Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Amazon Women on the Moon Blu-ray Movie Review

A must-see late-night television comedy spoof.

Amazon Women on the Moon is a hilarious send-up of late-night television and all of its wonderful hijinks. The sketch-comedy has a number of short films compiled together for a truly fantastic comedy experience that rivals the best of Saturday Night Live (at times). With big-name filmmakers at the helm (including the likes of Joe Dante and John Landis), Amazon Women on the Moon is a must-see slice of absurdity sure to please fans of classic 80's comedies.

The anthology features a number of celebrities throughout. The cast includes Arsenio Hall, Donald F. Muhich, Phil Hartman, Corey Burton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Griffin Dunne, Joe Pantoliano, Stanley Brock, Steve Forrest, Robert Colbert, Sybil Danning, Lana Clarkson, Steve Guttenberg, Rosanna Arquette, Kelly Preston, Russ Meyer, Archie Hahn, Belinda Balaski, Sarah Lilly, Carrie Fisher, and the great B.B. King (as himself). Even late-night video-vixen Monique Gabrielle (Penthouse: The Art of Massage, Scream Queen Hot Tub Party) makes a special appearance.

One of the best shorts features David Alan Grier as Don 'No Soul' Simmons and B.B. King (playing himself) in “Blacks Without Soul” – the comedy is first-rate as the actors delve in to their fun roles with energy. David Alan Grier is almost the MVP of the entire production and manages to appear throughout the film as his jubilant character – adding several laugh-out-loud moments throughout the entire anthology. The comedy is dynamite.

Then there's the great “Two I.D.'s” short. Jerry (Steve Guttenberg) wishes to take out sexy Karen (Rosanna Arquette) for a date. Yet the date doesn't go as planned with Karen asks Jerry to present two identification cards to her so that she can send in a special request for a date-report about Jerry (to find out how he treats other women). Needless to say, comedy ensues as things don't actually “go down” as planned that night.

The entirety of Amazon Women of the Moon is filled with countless cameos and highlights – there are too many to list them all. A great moment occurs when famed director Russ Meyer appears in “Video Date” as a salesman offering a young man a VHS made exclusively for his “lonely self” at night. Then there's the appearance of Star Wars' Carrie Fisher in the black- and-white “Reckless Youth” to add some extra charm to the mix. Or how about the bit in which a prostitute (Sarah Lilly) ends up romancing the Loch Ness monster (who is actually Jack the ripper)?

The editing by Malcolm Campbell (Keeping the Faith), Marshall Harvey (Small Soldiers), and Bert Lovitt (Days of Thunder) is effective throughout the compilation. Amazon Women on the Moon flows as if it is a normal film in some respects (as it never seems jarring when one short ends and another begins). The quick-cut editing is effective and is a testament to the efforts of the team of editors. No short seems overlong or boring.

Grab a drink, some popcorn, and have a good time.

The original music score by Ira Newborn (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Naked Gun 2 ½) is silly good fun and adds to the late-night charm. The music is comical, offbeat, and well-suited to these outrageous short films. One could call the score a perfect match to all of the absurdity.

The cinematography by Daniel Pearl (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Boy) is one of the most essential elements. Without the consistency of Pearl, Amazon Women on the Moon may never have seemed so effective scene-to-scene. The visuals are a big element of Amazon Women on the Moon. The cinematography does well at showcasing the production design by Ivo Cristante (Tremors, Child's Play 2) and the art direction by Alex Hajdu (The Walking Dead, Mob City).

Some might feel the film is a mess – they might even be right. Yet the comedy is superb and the experience is unforgettable. The script by Michael Barrie and Jim Mulholland (both of whom collaborated on writing Bad Boys and Oscar) is dynamite and full of classic lines. A seemingly endless array of comedic moments occurs throughout the shorts. One of the best elements is the old-school sci-fi yarn entitled “Amazon Women on the Moon” – which inspired the main-title of the compilation. The film-within-a-film element is interspersed by the other shorts and “commercial” breaks.

Amazon Women on the Moon works best as a spotlight on the filmmakers involved. Director Joe Dante (Gremlins, Small Soldiers) brings to life some of the best sketches with “The French Ventriloquist's Dummy”, “ Hairlooming”, “Bullshit or Not”,“Critic's Corner”, and “ Reckless Youth.” Only “Roast Your Loved One” manages to feel like a missed-opportunity – the rest of Dante's efforts are tremendous and funny.

