Friday, June 13, 2014

Morons from Outer Space (1985)

Director: Mike Hodges

Writers: Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith

Composer: Peter Brewis

Starring: Joanne Pearce, Jimmy Nail, Paul Bown, James Sikking, Dinsdale Landen, Tristram Jellinek, George Innes, Mel Smith, Griff Rhys Jones, John Joyce, Mark Lewis Jones, Leonard Fenton, Andre Maranne, Moanna Dickens

More info: IMDb

Tagline: An incredible saga or love & hate that spans an entire universe.

Plot: Four holiday travelers from the planet Blob have somehow lost control of their rented spaceship and crash-landed on Earth. At first, the military and scientific teams assume they are higher life forms. But not for long. Idiocy is hard to hide. The stranded wayfarers are complete morons, content to drink their green beer, sing ear-splitting pop songs and talk to trash cans, which they assume are the planet's leaders. But not until an enterprising journalist decides to market their dazed innocence and turn them into glitzy superstars do they find their true mission to Earth.



My rating: 5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

It looks like they got shafted on the poster art.  It's interesting that this is from the same director as GET CARTER (1971), FLASH GORDON (1980) and CROUPIER (1998).  It's a silly and moronic film that's amusing every once in a while.  I probably laughed a couple of times.  The CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) gag with the organ was hilarious but that's about it.  The comedy is rather playful and fun and I can easily see how it can appeal to folks. Being a British film helps.  George Innes (as Stanley) took the cake for me.  He was great.  I'd swear I've seen him before but I couldn't find anything in his extensive credits that I recognize him from.  Maybe SHINER (2000) which I saw recently.  It could also be that he looks and sounds like Topol from the early 80s.  For the most part the film just kind of sat there, going through the motions for laughs only I didn't find it all that funny.  It's silly and harmless and that's about it.

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