Mikes Film Talk

Harking back to good old 1985, Clarke M Smith gives us The Lurking. It’s about an alien in the house. This loving homage to Alien, “In Space no one can hear you scream,” hits the nail on the head. The short short has a run time of about 6 and a half minutes. Smith gives us a lot to watch, though and it is clever.

The Lurking Story

A suburban housewife comes across what looks suspiciously like a crab-like facehugger a la Alien. This home invader seems intent on taking over the house.

The Lurking Cast

Sherry M. Felix is the housewife.

Peter Beam is the son.

George Mazarakis is the dad.

Let’s Talk The Lurking

Smith uses a lot of things here. The homage to Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic/iconic space horror Alien is spot on. It is funny, and pretty darn creative for a university project.

*Side note: The housewife is Clarke’s mum. Beam, is almost a Smith regular have done a number of films with the director.*

The goo, on the lettuce leaf (?) looks like the real deal, it convinces thoroughly. The writer/director/producer/editor makes this one work. He even uses stop-motion. *Something that films fans can thank the late Ray Harryhausen for. He was king of the technique.*

Sure, the creature is not as intricate as the skeletons 1964’s Jason and the Argonauts, but it works nicely. I consider it a major accomplishment that the thing does look so good. *Smith gives us a touch of a comic element with the alien. At one point, I swear the thing mutters, “A**hole.”*

Another nice touch, is that no one actually screams out in this horror homage. Like the old tagline says, “No one can hear you scream.” This is a nice nod to the original that is appreciated.

Smith actually includes a dream sequence at the end and includes a quick fade to black. As a “student” offering, this is head and shoulders above other efforts I’ve seen.

The Verdict

The Lurking earns a solid 4 stars. It does what it says on the label. Smith put this final project in the win zone very easily. The film can be seen on YouTube.