''Amazon Women on the Moon'' is a 1987 American

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...

that parodies the experience of watching low-budget films on late-night television. The film, featuring a large

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to ...

including cameo appearances from film and TV stars and even non-actors, was written by Michael Barrie and Jim Mulholland, and takes the form of a compilation of 21 comedy skits directed by five different directors:

Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably ''Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix 1950s-style B movies wit ...

, Carl Gottlieb, Peter Horton, John Landis, and

Robert K. Weiss Robert K. Weiss is an American film and television producer. His productions include films by director John Landis, producer Lorne Michaels, and the " Z. A. Z." team of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker. He also co-created the science- ...

. The title ''Amazon Women on the Moon'' refers to the central film-within-a-film, a spoof of science-fiction films from the 1950s that borrows heavily from '' Queen of Outer Space'' (1958) starring Zsa Zsa Gabor, itself a film that recycles elements of earlier science-fiction works such as '' Cat-Women of the Moon'' (1953), '' Fire Maidens from Outer Space'' (1955), and '' Forbidden Planet'' (1956). John Landis had previously directed '' The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), which employed a similar sketch anthology format.

Plot

Fictional television station WIDB-TV (channel 8) experiences problems with its late-night airing of science-fiction classic ''Amazon Women on the Moon'', a 1950s

B movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

in which Queen Lara (Sybil Danning) and Captain Nelson (Steve Forrest) battle exploding volcanoes and man-eating spiders on the Moon. Waiting for the film to resume, an unseen viewer begins

channel surfing Channel surfing (also known as channel hopping or zapping) is the practice of quickly scanning through different television channels or radio frequencies to find something interesting to watch or listen to. Modern viewers, who may have cable ...

—simulated by bursts of white noise—through late night cable, with the various segments and sketches of the film representing the programming found on different channels. The viewer intermittently returns to channel 8, where ''Amazon Women'' continues airing before faltering once more. These segments feature: * Arsenio Hall as a man who nearly kills himself in a series of mishaps around his apartment; * Monique Gabrielle as a model who goes about her daily routine in Laguna, California, completely naked; * Lou Jacobi as a man named Murray, zapped into the television, wandering throughout sketches looking for his wife; *

Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose List of Michelle Pfeiffer performances, screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and ...

and Peter Horton as a young couple having trouble with eccentric doctor Griffin Dunne delivering and then concealing their newborn baby; * Joe Pantoliano as the presenter of a commercial recommending stapling carpet to a bald head as a hair loss prevention measure; *

David Alan Grier David Alan Grier (born June 30, 1956) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as Bernard on '' Damon'' (1998), as David Bellows on ''Life with Bonnie'' (2002–2004), as Joe Carmichael on ''The Carmichael Show'' (2015� ...

and B.B. King in a public-service appeal for "blacks without soul" featuring "Don 'No Soul' Simmons"; * Rosanna Arquette as a young woman on a blind date, employing unusual methods of investigation to reveal the qualifications of Steve Guttenberg; * Henry Silva as the host of a show entitled ''Bullshit or Not?'', clearly intended as a spoof of ''

Ripley's Believe It or Not! ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' feat ...

'' with Jack Palance and '' In Search of...''; *

Archie Hahn Charles Archibald Hahn (September 14, 1880 – January 21, 1955) was an American track athlete and is widely regarded as one of the best sprinters of the early 20th century. He is the first athlete to win both the 100m and 200m race at the same ...

as a man who dies after being mauled (by Roger Barkley and

Al Lohman Al Lohman (January 15, 1933, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa – October 14, 2002, Rancho Mirage, California) was a personality and comedian with a long career in American radio from the 1950s through the 1980s and into the 1990s. Among his early career sto ...

, mimicking

Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune''. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his d ...

and

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

), then is roasted at his funeral by a variety of people, including Steve Allen, Henny Youngman, and even his own wife; * William Marshall as the leader of the ''Video Pirates'', who hijack an MCA Home Video ship, uncover a vast amount of videotapes and laserdiscs, and promptly begin illegally bootlegging the media; *

Ed Begley Jr. Edward James Begley Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is an American actor and environmental activist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He played Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the television series ''St. E ...

, as the son of the Invisible Man, having trouble with his formula; * Angel Tompkins as a president's

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...

who is also a former

hooker Hooker may refer to: People * Hooker (surname) Places Antarctica * Mount Hooker (Antarctica) * Cape Hooker (Antarctica) * Cape Hooker (South Shetland Islands) New Zealand * Hooker River * Mount Hooker (New Zealand) in the Southern Alps * Hoo ...

; * Matt Adler as a sexually frustrated teenager trying to purchase a pack of

condom A condom is a sheath-shaped barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both male and female condoms. With proper use—and use at every act of in ...

s, with unexpected results; * Marc McClure renting a personalized date video that spills over into real life; * "Reckless Youth" – an epilogue at the end of the credits, with Carrie Fisher and Paul Bartel in a black-and-white ephemeral film warning about the spread of " social diseases" in the style of '' Reefer Madness''.

