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Project ALF

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The correct title of this article is Project: ALF. The substitution or omission of the colon is due to technical restrictions.

Project: ALF is a 1996 American made-for-television science fiction comedy film directed by Dick Lowry which serves as a sequel to the final episode "Consider Me Gone" of the 1986–1990 sitcom ALF. It was broadcast in the U.S. by ABC and in Canada on CHCH-TV on February 17, 1996.[1] The film was released on DVD in 2005 and on Blu-ray in 2023.

Project: ALF
DVD cover
Genre
  • Comedy
  • Sci-fi
  • Family
Based on
Written byTom Patchett
Paul Fusco
Directed byDick Lowry
StarringPaul Fusco
Miguel Ferrer
William O'Leary
Jensen Daggett
John Schuck
Ed Begley Jr.
Ray Walston
Martin Sheen
Music byMark Snow
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersPaul Fusco
Kenneth Kaufman
ProducersTom Patchett
Wolf Bauer
CinematographyHenry M. Lebo
EditorWilliam B. Stich
Running time95 minutes
Production companiesAlien Productions
Patchett Kaufman Entertainment
Paul Fusco Productions
UFA Fernsehproduktion GmbH
World International Network
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseFebruary 17, 1996 (1996-02-17)

The only actors to appear in both the series and film were Paul Fusco (the voice and puppeteer of ALF) and Beverly Archer (who played Mrs. Byrd on the TV series and Dr. Carnage in the film).

Plot

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The film begins where ALF ended, with Gordon Shumway, also known as ALF, being captured by the US Air Force's Alien Task Force (ATF) while attempting to leave Earth. He is detained at Edmonds Air Force Base under the orders of Colonel Gilbert Milfoil, the ATF's head of security, and, despite others' fears, life there soon proves to be luxurious for him. Acting independently, Milfoil plans to kill ALF under the guise of a beauty treatment and leaves a paper trail implicating his aide-de-camp, Second Lieutenant Harold Reese. They discuss ALF's relationship with the Tanner family, who have moved to Iceland under the Witness Protection Program.

Upon learning of this, two Air Force scientists, Major Melissa Hill and Captain Rick Mullican, help ALF escape by hiding him in a cheap motel. Unwilling to give up his comforts, ALF sneaks out and contacts one of his former guards to arrange a supply drop before accidentally entering a strip club called the "Kitty Kat Lounge", which he mistakenly believes to be a restaurant that serves cats.

With both the local police and the military alerted, the trio turns to Dexter Moyers, a former NASA scientist who was falsely discredited by the government as part of an anti-UFO conspiracy. His solution is to publicly reveal ALF's existence on global television, removing the government's credibility and vindicating himself, but Mullican is uncomfortable with this. After discovering a computer file that hints at a deeper agenda, he leaves during the night. The next day, he contacts a friend at Edmonds, knowing that Milfoil will monitor the conversation and come to him directly. As he expected, he is arrested soon after and brokers a deal, arranging safe conduct for the fugitives in exchange for revealing the broadcast.

Meanwhile, Hill learns that Moyers has set up a secret auction alongside the broadcast, intending to sell ALF to the highest bidder, and he imprisons her after she refuses to participate. ALF, unaware of the betrayal, enjoys the attention until stage fright and his host's hostility lead him to lock himself in the bathroom, giving the military time to shut down the broadcast. Both Hill and ALF are arrested, and Milfoil reneges on the deal, unwittingly revealing his murderous intentions on a security recording that Reese obtains.

Back at Edmonds, Milfoil gloats that ALF's escape means he can convince his superiors to have him executed, with his hatred being revealed to be as payback for an alleged alien abduction that drove his mother insane. However, Reese interrupts a meeting between Milfoil and Lieutenant General Myron Stone, the Air Force's liaison to the Pentagon, to play the tape, revealing Milfoil's malfeasance.

A military panel authorizes promotions for the three officers involved in taking down Milfoil and apologizes to ALF before declaring him an ambassador to Earth. However, ALF's self-aggrandizing behavior leaves the panel to question whether they made the right choice.

Cast

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Production

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Project: ALF aired on ABC, after NBC changed plans for the last season of ALF to have one extra episode so the storyline could be resolved with a two-part finale. The first half aired with "TO BE CONTINUED" notice, but the network did not produce any episodes and left the series on a cliffhanger for over five years. This meant that no plotlines were resolved such as Alf meeting the Tanners again or for his friends from Melmac arriving to rescue him.

The full original cast did not return for the film. William O'Leary and Jensen Daggett were already working together on ABC, playing husband and wife on Home Improvement.

Home media

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Project: ALF was remastered and subsequently released on October 17, 2023, by Shout! Factory in the DVD box set ALF: The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition). The box set release also included the original 1986–90 sitcom, ALF: The Animated Series and ALF Tales.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ ""Project ALF", a two-hour family movie on CHCH-TV" (Press release). Niagara Television Limited. January 24, 1996. Archived from the original on January 3, 1997. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  2. ^ "ALF and Co-Creator Reunite to Provide New Commentary on Classic Episodes". MovieWeb. June 5, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  3. ^ "Pilot Ep. PLUS New Commentary by ALF! | FULL Episode: S1 Ep1". YouTube. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
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