The Intruder Within (1981) is Alien at sea with some terrific moments tossed as life preservers throughout a TV movie that’s otherwise drowning. At times, it has a cinematic feel, particularly when approaching and exploring Zortron Oil’s drilling rig in the ocean near Antarctica. At other times, it has a low-budget TV movie feel, particularly when the monster finally appears.
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Scott (Joseph Bottoms) arrives on the rig via helicopter for reasons unknown to Jake Nevins (Chad Everett), the man in charge. Scott is a company man who knows darn well what they’ll hit when they drill below 40,000 feet. Like his outer space counterpart, Ash, he’s there to ensure they protect an alien life form… at any cost, including human lives.
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Instead of discovering eggs in a planetary cavern, the crew retrieves eggs from the deep sea. They seem to grow tiny spikes that, if you prick your finger on one, creates a type of reaction that ultimately leads to cramping of the hands and suicide. A snake-like creature also appears with the eggs, but instead of hugging the face, hugs the arm.
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This mini-creature has the body of the baby alien that bursts from Kane’s chest, but with a really long tail. It may or may not be destroyed when it’s shot, but then might also appear later sealed in a plastic storage box on the rig, so the camera can continually rest upon it. In any case, it doesn’t grow or evolve into a big bad xenomorph.
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There’s some other way that a hard-working oil man like Harry Colman (James Hayden) can be infected. I’m not sure what that is, but we see a shadow on the wall of a full-grown monster kind of rise from his body. It’s quick and easy, so I’m not sure to what Jake is reacting when he later finds Harry’s body. Here, The Intruder Within spark the imagination in an effective way.
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The spark quickly extinguishes when we see… or don’t see… the slow, lumbering monster heading toward the big drill so he can bring up his friends. These scenes are wisely filmed in the dark, but one good look at the creature might have been nice. If it’s really the face we see on the cover of the big-box VHS cover, it’s not bad. I suspect it has a body that doesn’t match.
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Unfortunately, even with its high points, there are too many mid and low points. A complete between-commercials segment attempts to add characterization. A large part of the film is slow and lumbering just like the monster. Some editing and rearranging of scenes might have helped build suspense. It couldn’t have hurt.
Visit the TV Terror Guide: 70's TV Movies playlist at ClassicHorrors.Club TV on YouTube to watch The Intruder Within and other great movies from this series.
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