Although the actual Alien vs Predator anime may never be released from Disney’s vault, there is still an ’80s horror anime that heavily draws inspiration from Ridley Scott’s original film, satisfying that itch.
The recent excitement around the Xenomorphs has been sparked by Romulus, and while rewatching the Alien films is always enjoyable, the number of installments available to watch is limited. Additionally, only a handful of top sci-fi movies can match the same atmosphere and style.
Another example is Lily C.A.T, a lesser-known anime film released in 1987 and directed by Hisayuki Toriumi. This movie heavily incorporates elements from both Alien and John Carpenter’s The Thing, resulting in a powerful viewing experience. The great news is that you can stream the entire film on Amazon Prime Video.
The influence of Lily C.A.T. becomes evident from the beginning as the story centers around a mining crew in cryo-sleep during an expedition. However, their mission takes a terrifying turn when they discover an alien presence on board and two of their own have been infected.
The deadly being remains on the hunt, targeting each crew member while the rest of the group strives to unravel the mystery and escape the ship. This fast-paced and visually engaging film provides a chilling experience without overstaying its welcome.
In the 1990s, Streamline Pictures released an English dubbed and subtitled version of Lily C.A.T. on VHS. The DVD release was handled by Discotek Media in 2014, while SyFy aired the film on television with promotional material reflective of the time. This has led to some confusion as these versions are said to be shorter than the original Japanese cut of Lily C.A.T.
Our version, which is available for purchase, has a runtime of 67 minutes. It is believed that this is 24 minutes shorter than the Japanese version, which had a runtime of 91 minutes. Both the DVD case and the Amazon listing for the home media version list this runtime.
It is challenging to determine the source of this information. Despite its status as a true cult classic, there is limited information available about Lily C.A.T. aside from its existence and accessibility. Unfortunately, the nature of importing anime in the 1980s and 1990s may prevent us from ever knowing more.
After reading about why Alien 3 deserves better than its reputation, be sure to also check out this offshoot to learn about Alien: Earth.
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