MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN

US, 1988, 105 minutes, Colour.
Kim Basinger, Dan Aykroyd, Jon Lovitz, Allyson Hannigan, Seth Green, Joseph Maher, Juliette Lewis.
Directed by Richard Benjamin.

My Stepmother is an Alien is one of those old '50s science fiction titles - but is a variation on E.T. for the late '80s.
The film was directed by Richard Benjamin, has a fairly moderate performance by Kim Basinger. Jon Lovitz is fairly heavy-handed as Aykroyd's ogling brother. It is a variation on all the outer-space stories, especially E.T. Scientist Aykroyd is able to draw in from a far distant planet and galaxy. Basinger is the technologically advanced but a humanly inept visitor.

She learns human experience, most amusingly learning kissing from a whole series of old movies. The film is a moderately amusing contribution to the alien genre.

1. The popularity of outer space films? E.T. and the '80s? Variations on the theme?

2. American settings, special effects for galaxies and outer space, for bringing space creatures to Earth for close encounters? The contrast with the ordinariness of the American home? The comic special effects for Celeste and her learning to cope as a human being? The musical score?

3. The title and its focus, on extraterrestrials, on the young girl and the marriage of Celeste to Steve?

4. The focus on Steve - widower, his daughter, his assistant and devotion, his worldly brother? Authorities and their concern about him? His using extra power, the plan to draw information from the galaxies? The storm and the sci-fi overtones? His success? Celeste and her materialising? His having to cope with her, his personal limitations and his being a dedicated scientist? The encounters with Celeste at the party, her behaviour, his infatuation, going home with her? At home, his daughter and her approval? The build-up to the marriage? Sex - and the comic tones? The build-up to her getting the information? Her trying to infiltrate, his response? The authorities? The storm, the information from the galaxy and his trying to reproduce the storm? Her staying? The happy ending?

5. Celeste and the introduction to her, as an alien, her appearance and clothes, her glamour? The odd creature in her handbag? Her learning processes? Intelligence rather than emotions? her arrival, the plan to get the formula, her behaviour at the party and the exaggerations, eating and drinking the wrong things, her dancing? Her taking things too literally? Trying to get Steve to give the formula? Going out with him, sexuality and her being ignorant Trying to find out? The pornographic movie, the kisses from the gallery of famous films on television? Her drinking the battery fluid? The daughter's suspicions? her father’s reactions, preparing the enormous breakfast? The build-up to the crisis, in contact with her authorities and their visit? The creature in her purse and betrayal, trying to trap her? The climax in the laboratory? Her decision to stay?

6. The creature in the bag, its appearance, slightly obscene? The obscene variation on E.T?, The information, the transformations, supplying her with fashions and dresses? The wedding dress? The betrayal and imitating voices on the phone? Comeuppance?

7. The daughter, her love for her father, wanting him to be married, attraction towards Celeste, puzzle about her behaviour, the battery fluid, her father not listening to her? The happy ending?

8. The ogling brother, his style, causing the success of the experiment with his coat? his finale and actually going off into space with the glamorous creatures?

9. The space authorities - serious, comic touches? The elders from the other planet?

10. A popular concoction of familiar themes of the '80s - with comic and satiric variations?