''Zarkorr! The Invader'' is an American 1996

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...

monster movie A monster movie, monster film, creature feature or giant monster film is a film that focuses on one or more characters struggling to survive attacks by one or more antagonistic monsters, often abnormally megafauna, large ones. The film may also ...

directed by Michael Deak and Aaron Osborne and starring Franklin A. Vallette, Don Yanan, Peter Looney, Dyer McHenry, Rhys Pugh, Torie Lynch, Stan Chambers, and Elizabeth Anderson. It was produced by Full Moon Entertainment.

Plot

Intelligent aliens who have been studying Earth for centuries decide to challenge mankind by sending in a 185-foot, laser-eyed monster called ''Zarkorr'' to wreak city-crushing havoc. Only one incredibly average young man, postal worker Tommy Ward (Rhys Pugh), can find the beast's weakness and save the planet with the help of a 6-inch-tall

pixie A pixie (also called pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, piskie, or pigsie in parts of Cornwall and Devon) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are speculated to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas around Devon and Cor ...

(Torie Lynch), who says she is "a mental image projected into his brain" by the aliens. She explains that Zarkorr cannot be destroyed by weapons, but that the key to the monster's destruction lies within the monster itself. Tommy, chosen as an average human, is the one destined to fight Zarkorr, who has been trained to kill him. Tommy asks scientist Dr. Stephanie Martin (De'Prise Grossman) for advice about his mission, but everyone thinks he is crazy. He takes the scientist hostage, but manages to explain his predicament to one of the policemen George Ray (Mark Hamilton), who believes him and helps him escape. Dr. Martin agrees to help him. Using computers belonging to a friend of hers, they establish that the monster, which is destroying city after city in the style of

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...

, neither sleeps nor breathes. Going to the place where the monster first appeared, they come into possession of a strange metallic capsule that fell out of the sky at the time the monster arrived. It is believed to be unopenable, but it opens by itself for Tommy as he touches it. He uses the top of the capsule as a shield, reflecting Zarkorr's laser rays back at him, and the monster dissolves into a small glowing sphere flying into space. Tommy is taken to a hospital to recover; a TV reporter congratulates him for saving the world, and he jokes he might run for president.

Cast

* Rhys Pugh as Tommy Ward * De'Prise Grossman as Dr. Stephanie Martin * Mark Hamilton as George Ray * Charles Schneider as Arthur * Torie Lynch as Proctor * Franklin A. Vallette as Horrace * Don Yanan as Dunk * Peter Looney as Billy * Dyer McHenry as Al * Stan Chambers as Stan * Elizabeth Anderson as herself * Robert Craighead as Marty Karlson * Dileen Nesson as Debby Dalverson * Mary Ostow as Reporter * Jim Glassman as Stage Manager * Emmett Grennan as Crew Member * Mike Terner as Guard One * Robert J. Ferrelli as Guard Two * Ron Barnes as Larry Bates * John Paul Fedele as Zarkorr

Release

''Zarkorr! The Invader'' was released direct to video on VHS in 1996. The film was released on DVD in 2004.

Critical reception

''Zarkorr! The Invader'' received negative reviews from critics. Review aggregator

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

reports that 13% of critics have given the film a positive review based out of 1 review, with an average rating of 1.3/5.

Legacy

Zarkorr! The Invader* has garnered a cult following since its release, primarily due to its campy charm and the unique design of its titular monster. Despite receiving predominantly negative reviews from critics, the film's appeal has endured among fans of low-budget science fiction and kaiju cinema. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 13% of critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 1.3/5. However, audience reviews often highlight the film's unintentional humor and the nostalgic value of its practical effects. One viewer described it as "a film so ridiculous that it's genius," noting its "cheesy" story and "goofy" characters. The film's influence extends to various media outlets that celebrate its status as a cult classic. For instance, Kaiju Battle, a website dedicated to monster movies, acknowledges the film's negative critical reception but notes its cult following, particularly praising the monster Zarkorr itself.

Other Media

Zarkorr appears in the fifth issue of ''Dollman Kills the Full Moon Universe'', a crossover comic featuring Brick Bardo from Dollman tracking down different Full Moon monsters and villains to kill, published by Full Moon Comix in 2018.https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT181732

References

External links

* * {{rotten-tomatoes, zarkorr_the_invader
Zarkorr! The Invader
at Badmovies.org
Zarkorr! The Invader Official Facebook Page
1996 films Giant monster films American science fiction films Films about alien invasions Full Moon Features films Films scored by Richard Band 1990s English-language films 1990s American films 1996 science fiction films English-language science fiction films Kaiju films