utility_infielder It seems not a single person behind-the-scenes on this project strived to make it anything more than passable. That's not to say the film is bad -- it isn't. It's not great either. It's just... *Meh* There were opportunities in the script for curve balls to be thrown at the audience, but the filmmakers declined. They stuck to the formula, never veered off the path of familiarity, and gave us the plot completely by the numbers. This is the type of movie that you can flip on at any time and not really pay attention, never having to worry if you'll miss any key plot points.I'm a fan of Eric Roberts and find him enjoyable in even the worst of movies, so having him in the cast definitely helped.And kudos to the filmmakers for playing off the ridiculously awful alien costumes for realism. They looked awful, but worked in that "so cheesy it's fun" sort of way.

kelleemalia I was an alien both in the studio (the top floor of the production studio was turned into the space ship hallway boiling hot in that rubber suit), and out on location when the car goes into the ditch (freezing cold - ice on my windshield when I left to go home). I also had to be a body double as the son when he ran out of time (kids can only work so many hours). They wrapped me up in a blanket and Eric had to carry me into the house. The last day of filming, I had to wear a wig and a mole to be Dez (SL was off set that night), and ride around in the minivan as it 'drove through the woods.' This was a fun production to be on! I'm glad that the movie has gotten an OK rating!

Ulysses186 The Shadow Men is an absurd and nonsensical take on the men in black (MIB) phenomenon. The move itself is of moderate/low budget.. standard for a straight to video B movie. The plot seems to be standard enough yet, like diamonds in the rough, there are these priceless sequences that make no sense and can cause great episodes of hilarity.The family:1) Father, Bob Wilson (Erik Roberts).. Rugged good-looks and a well-manicured beard… really knows how to drive a minivan. 2) Mother, Dez Wilson (Sherilyn Fenn) sweet concerned mother, fearful of MIB. 3) Son, Andy Wilson (Brendan Ryan Barrett) Ugly little kid.The family is making their way home after a trip when their minivan falls under the glare of a bright light.. The family wakes up some time after, not remembering what had transpired, but later suffers from nightmares, alluding to alien abduction. Later they check their video camera, which the abducting aliens failed to notice.. and it had recorded the details of their abduction. The family contacts the Air Force and reports the sighting. Soon after some mysterious men in black pay them a visit and questions them. The MIB wear bad black suits with thin ties and black wayfarer type sunglasses and black conspicuous hats. The mother asks the MIB if they would like a drink, they reply "We will have a Coca-Cola." The MIB start to tail the family and even go so far so to harass Andy in the schoolyard. The MIB leans down and authoritatively asks the lad questions, and though they are surrounded by dozens and dozens of people, no one seems to notice a man in a black suit and black sunglasses and a black fedora harassing a child in the schoolyard. Not too long later the MIB intensify their effort to harass the family. Rugged good-looks and a beard managed to outrun the perusing MIB with his minivan. Apparently all MIB drive 1985 Chevy celebrity sedans.. Still surprising that MIB could be ditched with a minivan. After this incident the family is contacted by the author and retired Air Force personnel Stan Mills (Dean Stockwell) and the family is beckoned to take refuges in Mill's secluded ranch-complex. Though the family feels at ease here it's not long until the MIB track them down and let loose a Chevy celebrity onslaught. The MIB break through the complex's defenses and eventually get inside the house. The MIB can not be downed by a direct pointblank blast of a 12-guage shotgun but can be killed by a blow from a 2 x 4 if swung by rugged good-looks and a beard. After one MIB is downed he falls over and his black wayfarers fall off revealing huge alien type eyes, which would have been clearly visible regardless of what type of sunglasses he was wearing. As it turns out all MIB are alien/human hybrids. Eventually the MIB are driven back and the family escapes, though they are doomed to walk the earth in terror knowing that any Chevy celebrity might be the end of them all. The movie is terrible, but luckily this kind of cinematic folly lends beautiful, unintentional golden humor to this film. Every positive and amusing thing about the film is entirely accidental, as its formulaic and predictable flow is really pathetic. If the film was even a bit more craftily written or the actors tried a little harder it would have been devoid of redeeming qualities. Luckily Justin Stanley and Eric Miller the writers are seriously inept, yet their blunder has inadvertently created a wonder. If you are amused by really bad cinema, or enjoy lifetime made for TV movies, I would highly recommend this film.

elwyn5150 This film seems to be an attempt to give a more "realistic" portrayal of alien encounters and Men In Black (well I say "realistic" because the proof is still lacking).It certainly targets to people (such as myself) who have a strong interest in UFOlogy, aliens, MIBs, the real X files etc.It's not a bad film but not a great film. It's rather predictable throughout because it has all the cliches that we've learnt from the X Files and tv shows about aliens abductions.It is not a bad movie to watch if you are reading a book, playing the guitar or doing something else while it's on.The ending pleasantly and enjoyably excessive but I guess a film needs some sort of closure.There was a lot of talent that was wasted on this film. Both Dean Stockwell and Sherilyn Fenn have made much better films.