Plan 10 from Outer Space

The long awaited sequel to Ed Wood's disastrous Plan 9 From Outer Space. Although Plan 10 From Outer Space is a little better than the first only because this one has no mistakes as the first. This one is more of a Comedy/Scf-fi/Horror Flick. Even though it was made almost four decades from the first, Plan 10 is slightly better. The film includes Robots, The Resurrection of the dead (Again! But without, Tor Johnson, Bela Lougsi, or Vampyria) and a mad woman from Outer Space enjoy it!

Ed Wood, your Plan 9 was great, but Plan 10 is your long awaited sequel only if you lived to see it, It might have made you proud!

A mighty strange Trent Harris film about the very odd goings on in a militant Mormon community; after a woman discovers the 'Plaque of Kolob (like the Holy Grail for the Mormon church elders). It all sounds really crazy but in the context of the religion (it sends up) it's all perfectly understandable. There is much to enjoy about this movie and the aliens seem to fit so effortlessly into the plot.

I actually used to work with Stefene Russell, who told me (or someone did) that the film was named Plan 10 after being called the worse movie ever, even worse than Plan 9. Anyhow, here in Utah, we do enjoy our Trent Harris. The Mormons, on the other hand...well, this place fascinates me.

There's a lot here that only a Utahn might understand, though on second viewing I realized that Trent did try to give just the right amount of background information to explain all the Mormon references. If you can find this, I'd suggest renting it. I also recommend Trent's Rubin and Ed, for that matter. And read the Wild Goose Chronicles.

Good for Trent Harris, who against all odds and commercial interests managed to make a small handful of truly unusual films in the 1990's. Plan 10, though nowhere near as good as Rubin and Ed, defies categorization, touching on parody, surrealism and a wee bit of spirituality. Young Salt Lake City resident Stefene Russell aspires to become a writer, although she's somewhat held back by the unusual characters in her life. Her panty-sniffing brother Patrick Michael Collins receiving messages from space, which sends him to a mental institution; father Alex Caldiero, who reads experimental poetry in wheat fields for tourists, doesn't really seem to care. Worst of all is neighbor Curtis James, who spends all his time dancing with his shirt off in front of a window, clearly visible from Russell's typewriter. While sunning at the lake, Russell stumbles upon a metal plaque with some strange inscriptions. Determined to decipher, she brings them to a series of experts, eventually landing her in James's swinging pad. Together they find a book which explains a confusing conspiracy theory: feminist aliens started the Mormon church in order to impregnate humans. Her story ends her up at the insane asylum, from which she soon escapes to finish translating an ancient alien text, hopefully in time to save Salt Lake City from interstellar attack. Early in the film, Harris includes a brilliant, mostly true documentary on the Mormons, to not only give a little background but also show off his ability to mimic other genres. He's clearly an adept director, and the parts that feel awkward or unusual may well be completely intentional. Plan 10 occasional clunkiness comes from a highly unconventional approach to storytelling, very much in the mold of American comedy yet created from a maverick perspective. The cast is made up entirely of no-names; I'm guessing that Harris put all his friends in the movie. Indeed, some of the characters seem so superfluous that I wonder if he wrote in small parts for pals. Head alien Karen Black stands out as an exception, but I'm guessing her scenes were shot in a day. Harris has a keen sense of the absurd. While not quite a genius, he's certainly a visionary, and the world would be a better place if he kept on making movies.

I almost left this one on the shelf after scanning the lousy packaging which really gives you very little indication of what this strange little movie is really like. And while I am as much of an Ed Wood fan as the next guy, this movie has absolutely NOTHING to do with his nutty sci fi movies. It is its own kind of nutty sci fi, and any attempt to link it with 'Plan Nine' is misleading.

'Plan 10 from Outer Space' is an eccentric comedy involving a bizarre relationship between Mormons, bees and extra terrestrials. Shot on an obviously miniscule budget with a largely unknown cast, save for b-grade queen Karen Black, this is the perfect example of an inventive and original script outshining technical shortcomings. I look forward to seeing more from writer/director Trent Harris if this is any indication of his bent vision. I was also impressed by lead actress Stefene Russell, who displays a strong comic talent and is hell cute to boot. I hope she gets more screen work in the near future.