John Landis (An American Werewolf in London, Three Amigos!) scores some major laugh-out-loud moments with “Mondo Condo”, “Hospital”, “Blacks Without Soul”, “ Don 'No Soul' Simmons”, and “Video Date.” The comedy is exceptional and Landis delivers a unique style to each short. Any fan of Landis will want to experience his contributions.

Amazon Women on the Moon is a off-the-wall comedy fest. The other filmmakers add to the fun, too: Carl Gottlieb (Caveman) directs “Peter Pan Theater”, “Pethouse Video”, “Son of the Invisible Man”, and “Art Sale.” Peter Horton (Thirtysomething) directs “The Unknown Solider” and “Two I.D.'s.” Last but not least, Robert K. Weiss (one of the directors behind Weird Al Yankovic's music videos) brings to life “Murray in Videoland”, “Silly Paté”, “ Video Pirates”, “First Lady of the Evening”, “Titan Man”, and the title- feature – “Amazon Women on the Moon.”

Even though some of the short-films in Amazon Women on the Moon are less successful than others, the experience is one that is well worth taking. There are many laugh-out-loud sequences and this is such a zany production that one can't help but be entertained. With such a big group of filmmakers, actors, and artists involved, Amazon Women on the Moon proves to be a must-see late-night spoof. Don't miss it.

Amazon Women on the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino, Amazon Women on the Moon is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The release features a stunning presentation that showcases the short films with a remarkable degree of clarity. Throughout the entire presentation, each short has exceptional detail and color reproduction. The naturally filmic scan looks crisp and satisfying.

Given the variety of filmmakers involved in the production, one might assume that there wouldn't be a consistency in the presentation-quality – yet the video is superb (as cinematographer Daniel Pearl delivers a tone suitable for each short). Given the fun anthology format, the video is sometimes filmed to look like television-productions – other times, old school sci-fi, and even black-and-white film noir. No matter the style, the release by Kino is superb and utilizes its high 37.50 mbps bit-rate encode to deliver fans a satisfying presentation.

Amazon Women on the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The sound quality on the release is a perfect match to the top-notch video-presentation. The track never suffers from egregious issues of crackle, hiss, warps, clicks, and other audio-related deficiencies. The dialogue sounds remarkably crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The music score composed by Ira Newborn makes a splash as well: delivering superb clarity and high-fidelity. An excellent effort by Kino.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

Amazon Women on the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historians Kat Ellinger and Mike McPadden

Bullshit or Not: The True Story of Amazon Women on the Moon (HD, 24:16) featuring interviews with Director John Landis, Director Joe Dante, Co-Editor Marshall Harvey, Casting Director Julie Selzer, and Actress Belinda Balaski.

Reckless Youth Dailies (SD, 11:46)

Reckless Youth Deleted Scene (SD, 00:37)

Roast Your Loved One: Rip Taylor Deleted Act (SD, 4:09)

Roast Your Loved One: Jackie Vernon Deleted Act (SD, 3:47)

Roast Your Loved One: Henny Youngman Full Act (SD, 4:57)

More Outtakes (SD, 5:59)

Deleted Scenes (SD, 19:18) includes the original opening from Amazon Women on the Moon (Directed by Robert K. Weiss), The Uknown Solider (Directed by Peter Horton), a deleted scene from Roast Your Loved One (Directed by Joe Dante), The French Ventriloquist's Dummy (Directed by Joe Dante), deleted love scene from Amazon Women on the Moon (Directed by Robert K. Weiss), and Peter Pan Theatre (Directed by Carl Gottlieb).

Amazon Women on the Moon Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:32)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (SD, 2:11), Mafia! (SD, 2:18), and Oscar (SD, 1:24).

Amazon Women on the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Amazon Women on the Moon is an entertaining late-night television spoof with a variety of entertaining shorts cut-together for a fun anthology experience. The title-feature is worth the price of admission alone and the rest of the efforts add even more charm and comedic fun. With filmmakers like Joe Dante and John Landis involved in many of the short-films any fan of classic 80's comedy should make sure to check out this compilation. The Blu-ray release features a strong video-audio presentation and is jam-packed with bonus features. Highly recommended.