed stop-motion creature (which I of course loved!). The mono audio adds nicely to the feeling of listening to the flick on the ol' "in-a-car" speaker. Just don't drive away without replacing it on the stand!