Director – Julien Temple (Absolute Beginners, The Comic Strip)
Starring – Geena Davis (The Fly, A League of Their Own), Jeff Goldblum (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Transylvania 6-5000) and Julie Brown (Clueless, Six Feet Under)
Release Date – 1988
Rating – 3.5/5
Blu Review – 3.5/5
When I was younger, I’m talking high school years, I was snagging each and every DVD horror and sci-fi set I could find. I loved seeing the random collection of films I had never seen or heard of before. The quality of these films were shit due to so many films being crammed onto one disc but it was still a cool experience to marathon them in their VHS like quality.
One of those films was the 1989 sci-fi musical Earth Girls are Easy starring Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, and Damon Wayans. I liked it but I would be lying if I said it was among my favorite films. I liked the look, style, and writing of the film but it’s one I can’t bring myself to watch over and over again. When Vestron Video announced that the film was getting a blu release I decided it was the perfect excuse to revisit this film that I had not seen for damn near twenty years especially for the price of their releases.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a woman who finds herself engaged to a man who can’t get it up for her. Sexually frustrated and questioning her marriage, she tries to surprise him at his home with a make-over but catches him cheating. She kicks him out and the next day finds three fur covered aliens that has crashed in her pool. While she struggles with the emotions of discovering the man you love is cheating on your, she also comes to the realization that she may love these strangers from another world more than her former fiancé. **Spoiler Alert**
Earth Girls are Easy is not a movie that is story rich or unique. It is a lot of fun and the visual style is something that makes it stand out from the crowd, but the lack of interesting story does hold it back from what it could have been. It’s one of those films that is a lot of fun for a first time watch or a revisit every couple of years, but it doesn’t really have that much of a replay value which would explain why you never really hear people talk about the film. Sure, fans mention it when it’s brought up but it’s never the center of attention from movie goers.
The acting in this one is a lot of fun. The cast is amazing, and the characters make the film what it is to me. I couldn’t imagine this film if just one character was cast differently. The story for this one blends musical, sci-fi, comedy, and romance into something that is fully submerged in it’s decade. I could live without the musical aspect and the random dancing scene, but the remainder of the story is pretty fun if you like late 80s comedies. The scenes do tend to drag on at times and the romance angle does feel forced, but the sci-fi and comedy aspect of the film really works in my opinion.
Finally, I love the look and style of the film. We don’t get any blood or anything of the sort but we get some fun locations and sets along with some corny yet fun make-up effects. Overall, Earth Girls are Easy is a classic late 90s comedy but it’s not making anyone’s top ten lists. Fans and collectors alike should snag this release from Vestron.
Special Features:
AUDIO COMMENTARY with Actress and Cowriter Julie Brown
INTERVIEWS:
“The Musical Man” — An Interview with Director Julien Temple
“Candy Time!” — An Interview with Actress and Cowriter Julie Brown
“Views of the Valley” — Interviews with Director of Photography Oliver Stapleton and Production Designer Dennis Gassner
“Aliens in L.A.” — An Interview with Special Make-Up Supervisor Robert Clark
FEATURETTE: “Earth Girls Karaoke!”
VINTAGE INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR CHARLES ROCKET
VINTAGE PREMIERE NIGHT PROMO
BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE
DELETED SCENES & OUTTAKES
THEATRICAL TRAILERS
TV SPOTS
RADIO SPOTS
STILL GALLERY
STORYBOARD GALLERY
