When someone thinks of an alien movie from 1996, the two that come to mind are typically “Mars Attacks!” and “Independence Day.” Maybe throw “Space Jam” into the mix too. However, another sci-fi pleaser from that year that deserves more attention, and is currently streaming on Prime Video, is the Charlie Sheen-starring “The Arrival” (not to be confused with the 2016 Denis Villeneuve film “Arrival”).
Feeling like an episode of “The X-Files” on steroids and a Steven Spielberg movie without the big budget, “The Arrival” stars Charlie Sheen as astronomer Zane Zaminsky who works for SETI. Drama arrives after Zane and his co-worker Calvin (Richard Schiff) record an extraterrestrial radio signal. Zane reports this game-changing find to his superiors, but his boss rejects it, destroying the recording and even firing Zane. This leads to a wider web of conspiracy rife with murder and deceit, as Zane knows that the truth is out there and chooses to pursue it rather than back down.
Written and directed by David Twohy, best known for writing and directing “The Chronicles of Riddick” film series starring Vin Diesel, “The Arrival” paces itself eloquently, walking the tightrope between edge-of-your-seat tension and thrills. Also, it’s fun to watch a movie where the only thing standing between Earth’s safety and a full-blown alien invasion is Charlie Sheen. Winning, indeed.
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Charlie Sheen found out the O. J. Simpson verdict while shooting The Arrival
An alien standing in a ring of light in The Arrival – Orion Pictures
“The Arrival” certainly qualifies as an obscure ’90s sci-fi gem you need to watch. For Charlie Sheen, though, the film is memorable for another reason altogether — he was in the middle of shooting a scene when he learned the verdict to the infamous O. J. Simpson murder trial.
Appearing on “The Joe Rogan Experience” in 2025, Sheen explained how “The Arrival” cast and crew were as gripped by the trial as the rest of the world. “I was so hoping for the day off to be back at the hotel, ’cause everybody knew the night before that the verdict was coming,” Sheen said. “So, we had to shoot this scene, and there was a prop man … and he had the only cell phone. It had like half a bar, and it’s starting to rain, and he’s got it to his ear, and his buddy’s got his phone in LA up to the TV when they’re about to read the verdict.”
Sheen revealed that the curious crew huddled around to get the news. They received their answer after the crew member chucked his phone away and used colorful language to express his frustration at the verdict. Even if that totally ’90s moment can never be recreated, at the least “The Arrival” being on Prime Video gives viewers today a glimpse into that era.
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Read the original article on Looper.
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