Plan 10 from Outer Space (1995) User Reviews

Should be seen by more people

[funkyfry · 7/10 · 29 October 2002]

Often funny (though sometimes seemingly unintentionally) take on alternate Mormon history has Karen Black as Brigham Young's 28th wife, who turns out to be an alien. She sings and dances in some truly bizarre musical sequences that are somehow likeable. There's also a very elaborate dance spectacle. Weird plot of repressed Mormon woman (Russell, presumably) obsessed with her beefy neighbor who she dreams of riding on his motorcycle onthe sky to outer space. A very cheap movie, done with lots of love for film and a sharp eye for the ridiculous aspects of Mormonism.

I've heard a lot of people criticize this movie because they rented it either thinking it was Ed Wood's movie ("Plan 9 from Outer Space") or that it was a sequel to it, not bothering to notice that it was made 30 or so years later. It's a pretty funny movie that may not be quite as unique as its "prequel", but stands on its own. Trent Harris deserves more notice from fans of interesting movies: his film "Reuben and Ed", which has been out of circulation for years (a friend of mine had to pay a ridiculous sum on Ebay for it) is a true classic. My friend tells me that Harris works at a news station (presumably as an editor) in Salt Lake City to earn his living and save money to make his unique films. I think somebody with a few bucks to scrape together (and believe me, this guy doesn't need more than a few) should take notice and get this guy more involved in the business before he gives up out of sheer desperation in the hot Utah sun.

A hoot

[jmblodgett · 7/10 · 29 March 2006]

I actually used to work with Stefene Russell, who told me (or someone did) that the film was named Plan 10 after being called the worse movie ever, even worse than Plan 9. Anyhow, here in Utah, we do enjoy our Trent Harris. The Mormons, on the other hand...well, this place fascinates me.

There's a lot here that only a Utahn might understand, though on second viewing I realized that Trent did try to give just the right amount of background information to explain all the Mormon references. If you can find this, I'd suggest renting it. I also recommend Trent's Rubin and Ed, for that matter. And read the Wild Goose Chronicles.

The more you know about Mormonism, the funnier it gets

[tnh-2 · 30 December 2001]

This is a fun little movie. It falls apart a bit at the end, but given that it must have had a budget of about $1.69, it does very well for itself, and at times achieves true strangeness.

Basically, it's a science-fiction film about Mormonism. I have no idea how it plays to non-Mormons; but if you ever wanted to sing "Maybe!" during the first verse of "Shall the Youth of Zion Falter," or giggled when the congregation sang "Yoo-hoo unto Jesus" in the old version of "How Firm a Foundation," it's definitely a must-see.

With what I can only call affectionate blasphemy, it pays homage to the inventive weirdness of 19th C. Mormonism. Most people know about the polygamy, but if you're not familiar with the background, you might think a lot of the other stuff that gets mentioned along the way was made up for the film. Not so. The Deseret Alphabet exists. God's home planet really is called Kolob, in Mormon theology at any rate. Porter Rockwell is widely held to have been one of Brigham Young's chief enforcers (it's a controversial point), and by all accounts was a very rough customer. Beehives are in fact a characteristic Mormon motif; Brigham Young was very big on them. And the ritual gestures and postures are real, but ... let's not talk about that.

The song about Kolob you hear throughout the movie is "If You Could Hie to Kolob," an early Mormon hymn. It's normally sung to the tune hymn geeks know as "Kingsfold," but you can also sing it to the tune of "The Beverly Hillbillies."

Some of the details are right -- and funny -- in ways I can't begin to explain, like having characters named Larsen and Talmadge; but I promise that if you were to say "The spaceship looks like a giant flying Liahona," every veteran of Mormon Sunday School would know exactly what you meant. And to my mind the funniest line in the movie is one that goes straight to the heart of the Mormon experience: "Just because it's made up doesn't mean it isn't true!"

I'm sure Plan 10 shocked some of the brethren and sistren. Tough noogies. Any robust religion will have jokes made about it by its members. The ones who can't bear humor of any kind are the religionists who secretly fear the jokes might be right.

Was actually looking for Plan 9...

[antiwolf · 9/10 · 2 April 2001]

I went to the video store, hoping to rent "Plan 9 from Outer Space". They didn't have it, but they did have "Plan 10 from Outer Space", and I was in an adventurous mood, so I figured I would watch it.

It was a long strange, surreal trip. Probably best watched when you haven't slept in a couple days, or when slightly intoxicated. Very surreal. I must say that I haven't seen anything like it before. It was something that I wouldn't have watched normally, but I am glad that I did.

Great exploration into mormon mysticism

[J.D.-2 · 10/10 · 6 May 1999]

Plan 10 is a fun story mixing mormon mysteries and hostile aliens from outer space. It delves into the Utah mormon realm with outstanding performances from local heroes Alex Caldiero and Gyll Huff. Don't miss the stunning visual effects (all created with an optical printer instead of digital FX) and of course the references to Rubin and Ed. Very mondo!

angels vs aliens

[scarab-4 · 10/10 · 19 June 1999]

