Coneheads (1993)

“Take my car, its reinforced alloy superstructure is far superior to that of your broken down, rusted out shit box.”

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There are times when I wonder if how, when and why I watch a movie colours my perception of it. Take for instance, my experience watching Coneheads on an overnight Greyhound bus hurdling toward a major U.S. metropolis recently.

I can imagine that being encased in concrete and being buried neck-deep in a swamp for 13 hours might have been slightly more comfortable experience than this particular trip Stateside. Whatever made me think I could sleep on a smelly, cramped mass transit vehicle?

My only solace was a handful of peanuts, my patient travelling companion and this rented movie on my Apple mobile device. The popular Dan Aykroyd (My Girl) and Jane Curtin Saturday Night Live characters “from France” poked fun at American suburban family life.

This big screen version (or in my case, palm-sized screen version) took the SNL sketch, outfitted it with effective intergalactic (and frankly gross) movie effects, smoothed out seams on the conical bald caps and decked it out with all the comic celebrity cameos everywhere.

There was Michael Richards as the clueless overnight motel clerk who helped Prymatt (Curtin) and Beldar (Aykroyd) rent a motor lodge room when their spacecraft crashed to Earth.

From the motel, Beldar and Prymatt make troublingly quick progress fitting into American life. There’s only one problem. They are, watch for it, illegal aliens. Rim shot, please.

Adam Sandler (Eight Crazy Nights) plays a Cosa Nostra hood who arranges for a fake U.S. work visa for the gifted Beldar, who works for Sinbad repairing small engines. Beldar can also subsist on minimum wage and toilet paper …ah, the American Dream.

Unfortunately, Immigration and Naturalization Service is hot on the pointy-headed couple’s tail. INS agent Gorman Seedling is played by Michael McKean (This is Spinal Tap) and David Spade plays Seedling’s lick-spittle Eli.

Prymatt has a baby who grows up to be a hot chick named Connie, with a forehead 3 feet above her lovely eyebrows, played by Michelle Burke. She attracts the attentions of Ronnie the mechanic (Chris Farley).

Along the way there’s Ellen DeGeneres, Drew Carey, Jason Alexander, Kevin Nealon, Jan Hooks and Parker Posey. Puff, puff.

Also there’s Phil Hartman as the Conehead liaison to Earth and his great ruler is Highmaster Dave Thomas (Strange Brew). You know, I think any movie with Phil Hartman and Dave Thomas deserves my love.

Also Aykroyd battles a giant space monster, and he’s not wearing a shirt. That’s something to see.

So to conclude, Coneheads – it is better than a 13-hour red-eye without it.

As a result, I think it really deserves a solid pass. Thank you, Greyhound.

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88 minutes

Rated PG for comic nudity (shirtless Akroyd) and some crude humor