If you like off-beat movies like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension,” then here's a chance to really test your taste for the weird. “Voyage of the Rock Aliens” is a musical spoof of sci-fi, horror, and beach movies that makes “Buckaroo Banzai” look like “Citizen Kane.”
To the extent that it matters, the plot involves a group of space aliens who cross the galaxy in a guitar-shaped spaceship, searching for rock-n-roll. They land in a small town, where their leader, ABCD, falls in lust with high-schooler DeeDee. (Pia Zadora, whose character is clearly named for the level of her acting skills, which makes her by far the most talented person in the film.) ABCD and his crew research earth life while avoiding the local sheriff (Ruth Gordon) and dealing with DeeDee's boyfriend and his gang/band, all to various musical numbers. Also, there's a Jermaine Jackson/ Pia Zadora music video near the beginning that has no connection to the rest of the plot, and Jackson does not otherwise appear in the movie.
The thing is, Pia Zadora is so adorable that she, alone, is worth the price of admission. She's about 5 feet tall, smokin' hot, and completely committed to her role, as ridiculous as it is. Truth be told, no one in this film phones it in. As bad as the script, acting, and songs are, everyone in the film acts like it is their last, which it probably was for most of them. The songs sound like parodies of other, better, songs, but even they have some charm, and that Jackson/Zadora duet was actually a hit.
If you wonder why you have never heard of this gem, it's because it was never released, at least not in American cinemas. You can watch it streaming now, and you'll like it if you like this sort of thing. It's as goofy and low-rent as “The Velocipastor,” and just as much fun!
3 stars out of 5
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