I know aliens and Nazis sound like a weird mix, and that the alien image on the old VHS covers looks a little kooky, but Zone Troopers is one of the real gems of B-movie history.

1985 was a banner year for Empire Pictures and its founder, the legendary Charles Band, as the studio rolled out the likes of Re-animator, Ghoulies, Trancers ... and Zone Troopers. This film may not have achieved the same level of success as its cinematic cousins, but it has become something of a cult favorite for fans over the years, especially those who truly appreciate its respectful nods to pulp science fiction.

Writer/director Danny Bilson and his co-writer Paul De Meo showed that a great script and a cast of more than capable actors can make up for the shortcomings of low-budget special effects. It surely doesn't hurt to treat the audience with some respect, as well. In this World War II movie, for example, the Germans actually speak German and fire German weapons, while the alien speaks in a truly alien fashion. In turn, the American soldiers actually use the lingo of their counterparts in the real war.

It is in fact the smart and funny dialogue, characterized by a veritable cornucopia of great zingers, that truly makes Zone Troopers something very special.

Following an ambush, a motley crew of three American soldiers and a well-known war journalist find themselves trapped 10 miles or more within enemy lines in 1944 Italy. Alongside famed war correspondent Charlie Dolan (Biff Maynard) are the everyman Cpl. George "Mittens" Mittinsky (Art LaFleur), the young and excitable Joey Verona (Timothy Van Patten) and Sgt. Stone (Tim Thomerson), whose ability to walk away from certain death on numerous occasions has earned him the nickname the Iron Sarge.

As if their situation isn't already tenuous enough, the men soon discover that there are more than just German soldiers surrounding them in the forest -- namely, there is a big, hairy, bug-eyed alien whose ship crashed nearby. That would explain the SS encampment Dolan and Mittens stumble upon. While pulp magazine fan Joey is giddy over the chance to see one of his science fiction fantasies come to life, Sarge is all about making sure the Germans fail to get what they want.

Can four American GIs hold off a large contingent of elite German soldiers and rescue a bug-eyed alien from their nefarious clutches?

As far as I'm concerned, this film is worth watching solely for Mittens' unexpected meeting with a certain short German dictator, but that's just one magical moment in a film full of great action, sharp dialogue and memorable moments. In less capable hands, Zone Troopers could have easily been a cinematic disaster bogged down in a sea of cliches. Thanks to co-writers Bilson and De Meo and the solid acting chops on display from Thomerson and LaFleur in particular, that doesn't happen here. It doesn't even matter that one of the spaceships looks more like a rocket from a children's playground than an interstellar craft or that Charles Band's brother Richard borrows quite heavily from John Williams' "Imperial March" from Star Wars for the musical score.

I sift through a lot of low-budget movies in hopes of finding the all-too-rare nuggets of B-movie gold that I know are out there. Zone Troopers more than validates my quest, easily earning a spot on my list of must-see B-movies.