NOT OF THIS EARTH (1988)
When you last left your roving reporter (that would be me), he...er, I had spent some quality time with 1957's Not of This Earth. As serious horror freaks are aware, it wasn't uncommon for Roger Corman to revisit his own material decades down the road to varying degrees of success. To that effect, we have 1988's Not of This Earth, a self-referential update directed by Jim Wynorski. It probably won't surprise you to learn that this version is spackled in smut. Aside from the magnanimous nudity (more on that later, believe me), what we have here doesn't stray too far from the fringe perimeters established by the original. The plot is identical. A black-clad alien drops in our terrestrial terrain to siphon blood from unsuspecting vagrants. Of course, he also tries a blood bank, and that's where we meet the shapely Nadine.
Oh, Nadine. I didn't know going in, but this was Traci Lords' first "legitimate" role after escaping the adult industry. It's also the last film in which she appears nude. I'll spare you any infantile jokes that spring to mind. Actually, she's a proficient actress, and she gives her performance the right amount of moxie. As with 1957's Earth, 1988's Earth is beaming with Corman's personality. Much of the dialogue is the same, although I wouldn't call this a shot-for-shot remake. Intrinsically, it doesn't do anything wrong, yet I prefer the original. I can't quite put my finger on it. It's still a fast-paced affair, and it goes without saying that I appreciated the charitable skin shots. If you're keeping tabs at home, I have another Not of This Earth waiting to be watched. I am both cautiously optimistic and optimistically cautious.
Recommended to fans of New Wave Hookers, Sex Fifth Avenue, and Tailhouse Rock (thank you, IMDb).
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