An Arizona teen discovers he might be an alien prince in this offbeat hotel-set comedy.
DOIN' TIME ON PLANET EARTH
A story of teenage alienation.
Eccentric teen, Ryan Richmond lives with his family in a hotel they own in Arizona. He spends his days at school with his best friend, Dan. Stuck without a date for his brother's wedding, Ryan goes to a computer dating service. He's told he might be an alien stuck on Earth along with thousands of others. Soon, an oddball couple - the Pinskys arrive and tell Ryan he's an alien prince meant to lead his brethren home. That's when things get weird...
Quick Answer
Doin' Time on Planet Earth is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Charles Matthau about an eccentric teenager in Arizona who learns he might be an alien prince destined to lead his extraterrestrial brethren home.
Programmer's Pick
Where else can you find a horny teen, a lounge singer, and a beehive of existential alien angst all under one Arizona Holiday Inn roof? Charles Matthau’s debut is a cocktail of suburban misfit comedy and intergalactic identity crisis—with Adam West and a computer dating service thrown in for good measure.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Details & Specs
- Director
- Charles Matthau
- Writers
- Darren Star, Andrew Licht, Jeffrey A. Mueller
- Release
- 1988
- Runtime
- 1h 25m
- Language
- English
- Genres
- Comedy
- Also Known As
- Boltsi hukassa, pallo jalassa, Hilfe, ich bin ein Außerirdischer - Ausgeflippte Zeiten auf der Erde, De Passagem Pela Terra, Galeotti sul pianeta Terra
Why This Matters
This 1988 comedy marks an early screenplay by Darren Star, who would later become known for his work in television, and was distributed by Cannon Film Distributors, a company noted for its output of cult and genre films during the 1980s.
Cast & Crew
View all →Why Cult
The entire film unfolds in and around a family-run Holiday Inn in Sunnyvale, Arizona, giving it a unique desert motel vibe.
Ryan’s journey from awkward teen to potential alien prince puts a cosmic spin on the familiar coming-of-age formula.
With a cast of parents, siblings, and oddball visitors, the film mines comedy from family relationships and small-town weirdness.
Ryan’s trip to a computer dating service leads to some truly odd questions—like whether he can breathe foreign substances.
Scene Gallery
Questions from the Vault
When was Doin' Time on Planet Earth released? +
Doin' Time on Planet Earth was released in 1988.
Who directed Doin' Time on Planet Earth? +
Charles Matthau directed Doin' Time on Planet Earth.
How long is Doin' Time on Planet Earth? +
The film has a runtime of 85 minutes.
What genre is Doin' Time on Planet Earth? +
Doin' Time on Planet Earth is a comedy.
Where can I watch Doin' Time on Planet Earth? +
Doin' Time on Planet Earth is available to stream on SassyFlix.
What makes Ryan believe he might be an alien? +
After trying a computer dating service that asks strange questions, Ryan is told he may be an alien stuck on Earth, a suspicion confirmed when the Pinskys arrive claiming he's an alien prince.