Roger Corman Presents Alien Avengers
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Cast: Christopher Brown, Shanna Reed, George Wendt, Anastasia Sakelaris, Stephen Burrows, Dan Martin, Nils Allen Stewart, Edafe Blackmon, Troy Beyer, Faith Salie, Anthony Crivello, Gretchen Palmer, Michael Colyar, Joe Rey, Matt Gallin, Anthony Anderson, Lance August, Steve Kehela, Heath Mattioli, James Cardriche, Jeffrey Scott Jensen, Gary Morgan , Christina Solis, Michael Pagan, Robert Alan Beuth, John Crane, Jeremy Pack, George Wilkerson, Kathy Hazzard, Manny Fernandez, Tim Haldeman, Cecile Krevoy, Julianna McCarthy. Space visitors on a burlesque "Death Wish" mission drop in on an innocent human to do a little street-cleaning in "Alien Avengers." Impersonated by George Wendt and Shanna Reed, Charlie and Rhonda stem from some dreadful place where folks bleed green goo and sport fiendish humor; trouble is, the initially funny visitors stay too long in this "Roger Corman Presents" installment.
TX: TX:Filmed in Los Angeles by Concorde New Horizons and Showtime Inc. Executive producer, Roger Corman; producer, Michael Amato; co-producers, Darin Spillman, Frances Doel; director, Lev L. Spiro; writer, Michael James MacDonald; Dressed like the tourists they are, they do over the old house in no time. But they also commit murder; along with their flashy personalities, Charlie and Rhonda have outre ethics. Sparkling Rhonda, who takes photos of their grotesqueries with her ever-ready flash camera, spouts vulgarities among her quips as she tries cheering up Joseph, while Charlie goes along with her whims and fancies.
She and Charlie are into exploring slums, where they seek out lowlifes whom they antagonize and kill. And bring home portions of for meat sandwiches.
Joseph's not aware of any of this yet. Daphne's dizzying folks urge him to take their daughter, who seems to be a vegetarian, to dinner and romance her, which leads to an encounter with bullying drug dealer Jamaal (Edafe Blackmon), who pays dearly for his manners.
Under Lev L. Spiro's forced direction, Michael James MacDonald's teleplay, which strives for originality, depends too much on pre-adolescent gags -- and gagging. Representative serving: Rhonda, after decapitating a bum, snaps a pic of the severed head and gleefully proclaims: "Great head shot!"
The humor's obvious, the lingo crude, the situations mostly lame. While MacDonald has neatly set up his premise and created attention-getting main characters, his script bogs down among the excesses; the windup's a letdown.
Brown's harassed Joseph is admirably restrained, and Reed's glittering version of an imported American housewife succeeds beyond expectations and material. She and Wendt, who performs merrily, make a good goofy couple. Sakelaris, baring her bosom for this one, does well enough as the peculiar Daphne.
The silliness palls early on, the wit withers. But MacDonald, Spiro and Co. at least get points for trying something eccentric, even if it plays like a vaude turn.
Jayme Bohn's costumes are, er, fitting. Tech credits are OK.
Camera, Chris Baffa; editor, Dan Holland; production designer, Robert E. Lee; art director, Michelle Cox; costume designer, Jayme Bohn; sound, Bill Robbins; music , Taylor Bates; casting, Jan Glaser.
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