NOT OF THIS EARTH (1988)

Director: Jim Wynorski

Writers: R.J. Robertson, Jim Wynorski, based on the original 1957 film script by Charles B. Griffith and Mark Hanna

Producers: Murray Miller, Jim Wynorski

Cast: Traci Lords, Arthur Roberts, Roger Lodge, Lenny Juliano, Rebecca Perle, Becky LeBeau, Ace Mask, Michael Delano, Kelli Maroney. Monique Gabrielle, Roxanne Kernohan, Ava Cadell, Cynthia Thompson, Belinda Grant, Joel Hoffman (as Robby Bointon), Kim Sill (as Kimberly Dawn), Ed Morgan, Murray Miller, Zoran Hochstätter, Shawn Klugman, John Dresden, Paul Shaver, R.J. Robertson, Bob Sheridan 

A series of blood-draining murders are being committed in Los Angeles, California. The perpetrator calls himself Mr. Johnson (Arthur Roberts). He is actually an alien being from the planet Davanna. Johnson’s mission is to determine if the blood of earthlings can sustain his dying race. If the blood is compatible, Davanna will invade the Earth and enslave mankind as a food source. While on his mission, the mysterious Mr. Johnson hires Nadine Story (Traci Lords) as his live-in nurse to administer the blood transfusions he needs to stay alive. 

The Flashback Fanatic movie review 

With very few exceptions, film remakes are inferior to the originals and can ruin the viewers’ enjoyment of later seeing the earlier superior productions if too much is simply rehashed. Of course, most remakes just regurgitate a proven formula with the understanding that many modern-day morons will lap it up just because it is new and therefore must be even better the next time around. Using that same logic, such an audience will probably also eat their own vomit. 

Some remakes are worthy if they only use the main plot hook of the original production and then try to tell a different story. The end result may or may not be better than the original, yet it can still be an interesting and satisfying film judged on its own merits. 

In 1988 director Jim Wynorski made a bet with executive producer Roger Corman. Wynorski wagered that he could remake Corman’s 1957 sci-fi fright flick Not of This Earth for the same inflation-adjusted budget and the same number of shooting days. 

Much of the success this remake enjoyed as a video store rental and cable television favorite was due to the inspiration that director Wynorski had in choosing his leading lady. The beautiful Traci Lords had been a popular adult film star. She became a household name when it was discovered that she had been performing in pornographic films as a minor while pretending to be an adult. Wanting to establish herself as a mainstream actress, Lords accepted the role of nurse Nadine Story. In addition to her beauty always being flaunted in and out of a succession of sexy outfits, she brings a lot of the confidence to the role that Beverly Garland’s character had in the original 1957 version. I am sure much to director Wynorski’s relief, Traci Lords could really act and helps make an almost word-for-word remake worthwhile. This was Lords’ first non-porn feature film, and she would go on to have a long and varied career in film, television, and music. 

Arthur Roberts takes on the alien menace role of the deadpan Mr. Johnson. Just as in the original Paul Birch performance, his emotionally empty and socially ignorant manner is a funny contrast to various earthlings he confronts. 

Roger Lodge fills in for Morgan Jones as Nadine Story’s motorcycle cop boyfriend Harry Sherbourne. In 1988 this character and the audience have the advantage of a bit of soft-core sex occurring with the leading lady. 

Lenny Juliano is cast here in the Jonathan Haze role of Mr. Johnson's ex-con chauffeur Jeremy. Juliano pushes the humor even further than in the 1957 original. He seems to be having a real ball ogling Nadine and any other sexy gal in the course of this refabbed flick.

In addition to the re-enactment of the classic vacuum cleaner salesman scene with Michael Delano subbing for Dick Miller, we also have the unreceptive Mr. Johnson being accidentally entertained by gorgeous Becky LeBeau’s strip-o-gram girl. LeBeau is quite charming as she discovers that she read the address wrong when delivering her voluptuous happy birthday message. Her fate is really heartbreaking. 

In this 1988 remake, Mr. Roberts picks up a threesome of sexy prostitutes (Roxanne Kernohan, Ava Cadell, Cynthia Thompson) instead of a trio of drunken bums to bring home for more blood specimens. Swapping out hobos for hookers is yet another inspired Jim Wynorski innovation. Would you rather listen to inebriated singing again or ogle bared breasts? I think Wynorski made the right call. 

In 1988 when another Davanna denizen arrives, it is not a lady dressed like Mr. Roberts in sunglasses and conservative business attire. Instead, it is lovely Rebecca Perle in sunglasses and black straps somehow configured to approximate a swimsuit. 

As should become apparent by now, 1988’s Not of This Earth was striving to be a sexed-up version of the original film. Aside from the nudity, it is almost exactly the same story. 

The only other notable deviations here from the 1957 film are a few optical effects, no flying umbrella monster, and a new angle on the rabies-infected blood gimmick. That last deviation is actually such a seemingly obvious direction to take that I am surprised it was not exploited in the original version. It also sets up a big chunk of footage from Hollywood Boulevard (1976) to be inserted into this film to brazenly pad out the running time. There are also lengthy clips of Humanoids from the Deep (1980) somehow incorporated into this story. Al Adamson ain’t got nothing on Jim Wynorski. 

Ultimately, 1988's Not of This Earth is a copycat of the original 1957 film that fills out its longer running time with some shameless repurposing of unrelated footage from earlier Roger Corman productions. By my highfalutin standards I should hate this movie. However, it is still done with energy and a sense of fun that is infectious. Translation: There is a lot of T&A on display. I think Roger Corman himself would have done the same thing if he could have gotten away with it back in 1957.