Alien Nation (1989)

Long before Mandy Patinkin became an endearingly obnoxious doctor in Chicago Hope, he was a mottle-headed space creature in Alien Nation. He sensibly chose not to take his creation to the small screen when it became a TV series.

In Los Angeles, three years after thousands of aliens known as “newcomers” are uncomfortably integrated into Californian society, the uneasy co-existence between the people from space and humans is tested when Earthling detective – and hard-core bigot –  Matt Sykes (James Caan) joins forces with a “newcomer” cop – Detective Sam Francisco  (Patinkin), who Sykes calls “George” – to track down a murderous gang who killed Sykes’ old partner during a convenience store holdup.

Terence Stamp plays William Harcourt, another newcomer who has become a respected man in the community – who also hides a dark secret. Kevyn Major Howard plays Harcourt’s hired assassin, Rudyard Kipling. They don’t come much meaner-looking than Kipling!

Director Graham Baker expertly combines the sci-fi and thriller elements and is well served by his two leads, particularly Patinkin, who manages to create a moving character while operating under a ton of latex.

Matt Sykes
James Caan
Sam “George” Francisco 
Mandy Patinkin
William Harcourt
Terence Stamp
Rudyard Kipling
Kevyn Major Howard
Cassandra
Leslie Bevis
Fedorchuk
Peter Jason
Quint
George Jenesky
Josh Strader
Jeff Kober
Bill Tuggle
Roger Aaron Brown
Wiltey
Tony Simotes
Alterez
Tony Perez
Trent Porter
Brian Thompson
Captain Warner
Frank McCarthy
Winter
Keone Young
Maffet
Don Hood
Duncan Crais
Earl Boen

Director
Graham Baker