Terror in the Midnight Sun/Invasion of the Animal People

Image | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

It seems that aliens have finally made contact with our planet, but not in a major city, instead they touch down in Northern Sweden of all places. As the ship rests in the soft, glimmering snow, a team of geologists speed over to the site, as they believe it to be a meteor, unaware of what it really is, an alien spaceship. When the men arrive, they discover a massive, fur covered beast, who has a bad temper and likes to cause trouble, to be sure. As the mammoth monster stomps around the land, he crushes an entire village and soon falls in love, with American figure skater Diane (Barbara Wilson) as his love interest. He might not be the fastest or most agile creature on the planet, but he is strong and with his disregard for everything else, there's no simple way to end his romp through the Swedish countryside. In the American version, Invasion of the Animal People, the film is hosted by John Carradine and features additional scenes, but this synopsis covers Terror in the Midnight Sun, so be prepared for the differences.

This disc includes both Terror in the Midnight Sun and Jerry Warren's botched edition, Invasion of the Animal People. I've never seen the original version of this movie, so I was pleased to see it included, but it is also nice to have the Americanized edition, if just for reference sake. The American version has removed footage of course, but also featured some added sequences and they serve no purpose other than to complicate issues, if you ask me. If you want to know more about the changes, be sure to read Frank Henenlotter's liner notes, as they include all the information you'll need, plus a little humor thrown in. This is a cheese laden horror flick, but come on, it is a Swedish cheese laden horror film, if that makes you feel any better about it all. A weak storyline, bad acting, and poor special effects can all be seen, but if you're a fan of these kind of movies, Terror in the Midnight Sun is more entertaining than most, I think. This release is more than recommended to genre fans, especially since you'll be able to see both versions of the flick, plus an audio commentary session with producer Bertil Jernberg, which is all too cool indeed.

Both editions of the flick are presented in full frame, which seems to be an acceptable aspect ratio. The low budget roots and age of the materials show here, as the print used has frequent flaws, from marks to scratches to grain, though never to the point of utter frustration. I've seen other films from this time look much worse, so I am pleased we have a more than decent edition here, to be sure. The black & white images look solid and well balanced, but a little soft at times, due to the aging of the materials involved. I suppose a restored version would be fantastic, but in the real world, this is about as good as we can expect, to be honest.

I wasn't expecting much from the included mono audio and I didn't get much, but the audio presence is more than adequate. The materials have aged in decent fashion and while no one will mistake this for a modern movie soundtrack, the basics come through in more than decent form, which is what counts. The music and sound effects do seem a little thin, but given the film's age and budget limits, I think it all sounds better than expected. No real issues with dialogue, although again, sometimes it seems a little thin, but nothing to be concerned about. You won't want to showcase the home theater with this release, but it gets the job done.

In a surprise, but very welcome inclusion, this disc includes an audio commentary track with producer Bertil Jernberg. I was pleased to find this track included, but there isn't too much information to be heard, though there's enough to warrant a listen, if you're a fan of the flick. In any event, it is always a pleasure to hear from those involved, especially on lesser known flicks, like Terror in the Midnight Sun. This disc also includes two bonus Swedish themed short films, a wealth of Swedish sexploitation trailers, a selection of still photos & artwork, and The Girl in the Glacier, a never broadcast episode of the Swedish television series 13 Demon Street.