Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)

A spoof 1950s science fiction movie, interspersed with various comedy sketches concerning late night television.

Directors:

Joe Dante, Carl Gottlieb

Writers:

Michael Barrie, Jim Mulholland

Stars:

Rosanna Arquette, Michelle Pfeiffer, Arsenio Hall

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arsenio Hall	...	Apartment Victim (segment "Mondo Condo") (as Arsenio)
Donald F. Muhich	...	Easterbrook (segment "Pethouse Video") (as Donald Muhich)
Monique Gabrielle	...	Taryn Steele (segment "Pethouse Video")
Lou Jacobi	...	Murray (segment "Murray in Videoland")
Erica Yohn	...	Selma (segment "Murray in Videoland")
Debby Davison	...	Weatherperson (segment "Murray in Videoland") (as Debbie Davison)
Rob Krausz	...	Floor Manager (segment "Murray in Videoland")
Phil Hartman	...	Baseball Announcer (segment "Murray in Videoland") (voice)
Corey Burton	...	Anchorman (segment "Murray in Videoland") / TV Announcer (segment "Amazon Women on the Moon") / Announcer (segment "Silly Pate") (voice)
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Brenda Landers (segment "Hospital")
Peter Horton	...	Harry Landers (segment "Hospital")
Griffin Dunne	...	Doctor (segment "Hospital")
Brian Ann Zoccola	...	Nurse (segment "Hospital")
Joe Pantoliano	...	Sy Swerdlow (segment "Hairlooming")
Stanley Brock	...	Customer (segment "Hairlooming")

Storyline

A series of short sketches, most of which parody late-night television and the low-budget movies one often finds there. Other skits include a man being attacked by his apartment, a funeral hosted by classic comedians, and a teen-age boy's big night turning into a nightmare.

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Plot Keywords:

topless female nudity | blonde | scantily clad female | voyeurism | voyeur | 

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Taglines:

If you like women, astronauts, and you are from South America, then you will love "Amazon Women on the Moon". See amazing thrills, spine-tingling chills, and something else that rhymes with "thrills". You can do much worse than to see "Amazon Women on the Moon".

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amazon Women on the Moon

Filming Locations:

Raleigh Studios - 5300 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$548,696

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

All of the real-life movies, seen in the treasure trove of home video cassettes in the "Video Pirates" segments, were titles from Universal Pictures, who released this movie.

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Goofs

In the "Mondo Condo" segment, while Arsenio Hall is struggling to get his necktie out of the garbage disposal unit, he knocks over the beer can. But in the next shot, the beer can is still on the counter.

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Quotes

[the Pethouse Girl tells about her life]
Taryn Steele: I have grown so much since then. I can't hardly believe it's me. I am a beach person and a night person. I'm really sorry for everybody who doesn't live in California, because we got it all, the mountains, the sun.

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Crazy Credits

Samuel L. Bronkowitz is thanked. This is another reference to the film producer in The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977).

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Alternate Versions

European TV versions include the original 'Pethouse Video' scene.

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Connections

References Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

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Soundtracks

If This Is It
Performed by Huey Lewis & The News (as Huey Lewis and The News)
Courtesy Chrysalis Records, Inc. ® & © 1983
Written by Johnny Colla (as J. Colla) / Huey Lewis (as H. Lewis)

User Reviews

Kentucky Fried Movie-Redux

I'm sure this is the last time we will see this kind of Cuisinart comedy collection directed by, at the time (1987), some of the cinema's top comedy directors. And that's a shame. Because "Amazon Women On The Moon", although not perfect by any cinematic measuring stick, represents a small victory for loopy, silly comedy anarchy. Look at this line up of comedy vets: John Landis ("The Blues Brothers", "Trading Places", "Animal House" among so many others), Joe Dante ("Gremlins", "Innerspace", "Matinee"), Robert Weiss (TV's "Police Squad!"), Carl Gottlieb (co-writer of "Jaws" AND "The Jerk") as well as newby Peter Horton (of "thirtysomething" fame).

This anthology features some real groaners to be sure, but surprisingly hits more times, and with more genuine laughs, than would be expected. Cobbled together as a de facto follow up to Landis's 1977's "Kentucky Fried Movie" (the picture that boasted the first unspooling of the Zucker-Abraham-Zucker genius that would soon launch "Airplane!" three years later) on a low-low indie budget way outside his usual 80's big-budget Universal stomping ground, "Amazon Women..." manages to both successfully surpass AND fail to reach the dizzy, laff-a-minute, rat-a-tat-tat of the 70's midnight circuit fave.

This picture has several clinkers of flat comedy (Landis's opener nearly stops the film dead with the always-unfunny Arsenio Hall), but hits with so many other vignettes that it's easy to get into the groove of this short-but-sweet skewer of 80's late-late-night TV. The standout segments in this comedic buffet are abundant, but the best of them belong to Dante, Weiss & Gottlieb: the Universal-International "Invisible Man" short with Ed Begley Jr.; his hilarious run at the Leonard Nimoy "In Search Of" chestnut as "Bullshit Or Not?" with pitch-perfect host Henry Silva; the stay-for-the-end-credits 1930's "Reefer Madness" health scare jewel starring the late, great Paul Bartel and Carrie Fisher; or the crossed-circuit tributes to BOTH the "Siskel & Ebert" show AND the old Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, featuring a dream cast of vaudeville and 50's Vegas comics that has to be seen to be believed.

Landis's standouts include a "no soul" infomercial featuring David Alan Grier and BB King, a funny hospital sketch featuring Landis players Griffin ("American Werewolf") Dunne and Michelle ("Into The Night") Pfeiffer (!) and a respectful nod to the earlier "Kentucky Fried Movie" wrap-up featuring an interactive video that stars Marc McClure, "UltraVixens" cult director Russ Meyer and Andrew Dice Clay. Highest marks, though, go to the running-gag "Amazon Women On The Moon", which lovingly - hilariously - mocks everything from "This Island Earth" to "Robot Monster" complete with film splices and gorgeous, over-saturated Eastmancolor.

If you have ever loved crappy TV, the Universal Studios backlot or any of the directors who have contributed to this dog's breakfast of SNL-inspired skits (written by two ex Carson-era "Tonight Show" writers), take a look at this one. Plus, it's only 85 minutes of your life that you'll never get back. Bullshit, or not.