Rating: (2 of 4)

As a slight change of pace, this edition's movie is, well, not good. That's right - there's a reason you've probably never heard of this 1984 Leslie Nielsen flick. Well, I call it a Leslie Nielson flick, but actually he doesn't get top billing here, even though he's the biggest recognizable star. Anyway, this movie's bad, no doubt about it. Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with that...

I have to say that despite its awfulness, I did find myself enjoying Naked Space, if only a little. Its camp value is undeniable, so if that's your thing, you'll probably like this movie. But the film does have some genuinely funny moments that are both intentional and surprisingly skillful. I'll leave these for you to discover, but I will say that the scene where the big red gooey cycloptic alien sings "I Want to Eat Your Face" in a Sinatra-like style* (and dances!) doesn't fall into this category. Still, it brought a smile to my face, at least.

Why was this movie made? And an even better question: Why did Leslie Nielsen, who had just finished Airplane! a year before this and was probably already involved in Police Squad! (which began airing a year later) choose to do this movie? We'll probably never know. Maybe he missed his Forbidden Planet days...

* Forgive me if this is an inaccurate reference: I was born but 20 years ago.

Naked Space is not a complete waste of time if you're desperate for a comedy or in an adventurous mood. If you happen to enjoy campy sci-fi, then this movie's for you. And even if you don't, you'll probably get a good laugh or two out of it. But don't say I didn't warn you: It's bad.

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