Zone Troopers (1985)

Dir: Danny Bilson

Ahh, good ol' Empire Pictures in their 1980s hey-day. No budget too low, no concept too high, no monster too ludicrous. This cute and affectionate homage to the old-school B-graders concerns four American GIs who get caught behind enemy lines somewhere in Italy circa 1944. Not only do they have to contend with squadloads of nasty Nazis but there's also been a space-rocket ship crash nearby. Seems Hitler's quite eager to experiment on the alien survivors so it's up to our American heroes to save the day and rescue the cuddly, big-eyed pod-creature from his clutches. Self-aware hilarity ensues. This one aims more for laughs than scares and is brightly photographed, well-acted and, for the most part, good fun. Maybe best reserved for Saturday morning hangover viewing but worth a watch for the authentic dialogue, high spirits and a magnificent scene in which a character called Mittens slugs Hitler. ***