The Titan Find (William Malone, 1985)

Titan Find, or THE Titan Find as the credits say, is one of the most sought-after Alien clones of the eightes. It's always been easy to find, but never in good quality and in the correct ratio. Thanks to director William Malone we now have a release - already out of print - uncut and in 2.35:1 widescreen. It sold out very fast and the rumour now says there will an even better release later this year, maybe even on blu! I guess it's double-dipping time for old Freddy. 

Shot for a budget on 750 000 dollars, but sold as a six million dollar movie, Titan Find had a quick and dirty road to realization. Moshe Diamant wanted to get into the movie business and managed wanted a "movie like Alien". Malone, who had some mutual acquaintance with him, pitched the idea and Diamant was happy and gave him 350 000 dollar to make the movie. During the production they got more money - and the producers suddenly hired Klaus Kinski, even if there wasn't a part for him in the movie, so Malone and screenwriter Alan Reed had to invent a character and the game was on. For good and bad.

For eight weeks they shot the story of some scientists going to a planet to investigate ancient, alien artifacts, as fast as possible to not let the Germans get there before them. When they arrive something is of course terrible wrong and a monster is loose, who once was trapped in one of the alien containers found on the planet. The alien/monster/thingie plants some kind of parasite in the head of its victims and transform them to mindless zombies!

Titan Find is a wonderful concoction of old sci-fi movies and the modern style of the 70's and 80's. The first scene is very goofy, very silly, but feels a lot like something that could have been in a 50's movie. According to Malone Titan Find is a tribute (almost a prequel or sequel to the 1956 classic Forbidden Planet). There's also references to The Thing From Another World, Malones earlier Scared to Death, there's props from The Illustrated Man visible and so on. Malone actually owns Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet. That bastard! It has the charming silliness, but mixed quite brilliant with the sexier and more violent modern cinema.

Like Malone says in the commentary: "Every movie made during this time needed to things, gratuitous nudity and an exploding head. And we have both!". The best thing with Titan Find is how damn good it looks. It oozes of atmosphere. It's very dark, very little light, lots of black sets and and the planet is hidden in night time. It looks fantastic without actually loosing that cheaper, cheesier, style that every Alien clone should have. For being such a cheap film it looks big and fancy, the music is powerful and the sound design is perfect. Several of the crew went to work with Cameron's Aliens directly after this, and a few of them came from Corman's Galaxy of Terror - so it's a lot of competent people involved. 

Malone said he had no clue what he was doing at the time, as the newbie he was, but the finished result shows a man with a great talent. 

So how about Kinski, is he worth the trip? He have more of an extended cameo and he's great, he's wonderful as usual. Very edgy, very "there". Which is fun, because he took these parts only for the money - he said - so it's surprising he's so inspired in all the genre movies he made the last years of his life. He of course caused trouble on this set also, but after Malone used the same kind of communcation back at him - screaming - Kinski became a pussycat and did exactly as he was told. Maybe he was impressed?

The cast is nice, but my favorite is Diane Salinger. She's steals every scene she's in. 

Ah yeah, the gore. It's gory. Yes. But it's more bloody than gory. There's two scenes with very impressive splatter, well-made and realistic (and of course an exploding head), but most of the maybem is splashing blood. The monster looks great, even if it's very obvious it's a man in suit. But it looks cool, sometimes like slimy, dark, killer-version of the keyboardist in Return of the Jedi - but without the elephant ears. And blue skin colur. Or maybe not. But I thought of him while watching Titan Find.

Oups. So many words, so little to say. If you have the DVD, watch it directly. It's a beautiful release with some fun extras. If you don't have it - HAHA - but you have a chance again sooner or later. Buy it then, or else Kinski will haunt you in your dreams...

Comments

[Megatron]

"Titan Find, or THE Titan Find as the credits say, is one of the most sought-after Alien clones of the eightes."

I still haven´t seen this.

"It's always been easy to find, but never in good quality and in the correct ratio. Thanks to director William Malone we now have a release - already out of print - uncut and in 2.35:1 widescreen. It sold out very fast and the rumour now says there will an even better release later this year, maybe even on blu! I guess it's double-dipping time for old Freddy."

The only film directed by Malone that I seen is House on Haunted Hill (1999).....so maybe I should buy this one.

"Malone, who had some mutual acquaintance with him, pitched the idea and Diamant was happy and gave him 350 000 dollar to make the movie. During the production they got more money - and the producers suddenly hired Klaus Kinski, even if there wasn't a part for him in the movie, so Malone and screenwriter Alan Reed had to invent a character and the game was on. For good and bad."

Well....you get a wellknown name like Kinski.....more bang for the buck....I guess.

"According to Malone Titan Find is a tribute (almost a prequel or sequel to the 1956 classic Forbidden Planet). There's also references to The Thing From Another World,"

Not a bad set of sources.....Malone knew his stuff.

"Several of the crew went to work with Cameron's Aliens directly after this,"

I think they had to rush Aliens (1986)into production......cast & crew did a helluva job, but worked under enormous pressure, Cameron got angry, kicked over an tea wagon, Lance Henriksen threatened an AD etc.....fun times, ninja/Fred.

But Aliens (1986)looks great, I guess this must be great looking film too.

"So how about Kinski, is he worth the trip? He have more of an extended cameo and he's great, he's wonderful as usual. Very edgy, very "there". Which is fun, because he took these parts only for the money - he said - so it's surprising he's so inspired in all the genre movies he made the last years of his life. He of course caused trouble on this set also, but after Malone used the same kind of communcation back at him - screaming - Kinski became a pussycat and did exactly as he was told. Maybe he was impressed?"

Dayum......impressive.....Kinski was crazy, even by Bale standards......hahahhahahah.....hey, are you writing some essay, bigger piece on Kinski..?

After the latest allegations made by his oldest daughter(I´m waiting for Nastassja Kinskis story) I would like your take on it.

"The monster looks great, even if it's very obvious it's a man in suit. But it looks cool, sometimes like slimy, dark, killer-version of the keyboardist in Return of the Jedi - but without the elephant ears. And blue skin colur. Or maybe not. But I thought of him while watching Titan Find."

Weird associations....but hey, you could be right.

I got nothing against man in suit.....sometimes it looks so good.

"If you have the DVD, watch it directly. It's a beautiful release with some fun extras. If you don't have it - HAHA - but you have a chance again sooner or later."

DAMN YOU!!!!

"Buy it then, or else Kinski will haunt you in your dreams..."

Or molest my future daughters......good review and thanks.

[Tobe]

Nice review of this old B gem. I read somewhere years ago that Kinski got $100K for these type of movies. That guy must have had a pretty good decade(80s). It´s a shame if these last stories of him is true(probably is). He seems to have been a total piece of shit in real life aswell. Why would his daughters say things like that otherwise. It´s a shame.

[Fred Anderson]

Thanks both of you!

And yeah, I think Kinski is very guilty to the allegations from his daughters. I actually don't even doubt it. There's been rumors for year and like they say, no smoke without fire.

Very tragic!

[Megatron]

Fred: Really...?

Sad....