Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Earth Girls Are Easy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 5, 2022

For some, Earth Girls Are Easy will be an exercise in nostalgia, or at least memory, and not necessarily just because this film may bring back images of the halcyon days of VHS and Vestron Video, perhaps even more so than Dirty Dancing. Earth Girls Are Easy harkens back to a time when co-stars Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum were a couple, and Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans were considered supporting actors. The actual "star" of this production, at least in terms of writing input and perceived "power", might actually be Julie Brown, who co-wrote the film with her then partner Terrence E. McNally (not the famed playwright) and whose album Goddess in Progress had actually kinda sorta sparked the idea for the film.

Mac (Jeff Goldblum), Wiploc (Jim Carrey) and Zeebo (Damon Wayans) are three aliens who could have sprung from the pages of Dr. Seuss, and in fact they kind of end up wreaking havoc in the same way that the venerable Cat in the Hat does. They may be "out of this world", but they are experiencing some very familiar lustful urges that end up with them crash landing in the pool of valley girl Valerie Gail (Geena Davis). Valerie was about to tie the knot with a doctor named Ted Gallagher (Charles Rocket), but an early vignette has already shown that Ted is not to be trusted, leaving Gail free to have a close encounter of whatever kind she wants it to be, so to speak.

There are a couple of simultaneous tracks that Earth Girls Are Easy follows, and that may be one reason why the film never seemed to really connect with audiences despite some immensely enjoyable performances and a really adroit production design. The first of these tracks is the "fish out of water" element as Mac, Wiploc and Zeebo, newly shorn of their Seuss-like fur courtesy of salon employee Valerie and her BFF Candy Pink (Julie Brown), and looking, if not exactly acting, like ostensible humans. But there's also the romantic angle between Val and Mac, as well as an arguably needless sidebar involving a kind of brain dead surfer dude type named Woody (Michael McKean). When you add in the fact that Earth Girls Are Easy is at least something of a musical, replete with all singing, all dancing production numbers, the result can feel overstuffed, colorful and sweet, but not very nutritional.

As commendable as Julie Brown's stated desire to resurrect the movie musical may have been, it might have been a problem to first base the movie off of one song on an album. Brown and Julien Temple aren't especially averse to overtly mentioning this final product may not have turned out exactly as they may have hoped, but it's big, bright and at least occasionally funny, even if it also tends to try too hard at times. In that regard, it's actually kind of refreshing to see the often manic Jim Carrey at least somewhat toned down, here having to contend with the antics of both Goldblum and Wayans, neither exactly known for their overall restraint as performers.

Earth Girls Are Easy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Earth Girls Are Easy is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Film's Vestron Video Collector's Series imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. As usual with these releases, neither the cover nor the accompanying press sheet provide any technical information. It had been years since I had seen this film, and one of the major pluses of this transfer is how vividly it presents the candy colored production design, as well as offering secure support for fine detail in elements like the aliens' "native" fur. This still has a somewhat processed look, and seemed like it might have been (minimally) sharpened, something that can give grain a somewhat spiky appearance (you may be able to make out just the hint of a "halo" around some objects in some of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review). Some of what I'm assuming was old school compositing frankly doesn't hold up to the increased resolution of the Blu-ray disc, and things like matte lines are easily visible in passing. There is recurrent if minor age related wear and tear throughout the presentation.

Earth Girls Are Easy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Earth Girls Are Easy features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track that is perfectly supportive of a boisterous score which does utilize a lot of then trendy synths that have a metallic edge that can sound just a trifle brash in the highest registers. Singing and midrange instrumentation fares better, in terms of ease on the ears, and all dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly without any problems. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

Earth Girls Are Easy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Actress and Co-Writer Julie Brown


• The Musical Man (HD; 20:01) is an interview with Julien Temple, who discusses a kind of "out of the fire and into the frying pan" element he encountered coming to this project after the perceived disaster of Absolute Beginners.


• Candy Time! (HD; 20:10) is an interview with actress and co-writer Julie Brown, who is frank about some things not meeting her expectations, or at least her pre-conceptions, with the finished film. She also makes it clear she really wanted to resurrect the film musical with this outing.


• Views of the Valley (HD; 17:39) offer interviews with Director of Photography Oliver Stapleton and Production Designer Dennis Gassner.


• Aliens in L.A. (HD; 11:42) is an interview with Special Make-Up Supervisor Robert Clark.


• Deleted Scenes and Outtakes (HD; 8:07)


• Earth Girls Karaoke (HD; 11:02) offers musical segments from the film with karaoke like subtitles to help you sing along.


• BTS Footage (HD; 7:43) offers some pretty funny stuff, including some supposed interviews.


• Vintage Interview with Actor Charles Rocket (HD; 6:29)


• Vintage Premiere Night Promo (HD; 3:59)


• Theatrical Trailers (HD; 3:39)


• TV Spots (HD; 1:56)


• Radio Spots (HD; 1:08)


• Still Gallery (HD; 7:33)


• Storyboard Gallery (HD; 6:26) offers early looks at two of the musical sequences, "Brand New Girl" and "The Ground You Walk On".

Additionally, a digital copy is included and packaging features a slipcover.

Earth Girls Are Easy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Earth Girls Are Easy has a lot going for it, and yet frankly it may not ever quite "get there", despite valiant efforts on the part of a really energetic cast and especially some fun production design flourishes. Julie Brown may arguably not have been the best songwriter to entrust a full blown musical with, but the score is often bouncy, if just as frequently lightweight. The character work by Goldblum, Carrey and Wayans is enjoyable even when the narrative darts off on a few too many detours. Technical merits are generally solid (I'd rank audio above video, personally), and as has often been the case with the Vestron Video Collector's Series, the supplements are excellent. Recommended.