This campy surreal dreamworld presents metaphysical paranoia at its best. Talmage, Lucinda, Larsen, Nehor: who's in charge of this fluid Mormon ooze? No need to be a Mormon to appreciate this subtle satire, but by god it helps. Have interdimensional aliens slipped one past Smith? Collecting wives, should Brigham have overlooked that titillating alien? Karen Black's breathtaking performance as... Nehor? is superb. No better sendup of Mormonism on this or any other planet. Unrated; full bacchal nudity; Brigham fu; mind-boggling interstellar vehicle; Danite mayhem; ancestor fu; electroconvulsive flashbacks; gold plate ground hog fu; Warhol relics; recurring Smith sphinx; straight-arrow sex-mad angels; revelating aliens; weird damn fu. Dave Bob sez check it out.

inventive conspiracy theory comedy with Mormons and aliens

[Matt Moses · 21 June 2001]

Good for Trent Harris, who against all odds and commercial interests managed to make a small handful of truly unusual films in the 1990's. Plan 10, though nowhere near as good as Rubin and Ed, defies categorization, touching on parody, surrealism and a wee bit of spirituality. Young Salt Lake City resident Stefene Russell aspires to become a writer, although she's somewhat held back by the unusual characters in her life. Her panty-sniffing brother Patrick Michael Collins receiving messages from space, which sends him to a mental institution; father Alex Caldiero, who reads experimental poetry in wheat fields for tourists, doesn't really seem to care. Worst of all is neighbor Curtis James, who spends all his time dancing with his shirt off in front of a window, clearly visible from Russell's typewriter. While sunning at the lake, Russell stumbles upon a metal plaque with some strange inscriptions. Determined to decipher, she brings them to a series of experts, eventually landing her in James's swinging pad. Together they find a book which explains a confusing conspiracy theory: feminist aliens started the Mormon church in order to impregnate humans. Her story ends her up at the insane asylum, from which she soon escapes to finish translating an ancient alien text, hopefully in time to save Salt Lake City from interstellar attack. Early in the film, Harris includes a brilliant, mostly true documentary on the Mormons, to not only give a little background but also show off his ability to mimic other genres. He's clearly an adept director, and the parts that feel awkward or unusual may well be completely intentional. Plan 10 occasional clunkiness comes from a highly unconventional approach to storytelling, very much in the mold of American comedy yet created from a maverick perspective. The cast is made up entirely of no-names; I'm guessing that Harris put all his friends in the movie. Indeed, some of the characters seem so superfluous that I wonder if he wrote in small parts for pals. Head alien Karen Black stands out as an exception, but I'm guessing her scenes were shot in a day. Harris has a keen sense of the absurd. While not quite a genius, he's certainly a visionary, and the world would be a better place if he kept on making movies.

A must-see movie

[bradleyhayden · 10/10 · 24 July 2019]

Trent Harris' movies defy description. He is an original and unique genius.

Strange but true.

[RatedVforVinny · 8/10 · 26 June 2019]

A mighty strange Trent Harris film about the very odd goings on in a militant Mormon community; after a woman discovers the 'Plaque of Kolob (like the Holy Grail for the Mormon church elders). It all sounds really crazy but in the context of the religion (it sends up) it's all perfectly understandable. There is much to enjoy about this movie and the aliens seem to fit so effortlessly into the plot.

Quirky And Pure Fun

[ladymidath · 10/10 · 3 January 2023]

I love this movie but it was so hard to find. Maybe because in Australia we don't get the huge variety that other countries do. I watched it years ago on VHS and then couldn't find it again. It popped up again and I sat down to watch it and it's as funny and entertaining as I remember it. I don't know much about Mormonism, I think there are a lot of inside jokes, but I love the visuals and the music. Plus Karen Black is always a joy to watch. The rest of the cast are great and Stefene Russell does a great job in the lead role. You can see that it was done on a low budget, but that adds to its charm. This is a movie that everyone should see once in their lives.

A very odd tale of Mormons and aliens!

[Infofreak · 24 March 2002]

I almost left this one on the shelf after scanning the lousy packaging which really gives you very little indication of what this strange little movie is really like. And while I am as much of an Ed Wood fan as the next guy, this movie has absolutely NOTHING to do with his nutty sci fi movies. It is its own kind of nutty sci fi, and any attempt to link it with 'Plan Nine' is misleading.

'Plan 10 from Outer Space' is an eccentric comedy involving a bizarre relationship between Mormons, bees and extra terrestrials. Shot on an obviously miniscule budget with a largely unknown cast, save for b-grade queen Karen Black, this is the perfect example of an inventive and original script outshining technical shortcomings. I look forward to seeing more from writer/director Trent Harris if this is any indication of his bent vision. I was also impressed by lead actress Stefene Russell, who displays a strong comic talent and is hell cute to boot. I hope she gets more screen work in the near future.

What an indie film should be

[minimogul · 16 April 2001]

Don't let the "exploit" title of the this production fool you. It's funny and a times, even charming. Stefene Russell is quite a find, and the film has a nice, quirky feel about it. Has a lot of cute comments and satire about Utah.

Plan Explation and Conviviceable Sequel 10.

[eddy-28 · 4 October 2000]

The long awaited sequel to Ed Wood's disastrous Plan 9 From Outer Space. Although Plan 10 From Outer Space is a little better than the first only because this one has no mistakes as the first. This one is more of a Comedy/Scf-fi/Horror Flick. Even though it was made almost four decades from the first, Plan 10 is slightly better. The film includes Robots, The Resurrection of the dead (Again! But without, Tor Johnson, Bela Lougsi, or Vampyria) and a mad woman from Outer Space enjoy it!

Ed Wood, your Plan 9 was great, but Plan 10 is your long awaited sequel only if you lived to see it, It might have made you proud!