This is a comparison between the theatrical version and the Director's Cut. Both versions can be found on the US Blu-ray from Garagehouse Pictures.

A US fighter jet disappears from the radar offshore California. A little later a UFO lands on Pershing Island and generates an energy field that prevents any form of contact with the only two inhabitants, the lighthouse keepers Larry and Diane. While the military and scientist McCarey desperately try to save the people from the island, Larry and Diane come into contact with a strange life form. The two divers Vic and Paul, who are also stranded on the island, find the disturbed Diane and try to leave the island as fast as possible.

Foes is the only work directed by John Coats, who was otherwise mostly responsible for the visual effects of films like Rambo III or Deep Blue Sea. With surprisingly good special effects for that small budget, the film creates a threatening scenario in which the intentions behind the UFO's landing are never quite clear. The film remains deliberately nebulous and gets the best out of its small budget. Above all, the well-done soundtrack contributes to the mood in a blatant way. A very worth seeing sci-fi mystery movie.

For a long time it was very difficult to see the film at all, because apart from a short theatrical release in the UK and occasional broadcasts on US TV, there was according to imdb only one VHS release in Greece. This changed with the US Blu-ray from Garagehouse Pictures on which, beside the theatrical version, an 18 minute shorter Director's Cut is located. The most striking difference is that all the action scenes from McCarey and the military have been removed, so the Director's Cut focuses solely on the events on Pershing Island. Also, the scene where Diane and Larry are pulled into the air by the UFO and Diane then finds Larry's dead body in the Director's Cut as a retrospective, after Diane was already brought back to the lighthouse by Vic and Paul. This clever trick makes the movie more exciting, as the viewer doesn't know what really happened to them until later. Apart from that, there are also some mostly short and insignificant scene cuts.
I personally recommend the Director's Cut, which creates a more claustrophobic mood by focusing on the events on the island. The scene with the military is very dialog-heavy and explanatory, thus weakening the mystery aspect of the movie a bit.
The Director's Cut as well as the theatrical version are based on the same transfer. The assumption is obvious that the theatrical version has been used to reconstruct the Director's Cut.
The bonus material on the Blu-ray disc includes a very informative audio commentary as well as the short film Tales of LA. Interested people can access it without hesitation, especially since the Blu-ray is region free.

Runtimes:

DC: 72:46 min. (Directors Cut)
KF: 90:17 min. (Theatrical Version)

[00:00:00][00:00:00]

The KF starts directly with the title fade-in.

KF: 17 sec.


[00:02:11][00:02:27]

The DC is fading to black after the explosion. This is followed by the display of the production and the movie title.

The next scene shows the department of special research. McCarey is dictating to his secretary as the phone rings. General Mason is on the phone and is being called through to McCarey. He sends his secretary out of the room. He learns that a fighter jet has disappeared offshore California. Mason wants McCarey to use his expertise to find out what happened to the jet. He makes it clear to him that this is the highest priority. McCarey sets off.

DC: 16 sec.
KF: 1:50 min.


[00:05:39][00:07:30]

The corals can be seen a while longer.

McCarey's running around in the command center. The message arrives that a UFO has been detected by radar via Pershing Island. McCarey asks if there are any people on the island. The soldier Peterson thinks that a lighthouse keeper lives there with his wife, but it was not possible to contact them due to disturbances. It is reported that the UFO is located 4.3 km south-east of Pershing. McCarey wants to know what is nearby. Peterson replies that there is a nuclear power plant. A soldier reports that radiation levels there are within normal range. McCarey suspects that the UFO radiates a different form of energy. Mason wants to know what they should do next. McCarey says the UFO's radiation could create a dangerous field. McCarey proposes that the Air Force should be put on alert and that the Coast Guard should secretly ensure that no one approaches the island. A simulated air exercise is intended to prevent other air traffic from the area. Peterson should try to reach the people on the island.

KF: 2:12 min.


[00:07:46][00:11:51]

McCarey's putting a message through to National Security. There is no evidence of a collision yet, but the evidence points to a UFO. Investigations will continue with the highest priority. Most importantly, people must be evacuated from the island. The soldier tells Mason that he has made a connection to the rescue helicopter. The pilot is still 15 miles away from the island. The radar screen shows that the UFO is moving. The pilot is supposed to turn around, but the connection is too bad. Fragmentarily you hear the pilot describing the UFO. The radar shows that the helicopter is losing altitude. Peterson comes to McCarey and tells him that he has learned that two divers have made their way to Pershing this morning. Furthermore, McCarey is about to hold a crisis meeting for important US agencies.

KF: 2:49 min.


[00:15:33][00:22:27]

The UFO flies longer past the rock formations.

KF: 4 sec.


[00:15:40][00:22:36]

Again, the UFO can be seen a while longer.

KF: 2 sec.


[00:19:20][00:26:18]

The lighthouse keeper Larry stands longer in front of the door, afterwards you can see his wife Diane earlier.

KF: 5 sec.


[00:21:33][00:28:36]

McCarey says he answers the questions as well as possible but doesn't have much time. McCarey tells the general that the F-16 disappeared all of a sudden when the UFO showed up. It was possible to follow the UFO's route to Pershing Island. McCarey says that the UFO is being observed on the radar but due to the radiation it is not possible to send an airplane to the island. He explains to another general that Larry and Diane are on the island and that two divers may also be near the island. So far they have not been able to find out who the divers are. A contact to the island or a rescue attempt was unsuccessful, because the radiation of the UFO could cause this. McCarey tells Major Wallace that he doesn't know why this is happening. McCarey explains that there have been two sightings of UFOs in the last 6 months and in one case a family has disappeared. By sealing off the island, he suspects that the UFOs are taking human samples. He also thinks the aliens don't understand how fragile the human body is. The soldiers and McCarey agree that none of this should be made public, otherwise panic could break out. McCarey wants to keep the soldiers up to date.

KF: 3:43 min.


[00:23:12][00:33:58]

Larry and Diane are a bit earlier to see.

KF: 2 sec.


[00:24:18][00:35:06]

Larry and Diane watch the UFO slowly take off.

KF: 13 sec.


[00:24:22][00:35:23]

Larry and Diane get lifted up by the UFO.

Cut to the two divers.

Then you see the coast without Larry and Diane.

KF: 1:18 min.


[00:24:38][00:36:57]

The DC shows the coast without Larry and Diane, then it fades over to the boat.

In the KF the coast is to be seen longer and afterwards the divers.

Diane regains consciousness and gets up. She discovers the burning body of Larry.

McCarey gets a status report from a soldier. He tells Mason that there was an explosion on the island. He suspects that no one on the island could have survived the explosion. The soldier tells him that the energy field still exists. In an hour, the images that Mason wants to show to the congress will be available.

After all, you can see the boat a bit earlier.

DC: 6 sec.
KF: 2:21 min.


[00:26:01][00:40:35]

The two men run towards the house a bit longer.

KF: 6 sec.


[00:29:25][00:44:05]

Diane is carried into the house by the two men.

KF: 5 sec.


[00:29:54][00:44:39]

Vic's been around longer, than he's putting the phone down.

KF: 2 sec.


[00:31:31][00:46:18]

Paul is a little longer to see. The next shot starts a bit earlier.

KF: 3 sec.


[00:31:36][00:46:25]

The DC shows Paul's scene, which was earlier seen in the KF.

In KF, Vic's at the door longer. He says that no rescue team will be sent before tomorrow morning.

DC: 2 sec.
KF: 5 sec.