Spaced Invaders

Spaced Invaders is a 1990 American science fiction comedy directed by Patrick Read Johnson and starring Douglas Barr, Royal Dano, and Ariana Richards. The film’s title is a pun on the classic video game Space Invaders. Plot The space armada from Mars fights an interstellar war against their long-time enemy, the Arcturans. The Martian armada is sent into battle by Enforcer Drones, tasked to keep the Martian soldiers in line, despite objections by some that it won't work. Meanwhile, the incompetent crew of a small spaceship from the Martian "Civilian Asteroid Patrol" intercepts a distress signal from the fleet. Said signal is followed by a Halloween rebroadcast of Orson Welles' 1938 The War of the Worlds radio dramatization. Mistaking this for a real invasion—and not wanting to miss out on the glory of "kicking some Earthling butt"—the CAP crew lands their ship in the tiny community of Big Bean, Illinois; there they proceed with their "invasion" of the planet. The ship's smart-mouthed pilot Blaznee, who has more common sense than the others, doesn't think it's a good idea. He is ignored by the rest of the crew: Captain Bipto, an overzealous optimist; Lieutenant Giggywig, an ambitious and hot-headed know-it-all; Dr. Ziplock, the careful and calculating science officer; and the alternately-overeager-and-timid Corporal Pez. The CAP crew searches for the (nonexistent) Martian invasion fleet which they believe has already landed. Because it's Halloween, everyone assumes the Martians are kids in exceptionally-well-made costumes. Eventually, though, a few locals realize the truth. Among them is the town sheriff (Barr), his daughter Kathy (Richards), and an elderly farmer named Wrenchmuller (Royal Dano), on whose farm the Martians have crash-landed. The sheriff finds out about the aliens when his deputy records their ship doing 3,000 mph.