Hollywood films can be based on anything, but really few of them are based on novelty songs. One of such rare examples is Earth Girls Are Easy, 1988 science fiction musical comedy, directed by Julien Temple and based on the eponymous song by comic actress Julie Brown. The plot, based on Brown’s script, is set in Southern California. Protagonist, played by Geena Davis, is Valerie Gall, manicurist who is about to marry her boyfriend, Dr. Ted Gallagher (played by Charles Rocket). The marriage is called off after she catches Ted with a nurse, but her new life as a single gets unexpectedly interesting when a spaceship lands in her pool. Three of its occupants are furry humanoid aliens – Mac (played by Jeff Goldblum), Wiploc (played by Jim Carrey) and Zeebo (played by Damon Wayans) – who came to Earth attracted by television signals featuring women. While she awaits pool to be drained, she befriends her new strange guests and tries to help them make their way in human society. She brings them to her friend Candy Pink (played by Julie Brown) who has them made to look human and after that they go to party in Los Angeles nightclubs. Valerie gradually falls in love in Mac, but, in the meantime, Ted gets determined to win her back.
Julie Brown’s script is not exactly deep, thoughtful or original and the quality of humour, especially in the second part, leaves much to be desired. However, the lightness of the material seems to be tailor-made for Julien Temple, British director best known for his work on MTV videos (and over-ambitious musical Absolute Beginners made few years earlier). He uses it as an opportunity to experiment with all kinds of styles and iconographies, mixing 1950s science fiction with 1960s beach party films and 1980s fashions and popular culture. Music, on the other hand, is far from being memorable and many song-and-dance number often look distracting. Cast is good, especially Geena Davis in potentially thankless role during which she has to play stereotypical Valley Girl; her performance is charming, especially in the scenes where she appears in bikini (and the film turns for the worse when she puts more clothes on). She easily overshadows not only film’s author Julie Brown, but her husband Jeff Goldblum with whom she nevertheless has good chemistry. Jim Carey and Damon Wayans, who would later have build their careers as comic stars, are good in the roles of “fish out of water” aliens. Michael McKean also makes unusual appearance in role of stereotypical surfer dude. The critics weren’t happy with the film and the audience was even less understanding, resulting in major box office fiasco that would lead to the end of Vestron Pictures, one of the minor 1980s Hollywood studios. Although ultimately watchable and passably entertaining, Earth Girls Are Easy would hardly convince today’s audience that such fate was completely undeserved.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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Right off the bat we need to talk about the estimated budget. $10 million dollars. It's hard to imagine what this budget went towards. The bloated budget of this movie certainly didn't go towards the special effects. I would never accuse anyone of a crime without proof, but it is easy to imagine someone snorting half the budget of this movie through a straw if you catch my drift. [At least, that is the level of quality].
The costumes and makeup are horrible. It looks like blackface, but aliens. And they are wearing modified bike helmets basically with color dyed fur suits.
Fun fact: This is the most 80s-esque movie of all time. From the music to the wardrobes, the cars and the appliances. [Think a b52 album]. This movie makes a lot more sense if you think of it as a sort of spoof of 80s sci fi. I'm not sure if it's intentionally a spoof, although it is clearly a comedy. I should also mention Earth Girls Are Easy is a musical. A musical sci-fi comedy.
The singing, dancing and music in this movie is pretty amateurish, bordering on awful. If you love musicals, you don't exactly need to put this movie onto your "must watch" list. The singing is especially bad. It's very safe and obviously made to be easy to sing. The songs also aren't funny. There's a reason most musicals are dramas. It's sort of a confusing genre cross-over.
After a stunning makeover of Greena Davis [playing Valerie], we are revealed to the fact that her husband is cheating on her. The dramatic acting is pretty good in this movie. The problem is, it's basically the only climax/dramatic scene in the entire movie. [And trust me, this movie could use some drama].
There are some REALLY bad jokes/sight gags in this movie: Like this scene where Valerie lists all the things she bought to turn on her man [hotdog slices, sushi, "motion lotion"]. These are bottom of the barrel stock jokes. These are the scenes that make me question the $10M estimated budget. They certainly didn't put millions of dollars into the writing department. Some of these jokes are ... yikes!
The cinematography is the best part of the movie. There is quality lighting and camera work. There are some really clever shots like when "Dr. Love [the cheating husband] reveals himself and his stethoscope is dangling down.
There are a few jokes in the movie that are funny, like this scene after the big break up where Valerie is watching a television show about a pair of cheaters. The women on tv asks, "what about your wife?" The man says "she's in a coma" and they starting making out and fall on the wife in the coma who wakes up. Then the guy pulls her chord and she dies. Valerie flips the tv off and says "you weasel dick!" while she is crying. It's a very funny scene.
Again, nothing about this movie exactly screams 10 million dollar budget. All the alien scenes have laughable sets and effects. You also get a "one and done" feeling from the actors here. To be fair, a lot of energy probably went into them not laughing. Seriously though, look at that ungodly set. Are those plastic cone lights? And is one of them knocked over?
There are some borderline pervy eye candy shots of Greena Davis, but it is integral to the plot. The whole movie has a "monster from the woods wants to capture the beautiful woman" theme. Of course, it's also a cheap selling point.
