Director: Jim Wynorski
Cast: Traci Lords, Arthur Roberts, Lenny Juliano
Production Company: Miracle Pictures
Runtime: 81 minutes
Not of This Earth (1988) was produced by Roger Corman, the master of independent cinema. It was directed by Jim Wynorski, who also made Chopping Mall (1986) and The Return of Swamp Thing (1989). Together, they make this film a textbook example of independent filmmaking…
In the movie, an alien being comes to Earth looking to collect human blood. The alien (Arthur Roberts) goes by the name Mr. Johnson, and appears to be human. Nadine (Traci Lords) is a nurse charged with taking care of Mr. Johnson’s blood transfusions before learning the truth.
There’s a highly entertaining montage at the beginning of the movie consisting of footage from The Sky Calls (1959), Piranha (1978), Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), Galaxy of Terror (1981), and Forbidden World (1982). Of course, they’re all Roger Corman movies!
The movie goes so far as to completely recycle Lynn Theel’s moments from Humanoids from the Deep (1980), and the slasher scene from Hollywood Boulevard (1976). That’s certainly one way to keep the budget under control!
The supporting cast is loaded with familiar indie faces. We get Becky LeBeau from Dinosaur Island (1994), Ace Mask from Ghoulies IV (1994), Lenny Juliano from The Bare Wench Project (2000), and Monique Gabrielle from Amazon Women on the Moon (1987).
This film is a pretty faithful remake of Not of This Earth (1957), which was directed by Roger Corman himself. Wynorski and Corman had a bet that this new film couldn’t be made in fewer days than the original. Wynorski won the wager, finishing his film in under twelve days.
Not of This Earth is a very entertaining independent film. It’s a comedic remake with tons of nudity, freaky aliens, cheesy effects, and a crazy techno soundtrack. The fact that it’s also Traci Lords’ first mainstream movie is just icing on the unearthly cake.
– John Migliore
For more information on the film, check out the links below…
Indie Horror Online 