This was supposed to be John Lovitz's breakout film and why it wasn't is anybody's guess. What you have here is a hilarious screwball comedy adaptation of Flash Gordon where suburban Mom and Dad are kidnapped and hauled to the alien planet...in their station wagon (a primitive form of SUV). Teri Garr and Jeff Jones as the "folks" give their usual great performances (really, neither has ever done anything less than a first rate job in any movie) and Lovitz is sensational as Emperor Todd. Plenty of good additional cast members and highly imaginative costumes and sets add to the entertainment.
The level of comedy is great. A favorite moment in this film (and a favorite film moment altogether) is when the family station wagon--zipping through space pulled by a magnetic beam--passes the planet Saturn and "mom" takes a Kodak photo of it using the flash. That's a joke that's subtler than it looks and this sort of slapstick/thoughtful (and plenty of satire) runs through the whole movie. It's dopey but it's smart dopey.
They've resurrected the brilliant, stunning, wondrous, amazing "Freaked!" from this era (Oh, don't we long for those good old days--late Eighties to late Nineties!) and the DVD of that should go right to the top of any comedy lover's want list. It's time to get this fun film back in circulation because we sure as heck need good laughs these days!
STUPID AND SMART at the same time
This was another obscure movie that I was lucky enough to catch in theaters on its orignal release. I was drawn by the sheer goofiness of the title and the cast.
The concept is simple. Stupid Aliens vs Humans of Average Intelligence. The execution is what makes or breaks a movie, and this one is surpsingly well done. The sets and props are bizarre, intentionally so. This is a universe where even the blasters shoot squiggly lasers.
The writing is uproariously dumb but witty and sophisticated at the same time. I know lots of people think these qualities are mutually exclusive, but great comedy (even broad comedy) requires a deft touch to work. It's hard to explain, since this movie dwells so far in absurdity, but when the smarts are missing, it shows. Just check out pretty much any film by Shaun and Marlon Wayans for a painful example. And if you love the Wayans, don't bother with this film. There's not nearly enough fart jokes for you.
My biggest pleasure is finally seeing Jeffrey Jones in a starring part. He's a talented actor who otherwise plays strong supporting roles. You'll recognize him, even if you don't know his name.
Check it out and laugh at some inspired ridiculousness.
If you want to laugh, you have to see this!
I am so happy it's coming out on DvD as my tape copy is soooo worn out. Most of the review folks go over the plot well, but all fail to mention so far, the role by Kathy Ireland, and you never ever suspect it's her until she takes off the bird helmet... omg I laugh so hard each time I see it. The Flash Grenade scene is worth it all by itself even if the rest of the movie was poo even though it wasn't. Not to mention, the aliens being so freaking stupid that even the lasers come out of the laser guns crooked cause they don't know how to make them shoot straight lasers... hahahaha!
It tickles your funny bones if your looking for a Comedy. Thinking it's something else will get you very disappointed. Very funny stuff. Very funny!
Long before Pleasantville, this 1992 comedy featured a family taking its problems out of the real world and into the loopy fictions of television entertainment. John Ritter and Pam Dawber star as Roy and Helen Knable, a suburban couple with a host of marital problems, most of which have to do with Roy's couch-potato attachment to his TV's remote control. Things take a hellish turn when the devilish Spike (Jeffrey Jones) turns up at the Knable house offering Roy a great deal on the ultimate satellite-TV system.
Surprise, surprise: The contract signed by the less-than-cautious Roy actually requires a one-time payment of his soul. He and Helen find themselves sucked into their own television set, where they are kept on the run through such monstrous fare as "I Love... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): John Ritter - Pam Dawber - Jeffrey Jones Director(s): Peter Hyams DVD Release Date: Released the 03 February 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
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The amiable sci-fi spoof The Ice Pirates has earned a small but vocal cadre of admirers thanks to its go-for-broke gags and a healthy disrespect for outer space epics like the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises. An atypically goofy Robert Urich stars as the leader of a band of space pirates who kidnap a princess (Mary Crosby of Dallas fame), and then join her quest to find a mythical planet that can solve the universe’s water shortage. A completely game (shameless?) cast (which includes Anjelica Huston in fetching leather gear, Ron Perlman, John Matuszak, and fantastic film icon John Carradine) and Stewart (The Philadelphia Experiment) and Raffill’s breezy direction help sell the funniest bits (most notably, the notorious "space herpy" scene,... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Stewart Raffill DVD Release Date: Released the 15 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This somewhat more cohesive follow-up to The Addams Family has the same director, Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black), but a better story line. Joan Cusack plays a busty gold digger who ingratiates herself into the Addams home and convinces Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) that she wants to marry him. Besides Lloyd, the cast includes Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia, ideal as those Brontëan lovers, Morticia and Gomez. But Christina Ricci again walks away with the best moments as the chilly Wednesday Addams, making life miserable for two camp counselors (Peter MacNicol and Christine Baranski) who want her to fit in with other kids.--Tom KeoghMore Info about this DVD Actor(s): Anjelica Huston - Raul Julia - Christopher Lloyd Director(s): Barry Sonnenfeld DVD Release Date: Released the 22 February 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This movie is not for everyone, it really comes out of left field with a bizarre plot, but it is very endearing if you just roll with the basic premise and slapstick humor. There is some pretty funny/clever physics "lessons" built in, as well as some good historical humor.
This movie deserved way better treatment on DVD (from Warner Bros. no less!). To be released at all, due to its aforementioned "cult" status is good, but the picture quality is noticably lacking... when watched on a laptop! I've seen DIVX rips of movies that look better than this. Honestly.
The entire disc is barely passable. The only thing this has over a VHS copy is that is in anamoprhic widescreen, and that it has the original trailer for the movie. If you like the movie, you obviously should... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Yahoo Serious - Odile Le Clezio - John Howard (II) Director(s): Yahoo Serious DVD Release Date: Released the 15 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Despite a warning sticker on the front of the box claiming it is "uncensored", this is the exact footage shown on the sci fi channel. All the f-words are bleeped out, any time we had blurring on the screen, it's blurred here.
The only difference is you don't have the scifi logo in the bottom of the screen and no commercials.
There is NO new content, and every episode IS censored. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Stephen Root DVD Release Date: Released the 25 October 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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