Doin' Time on Planet Earth

Believe it or not, the script was far better than the finished product. Charlie (Matthau), a nice guy, missed the essence of the story in favor of submitting to some teen formula. I don't know where it went wrong, but it did.

I can say this, though, the people were nicer than on any other production set I have worked. I hope they are all doing well.

From the normal teen who thinks he's abnormal to the point that his exploration of his "strangeness" makes him strange, to the truly strange couple who are convinced he is their leader from another world.

Its a sci-fi, comedy and, though the humor is subtle, it is very enjoyable.

Adam West was in top form as the real leader of the "alien" earthlings, and the nightclub singer was hilarious as he belted out the most ridiculous songs as if they were top ten hits. I think the subtlety of the humor might actually be what attracts me most to it.

Definitely worth watching again and again.

I was an extra in the scene when the aliens shoot up the revolving restaurant. All of us extras met a bus in Hollywood and rode up to Palmdale where the filming for that scene was done. It was a night shoot, cold as hell as I remember.

The scene as shot had paramedics hauling injured patrons out the front door of the hotel to a waiting ambulance. Hugh O'Brian's character came over to me, a uniformed cop, and asked for a ride downtown. We jumped in my police car and took off.

The aliens ran to an old bus and took off, but for some reason the front axle of the bus broke just as they were filming and had to be manually pulled back in place.

It was a fun gig, and all the actors were friendly and going along with it.

Almost all of that scene got cut except for a panning shot that shows me with my back to the camera looking up and talking on a hand-held radio. (!)

Nice to see 47 other people have heard of this film. Maybe in another universe (or planet, ala the film), it would've been more well-received. I only know of it from The Movie Channel airing it frequently around 1989-90. Since then I've yet to lay eyes on it again. Most will be unimpressed or bored, but if you like a lot of quirk to your films, you may be surprised. From rotating, airborn restaurants, gawky teens, a bird in a beehive hair-do, a so-horrible-he's funny lounge singer, and an Arabian college recruiter, this gets points for oddballness. Strouse is perfect as the kid who doesn't quite fit in, having an extra vertebrae and been struck by lightning several times. Plus a habit of over-analyzing his life, to the point of being ridiculed by his own family. Adler is good as his by-the-numbers, sunglass-clad 80s buddy, and Thompson adds some trashy sex appeal with her temptress. And I'll admit, another reason I liked it, was the lead character had the same name as me. To find a "Ryan" in any film is a rarity, but also one where the hero is such an outcast, was fun. The ending gets a bit outlandish and doesn't really resolve anything, but it seemed to the filmmakers point anyway. I mean, what else can you make of a story about a geeky 17-year-old who may be the half-human, half-extraterrestrial leader of a clan of weirdos from the planet B-52? Exactly.

Doin' Time on Planet Earth is seriously off-the-wall stupid comedy and one that might make you wonder why Adam West was never in more comedy like this (I've only seen him in parts making references to his role as TV's Batman).

An alienated teenager learns that he is the leader of an alien race and he must help them to return to their planet. This wacky series of events occurs during his brother's weekend wedding, which he was ordered by his family to behave as normally as he possibly can. Add to the mix Matt Adler as the kid's horny best friend and the B52's, and you have yourself some good times. There are so many funny little occurences going on, it's a scene man!

It's a good little film.