Galactic Gigolo - Gemüse aus dem All

My review was written in January 1988 after a screening at Cine 42 on Manhattan's 42nd St.

"Galactic Gigolo" is a home movie masquerading as a feature film. Lensed a year ago as "Club Earth", pic is an interminable attempt at tasteless comedy which proves to be unwatchable.

Carmine Capobianco, whose smug charm is eminently resistible, toplines (and like the rest of cast and crew, fills many different production capacities) as Eoj, a broccoli from Outer Space who wins on a quiz show a two-week vacation to Earth, i.e., Prospect, Connecticut. Pic consists of him using his hypnotic powers to go to bed with every woman in town, while two newshounds (Debi Thibeault and Frank Stewart) record his sexual escapades for the tabloids.

Idiotic subplots feature a mafia gang out to get Eoj and a family backwoods rednecks, who happen to be, yuk, yuk, Jewish. Would-be auteur Gorman Behard's mixture of bad puns, in-jokes, dumb name-dropping and failed slapstick is a chore to endure, especially given the backyard filming absence of production values. Pic's running gag that Elvis Presley (and his subsequent imitators) was a spaceman is about as funny as its rip-roaring potshots at Prospect, Connecticut.

Ruth Collins is cute. See her in some other movie.

I expected a bad movie but it was worse. Looks like it was shot with a hand-held 8-mm camera and ambient lighting. Most of the dialog is unintelligible. Much of the action consists of running back and forth in the woods, Benny Hill style. The "actors" spend a lot of time sitting on sofas reading cue cards. This may have been an attempt at the kind of "indie" or "underground" look that "Troma" sometimes achieves, but it failed. And it's not bad in an interesting way (e.g. _Plan 9 from Outer Space_), it's just amateurish and dull. Don't waste your time. You have been warned.

I picked up this movie in the cult section of the video store because it had the same director, writer, and cast as the brilliant "Psychos in Love". But unlike PIL, this was just plain awful, lacking the humor, satire, and everything else that made PIL good. Avoid this at all costs, but check out Psychos in Love if you get a chance.

The people who made this movie previously made the cult movie "Psychos In Love", a movie that I found funny enough to justify buying it on DVD. So my expectations were pretty high when I put "Galactic Gigolo" in my DVD player. This effort does have a somewhat higher budget that "Psychos In Love" (there are a LOT more actors for one thing), and occasionally there is a sight gag, a one-liner, or some other attempt at humor that makes you smile. But otherwise, this movie is a complete failure. The movie feels like it was being made up as it goes along, with no proper story and character motivations that are murky. (The character of "Eoj", who should be the central figure, is actually kind of an afterthought frequently.) But the main reason why the movie fails is that it is extremely unfunny, using tired stereotypes, unimaginative gags, and feeling that people running around and screaming is hilarious. Skip this movie and rewatch "Psychos In Love" instead.

I recently viewed Galactic Gigolo (1987) on Tubi. The storyline revolves around an alien vegetable winning the opportunity to change forms and experience two weeks of sex and fun on Earth. Upon arrival, a reporter, amazed by the alien's charm and abilities, follows him around, documenting his escapades.

This picture is directed by Gorman Bechard (Friends with Benefits) and stars Carmine Capobianco (Psychos in Love), Debi Thibeault (Cemetery High), Frank Stewart (Death Collector) and Ruth Collins (Sexpot).

Despite its low budget, the film showcases creativity and unexpected artistic elements. The comedic content has its hits and misses, featuring random funny moments, good one-liners, and unique characters. While the sets may be weak, they hold a certain interest. With numerous topless scenes, the overall concept surprised me with its entertainment value.

In conclusion, Galactic Gigolo surpasses the rhetorical disaster you might anticipate. I would score it a 4.5/10 and recommend watching it once with the appropriate expectations.