Alternative versions

An alternate version of the "Pethouse Video" sketch was filmed for the television broadcast of the film, with Monique Gabrielle in lingerie instead of appearing naked throughout the segment. However, most European television broadcasts of the film retained the original theatrical version. ''Bullshit or Not?'' was retitled ''Baloney or Not?'' for the television version. The American television edit, in addition to the alternative "Pethouse Video" sketch, features an additional bridging sequence between the death of Harvey Pitnik and his subsequent celebrity roast. In it, the mortician successfully cons Pitnik's widow into having the celebrity roast as part of the funeral, and her performance gets such strong positive feedback, it becomes a continuing performance series lasting for weeks. The DVD release features an unreleased sketch titled "The Unknown Soldier", starring Robert Loggia with Ronny Cox, Bernie Casey, and Wallace Langham. Some television broadcasts of the film featured the sketches "Peter Pan Theater" and "The French Ventriloquist's Dummy", which were not present in the theatrical version.

Cast

"Mondo Condo" (directed by John Landis): * Arsenio Hall as Apartment Victim "Pethouse Video" (directed by Carl Gottlieb): * Donald F. Muhich as Easterbrook * Monique Gabrielle as Taryn Steele "Murray in Videoland" (directed by

): * Lou Jacobi as Murray * Erica Yohn as Selma * Debby Davison as Weatherperson * Rob Krausz as Floor Manager * Phil Hartman as Baseball Announcer * Corey Burton as Anchorman "Hospital" (directed by Landis): *

as Brenda Landers * Peter Horton as Harry Landers * Griffin Dunne as Dr. Raymond * Brian Ann Zoccola as Nurse "Hairlooming" (directed by

): * Joe Pantoliano as Sy Swerdlow * Stanley Brock as Customer "Amazon Women on the Moon" (directed by Weiss): * Corey Burton as TV Announcer * Steve Forrest as Captain Steve Nelson * Robert Colbert as "Blackie" * Joey Travolta as Butch * Forrest J Ackerman as U.S. President * Sybil Danning as Queen Lara * Lana Clarkson as Alpha Beta * Lyle Talbot as Prescott Townsend "Blacks Without Soul" (directed by Landis): *

as Don 'No Soul' Simmons * B.B. King as Himself * William Bryant (credited as Bill Bryant) as Male Republican * Roxie Roker as Female Republican *

Le Tari Le Tari (April 21, 1946 – April 4, 1987) was a renowned actor in America who appeared in movies and television. Background Distinctive for his imposing physical stature, broad mustache and lantern jaw, Tari landed a starring role in the 1 ...

as Pimp * Christopher Broughton as Fan Club President "Two I.D.s" (directed by Peter Horton): * Rosanna Arquette as Karen * Steve Guttenberg as Jerry "Bullshit or Not" (directed by Dante): * Henry Silva as Himself * Sarah Lilly as Prostitute "Critics' Corner" (directed by Dante): * Roger Barkley (credited as Barkley) as Herbert *

(credited as Lohman) as Frankel *

as Harvey Pitnik * Belinda Balaski as Bernice Pitnik * Justin Benham as Pitnik Boy * Erica Gayle as Pitnik Girl "Silly Pâté" (directed by Weiss): * Corey Burton as Announcer * T. K. Carter as Host * Phil Proctor as Mike * Ira Newborn as Fred *

Karen Montgomery Karen Rose Montgomery (November 28, 1949 – December 4, 2015) was an American actress and producer. Born in Chicago, Montgomery and her family later moved to California, where she graduated from UC Berkeley. She appeared on multiple televi ...

as Karen "Roast Your Loved One" (directed by Dante): *

as Harvey Pitnik * Belinda Balaski as Bernice Pitnik * Justin Benham as Pitnik Boy * Erica Gayle as Pitnik Girl * Bryan Cranston as Paramedic #1 * Robert Picardo as Rick Raddnitz * Rip Taylor as Himself *

Slappy White Melvin Edward "Slappy" White (September 27, 1921 – November 7, 1995) was an American comedian and actor. He worked with Redd Foxx on the Chitlin' Circuit of stand-up comedy during the 1950s and 1960s. He appeared on the television shows ''Sa ...

as Himself * Jackie Vernon as Himself * Henny Youngman as Himself *

Charlie Callas Charlie Callas (born Charles Callias; December 20, 1924 – January 27, 2011) was an American actor and comedian. He was most commonly known for his work with Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, and Dean Martin, and his many stand-up appearances on te ...

