SPACEMEN, GO-GO GIRLS, AND THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS
Written and Directed by Brett Kelly
Featuring Brett Kelly, Jodi Pittman, Anne-Marie Pinel, Renee Morra,
Sonia Myers, Anne-Marie Frigon, Mark Courneya and Brinke Stevens
2004
Dudez Productions

"The Bonesetter". "Final Curtain". These titles don't exactly make you chuckle, and rightly so. They are both indie thrillers that incorporate suspense, storytelling, chills and horror, not to mention performances on a much higer level than this reviewer is used to seeing from low-budget indie productions.

But they aren't funny. Only problem with that is, the guy who brought those films to life and starred in them is one of the funniest people I have ever met. Hey Brett Kelly! What gives, eh?

Finally, with "Spacemen, Go-Go Girls, And The True Meaning Of Christmas", we are introduced to what I refer to as the real Brett Kelly. It's a cheese-filled sci-fi B-movie romp that doesn't take itself seriously for one single moment, and is made in a time-honored tradition that would make Ed Wood smile!

Kelly (who also wrote and directed the film) and Jodi Pittman play a pair of spacemen from Uranus who travel to Earth in search of a fuel source that will ensure their home planet's survival. Only problem is, Earth doesn't take too kindly to aliens roaming about, vaporizing its citizens with ray guns. To the rescue come the Go-Go Girls crime fighting squad, our heroic trio who have been ordered by their leader Candy Can-Can (cult film legend Brinke Stevens in a cameo appearance) to take a much-needed vacation. Their R&R doesn't last but a few moments, as they are soon hot on the trail of the extraterrestrial goofballs.

From the opening black-and-white sequence, which features stock footage from the classic "Phantom Planet", it's evident that "Spacemen" is going into 100% spoof territory, in the vein of "It Came From Hollywood" and "Amazon Women On The Moon", peppered with that wonderful and pun-filled Brett Kelly touch of course. I delighted in the cheapo costumes and sets, obvious model rocket ships ("I can see the string!"), corny music and the obligatory stop-motion creature fx. This is what B-filmmaking once personified (but sadly has gone the way of blood, boobs and zombies lately) and the title of the film explains exactly what the film is about. No deception or gimmicks to be found here.

Kelly doesn't go entirely old-school with "Spacemen" though, as the humor is very up to date and suitable for a modern audience. In an absolutely hysterical sequence, the two aliens (who wear bouncy antennae and get slapped by earth women every time they mention Uranus) find they need money to obtain their desired fuel source and find emplyment at a restaurant called Woody's, a flip-flopped version of Hooter's. Where most other filmmakers with $$$ on their minds would choose to exploit the Go-Go girls' skin for all it's worth, Kelly instead takes this opportunity to make a subtle statement about double standards in our culture. But don't worry, guys. The film climaxes with a 7-minute go-go dance sequence featuring dozens of pretty ladies.

As much as I enjoyed his horror movies, "Spacemen" is very much the film that I have been waiting to see Brett Kelly make. The film not only serves as a showcase of Kelly's considerable comedic chops, but allows fans of "Bonesetter" and "Final Curtain" to see some of his other stock players do the same. Mark Courneya uses what little screen time he gets to give us an almost dead-on Bruce Campbell, and Gonzoriffic house favorite Anne-Marie Frigon really lets loose as "Dixie PixieStick", my absolute favorite character of the whole movie.

But fans of Kelly's previous work need not fret: he gets his ass kicked in "Spacemen" too. Only now, instead of seeing the punches connect, words like "POW!" flash across your screen.

(October 2004)