His career as a filmmaker began with screenplays for the independent feature "Strange Behavior" (1981), an homage to the pulp horror films of the 1950s, and the science-fiction feature "Strange Invaders" (1983), which starred Nancy Allen and Wallace Shawn. It depicted present-day encounters with extraterrestrials who have been living in Illinois since 1958, when they entered into a secret pact with the Eisenhower administration. His directorial debut was "Sister, Sister" (1987), an eerie Southern Gothic mystery starring Eric Stoltz and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Test screenings led to major changes to the film, which still proved a critical failure that set back Condon's career.