as Himself * Steve Allen as Himself "Video Pirates" (directed by Weiss): * William Marshall as Pirate Captain * Tino Insana as Mr. Sylvio * Donald Gibb as Graceless Pirate * Frank Collison as Grizzled Pirate * Bill Taylor as Gruesome Pirate "Son of the Invisible Man" (directed by Gottlieb): *

as Griffin * Chuck Lafont as Trent * Pamla Vale as Woman In Pub * Larry Hankin as Man In Pub *

Garry Goodrow Garry Goodrow (November 4, 1933 – July 22, 2014) was an American actor known for his role in the original stage production of the Obie Award-winning play ''The Connection'' (1959) and its 1961 film version, and as one of the original membe ...

as Checker Player * Roger La Page as London Bobby "French Ventriloquist's Dummy" (directed by Dante): *

Dick Miller Richard Miller (December 25, 1928 – January 30, 2019) was an American character actor who appeared in more than 180 films, including many produced by Roger Corman. He later appeared in the films of directors who began their careers with Corm ...

as Danny Clayton the Ventriloquist * Phil Bruns as Danny's Manager * Martin Goslins as the French Ventriloquist "Art Sale" (directed by Gottlieb): * John Ingle as Felix Van Dam "First Lady of the Evening" (directed by Weiss): * Angel Tompkins as First Lady * Terry McGovern as Salesman * Michael Hanks as Announcer "Titan Man" (directed by Weiss): * Matt Adler as George * Kelly Preston as Violet * Ralph Bellamy as Mr. Gower *

Howard Hesseman Howard Hesseman (February 27, 1940 – January 29, 2022) was an American actor known for his television roles as burned-out disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on ''WKRP in Cincinnati'', and the lead role of history teacher Charlie Moore on ''Head of ...

as Rupert King *

Steve Cropper Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Ot ...

as Customer * Chris Wolf as Mascot Bip "Video Date" (directed by Landis): * Marc McClure as Ray * Russ Meyer as Video Salesman * Corrine Wahl as Sharri * Andrew Dice Clay as Frankie *

Willard E. Pugh Willard Earl Pugh (born June 16, 1959) is an American actor with numerous film and television credits. He has appeared in notable mainstream Hollywood films such as ''The Color Purple (1985 film), The Color Purple'' and ''Air Force One (film), Ai ...

as Speaking Cop "Reckless Youth" (directed by Dante): * Carrie Fisher as Mary Brown * Paul Bartel as Doctor * Herb Vigran as Agent * Tracy Hutchinson as Floozie * Mike Mazurki as Dutch *

Frank Beddor Frank Beddor (July 31, 1958) is an American former world champion freestyle skier, film producer, actor, stuntman, and author. He worked as a producer on ''There's Something About Mary'' and ''Wicked'', and wrote the book ''The Looking Glass War ...

as Ken "The Unknown Soldier" (directed by Horton) * Robert Loggia as General McCormick * Bernie Casey as Major General Hadley * Ronny Cox as General Balentine * Wallace Langham as Private Anson W. Pucket "Peter Pan Theatre" (directed by Gottlieb) * Jenny Agutter as Cleopatra * Raye Birk as Vanya * Mark Bringelson as Theater Customer #1 *

Victoria Ann Lewis Victoria Ann Lewis is an American theatre artist, actress, and scholar. Ann Lewis played Peggy on ''Knots Landing''. She is the editor of ''Beyond Victims and Villains: Contemporary Plays by Disabled Playwrights''. Early life Ann Lewis had po ...

as Theater Customer #2 * Vivian Bonnell as Theater Customer #3 * Kellye Nakahara as Theater Customer #4

Reception

The majority of critics agreed that the quality was inconsistent throughout the film. '' Variety'' called it "irreverent, vulgar and silly... ithsome hilarious moments and some real groaners too."

in the '' Chicago Sun-Times'' felt that the exercise was somewhat unnecessary: "Satirists are in trouble when their subjects are funnier than they are." Janet Maslin of '' The New York Times'', in a largely positive review, described the film as "an anarchic, often hilarious adventure in dial-spinning, a collection of brief skits and wacko parodies that are sometimes quite clever, though they're just as often happily sophomoric, too." Certain portions of the film were singled out for praise. "The funniest episode probably is 'Son of the Invisible Man', directed by Carl Gottlieb, in which

plays a man who thinks he is invisible but is not", wrote the ''Chicago Sun-Times''. "The film's best sight gags come from

, who deserves kudos for the inspired idiocy of his ''Amazon Women'' segments", was the opinion of ''The New York Times''. In a retrospective article for '' Entertainment Weekly'', Chris Nashawaty called this film "the beginning of the end of Landis' career". He cited the episodes featuring Monique Gabrielle,

and

as "inspired", but criticized others for their failure: "You'll never see

look as trapped as she does in her skit with '' Thirtysomething''s Peter Horton, or Joe Pantoliano and Arsenio Hall as unfunny as they are in their skits." ''Amazon Women on the Moon'' has a rating of 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. On Metacritic it has a 42% score based on reviews from 11 critics.

References

External links