Introduction

Zone Troopers is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Danny Bilson and starring Tim Thomerson. It was filmed in Italy by Empire Pictures with Charles Band as executive producer. The original music score was composed by Richard Band.

Outline

Set in Italy in World War II, four members of an American military patrol, led by their grizzled sergeant (Tim Thomerson), are lost behind enemy lines. They discover an alien spaceship that has crash-landed in the woods, along with its crew. The alien pilot is dead, and one of the aliens has been captured by the Nazis, hampering efforts of the aliens to return home. A larger Nazi unit, with scientific and medical personnel, also investigates the crash, seeking to capture the alien’s technology and use it to win the war. However, the aliens side with the Americans after the Nazis’ actions against their crewmember.

Cast

• Tim Thomerson as Sergeant Patrick Stone.
• Timothy Van Patten as Joey Verona.
• Art LaFleur as George “Mittens” Minnensky.
• William Paulson as Alien.
• Peter Boom as Colonel Mannheim.
• Max Turili as Sergeant Zeller.

Release

The film was released on videocassette by Lightning Video in 1986. In 2005 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer issued a widescreen print of the film, which was shown on Showtime, fueling speculation that a DVD release may be possible in the near future.

The film was released on a manufactured-on-demand DVD-R by MGM as part of their Limited Edition Series on December 6, 2011.

The film was released on Region A Blu-ray on 28 July 2015 by Kino Lorber. It features a commentary track by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, an interview with Tim Thomerson, and the film’s original trailer.

Trivia

• This film reunited a significant portion of the cast and creators of the 1985 film Trancers.
• William Paulson, who plays the alien, can also be seen out of makeup at the beginning of the movie.
  • He plays a soldier in an Army Jeep.
• At 54 minutes our heroes attempt an escape in a German truck which has the steering wheel on the right-hand side.
  • The Nazis must have captured the truck from the British!

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s):
  • Danny Bilson.
• Producer(s):
  • Charles Band … executive producer.
  • Paul De Meo … producer.
  • Debra Dion … associate producer.
  • Michael Wolf … associate producer (uncredited).
• Writer(s):
  • Danny Bilson.
  • Paul De Meo.
• Music:
  • Richard Band.
• Cinematography:
  • Mac Ahlberg.
• Editor(s):
  • Ted Nicolaou.
• Production:
  • Empire Pictures (presents).
  • Charles Band Productions (as A Charles Band Production).
  • Altar Productions (copyright holder).
• Distributor(s):
  • Empire Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical).
  • Roadshow Films (1986) (Australia) (theatrical).
  • Roadshow Home Video (1986) (Australia) (VHS).
  • Vestron Video International (1986) (Belgium) (VHS).
  • Vestron Video International (1986) (Netherlands) (VHS).
  • Lightning Video (1986) (USA) (VHS).
  • Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS).
  • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (2005) (USA) (all media).
  • MGM Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (dvdr).
  • Empire Pictures (1987) (Mexico) (theatrical) (as Empire Pictures).
  • Entertainment (1985) (UK) (theatrical).
  • National Film Development Corporation (1986) (India) (theatrical).
  • 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (dvdr).
  • Avid Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS).
  • Entertainment in Video (1986) (UK) (VHS).
  • Kino Lorber (2015) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD).
  • Lightning Video (1986) (West Germany) (VHS).
  • Showtime Networks (2005) (USA) (TV).
  • VTI Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS).
  • Vestron Television (1989) (USA) (TV).
  • Vestron Video International (1986) (Italy) (VHS).
  • Vestron Video International (1986) (Japan) (VHS).
  • Vestron Video (1991) (USA) (VHS).
• Release Date: 01 October 1985 (Limited, US).
• Running time: 86 minutes.
• Rating: 15.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

Video Link(s)