For those of you who didn't have the Comedy Channel back in the early 90's, take a good look at that cast list. Now wonder why this is the first you have heard of this movie.

After Birdemic 2, I had a contingency plan in place. I knew that any movie that I watched would look like absolute gold in comparison, unless the film in question was an unholy abomination that no one in their right mind could ever, or would ever, enjoy. Sort of like recalabrating my hate sensors. To that end, I sat down with Netflix to watch "Drop Dead Fred," thinking that there was no one who has ever enjoyed that piece of garbage, so why not?

You know why not? Because I sat thru "Drop Dead Fred" once before, that is one too many times. Screw that noise.

Instead I found myself face to face with a movie I hadn't seen in... Jesus...20 years or so, "Earth Girls Are Easy." The last time I saw it was probably the last time any of you saw it, which was the whole summer that the newly minted Comedy Channel chose to air it 24 hours a day/ seven days a week for several months straight. That is only slightly hyperbolic, as I am pretty sure it was played several times a day for an entire summer. Because it was either that or Stand Up/Stand Up or MST3K, and there is only so much one can take of Laura Kightlinger and for some reason they only played MST3K in it's regularly scheduled time slot.

In looking for an image for Stand Up/Stand Up I literally made the internet do this to me.

Looking back at the movie, however, one giant thing stands out: sweet muffins look at that cast. Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, Jeff "Peaches" Goldblum and late 80's Geena Davis. At some point in early to late '87 a casting director ascended the levels of mortal abilities and became a casting god. Sure, the casting may seem like a great idea now, but lets take a look back at what these men were known for back when they would have been cast in "Earth Girls"

Jim Carrey:
Prior to '87 Carrey was known primarily as a stand up comedian, but had landed roles in a few, terrible movies ("Once Bitten") and had lead roll in "Duck Soup," a Canadian sitcom so bad the even the Comedy Channel would only show it once a day.

Damon Wayans
Had a huge role in Beverly Hills Cop as "Banana Man"...also a roll in "Colors" at "T-Bone." OK just a stand up guy at this point.

Jeff Goldblum
OK, actually Mr. Goldblum had done quite a bit of stuff prior to this, including a role in the greatest movie ever made, "Buckaroo Bonzai".

Gina Davis
Mostly TV work until the mid 80's when she teamed up with a (puts on reading glasses) Mr. Jeff Goldblum for Transylvania 6-500 and The Fly. So yes, for those of you playing at home, Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum were in three movies together from 1985 to 1988. Also, if I am remembering correctly, the two were married. So there's that too. Guess those two were a package deal, but you could do a lot worse than having the oddness of Mr. Goldblum and the 24 foot legs of Geena Davis together in the same movie.

Julie Brown
I love Julie Brown. So much. Er...I mean...um... Julie Brown prior to this, and after this, mostly worked comedy, producing comedy music gems such as "The Homecoming Queen's Gotta Gun" and "I Like 'Em Stupid". Also, disregard how this one started hehe..um..sooo...sports.

So, in essence, several years before In Living Color, someone, seemingly at random, pegged two of the biggest stars to come out of the show, which is pretty dern amazing when you get right down to it, and totally explains why The Comedy Channel liked running it every moment of every day.

The movie (which was written by Julie Brown as an outlet, I think, to play a ton of her songs at random times, follows a young nail stylist (Davis) who's fiance just is all about the whole adultery thing. Davis, upon catching her soon to be hubby and a nurse, throws the bugger out and trashes his stuff, all while wearing a corset, which again, 80's Geena Davis, so good times.

The next morn, while sunbathing, a random art deco spaceship comes crashing down in her pool. Out pop some adult telletubies, played by Carrey, Wayans and Goldblum.

Must...not...make...Robin Williams....joke....

Since it will take a whole day to drain the pool, so the aliens can go home, Davis takes them to her work, to get...waxed or something to look more human. Turns out they look just fine once they are shaved, and they adapt to the 80's California party scene with no problems. Davis falls in love with Goldblum, and from there the movie is played as a pretty typical romantic comedy with aliens in it. The fiance tries to get Davis back, but she chooses Goldblum, and everyone lives happily ever after.

While it does turn into pretty standard fare towards the end, the beginning does work far better than it sould, with the aliens (still hairy) pining for women, any women, on their ship. And really, when you get right down to it, why wouldn't they be crazy horny, they are on some long space voyage with just three...guys? Can aliens de described as guys? The movie lets us know that at least anatomicly they can be, but still, maybe on the planet they are from the women have the guy parts and Geena Davis is now an alien lesbian...which is totally a band name someone can use, that's a freebie.

Actually, if I had to pick one problem I had with the movie, which is kind of hard, as it is surprisingly good, it is that it is not weird enough. When you have a movie with three aliens trying to adapt to 80's America, and have the physical comedy abilities of Carrey and Wayans, and you have a love story between a woman and an alien, nothing should be status quo. Especially when Julie Brown is at the helm, a woman who has a wonderfully dark and twisted sense of humor. I am wondering how much of the movie had to be altered to fit into the view of investors, as, from time to time, you can sort of see where the movie wanted to go (a very trippy dream sequence), but those moments are too few and far between to truly make a difference. What you are left with is a perfectly fine comedy, quite funny at parts and with few cringe worthy 80's moments. All in all, if you have a lazy afternoon to waste, or come in contact with a time machine and find yourself back in the summer of '92 with a basic cable subscription, "Earth Girls Are Easy" is a pretty good way to kill some time. With a little darker skew it could have been great, but as it is, it still is very fun and entertaining.


Also, seriously, just look at that cast and imagine how much it would cost today (well, how much Jim Carrey would cost today anyway).

Rating B-



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