Product Description

This 1983 science fiction oddity, set in the subterranean world of heroin addicts, performance artists, and androgynous models in New York's East Village, became a staple of the midnight movie circuit and college campus film societies. A tiny UFO lands o

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35895 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-02-15
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 114 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
This 1983 science fiction oddity, set in the subterranean world of heroin addicts, performance artists, and androgynous models in New York's East Village, became a staple of the midnight movie circuit and college campus film societies. A tiny UFO lands on the roof of a grungy penthouse apartment inhabited by androgynous model Anne Carlisle and her drug-dealing lover Paula E. Sheppard (the former child star of Alice, Sweet Alice). As explained with deadpan gravity by hilariously naive alien hunter Otto Von Wernherr, the UFOs congregate in areas of intense heroin concentration and feed off the highs of addicts. This alien has found a better high: orgasms. Russian émigré Slava Tsukerman's punk sci-fi feature takes the alien in alienation seriously, charting the mental disintegration of Carlisle as every sexual partner dies in climax and she turns herself into a heroine-chic angel of death. Easily the strangest to come out of the New York indie explosion of the early '80s, this low budget classic is talky and overlong at almost two hours, but remains an imaginative use of bargain-basement effects (heat aura photography, stop motion animation) for a tale of a most unusual alien encounter. Tsukerman co-composed the minimalist electronic score (in the Laurie Anderson vein). Carlisle, who cowrote the film, also appears as a surly gay male model. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

80's fashion, music and fantasy flick: bizarre characters!
I have loved this movie since 1984. It's a cult classic that rivals films like THE WALL, REPO MAN & THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. And it's better than any of the above, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION. I never known a film-maker with such a bizarre, fantastic imagination, a native sense of pure shock-factor and just plain fun!!! The dark atmosphere/mood is unparalleled.

Basically, LIQUID SKY is the irresistible story of a gorgeous, androgonous, female fashion model who is addicted to heroin (or something equally bad news), and who gets her drugs from her female lover Adrian. She dresses as both a man and a woman--the height of 80's beauty and mystery. The actress, Anne Carlisle, who plays the protagonist could not have been better cast. In fact, I think she helped write the screenplay and the novel on whivh the film is based. She's pure genuis and pure sexuality.

There are elements of sexual & chemical adiction, male-hatred by lesbians and lots of voyuerism.

Thhis movie is so far out, nothing has even come close to its allure since 1983, when it was first released on VHS.

YOU MUST SEE THIS FILM!!!!

not too serious, but definitely fun
Wow, the reviews here are pretty high strung, like they're expecting this to be some kind of serious avant garde film, critiquing the early 80s, the art/fashion scene rebellion against the dullness of suburbia, sexuality, etc. I suppose you could try to load all of that into this, but I saw it as a parody that pokes fun at these types of pretention more than anything else. You get some of the atmosphere from that time, the characters and acting are pretty good, and it hangs together as scifi. There are some fun mind games in it as well, which are surprising to some viewers, but I do not want to reveal the hilarious plot twists. That is about it, no big deal, nothing all that deep. If you look at it as, well, entertainment, you can allow yourself to enjoy it for the fairly simple thing that it is.

Recommended. Warmly.

Finally available again after 17 years!
I watched this DVD last night, but will leave the critique of the film itself to the other reviewers here.

The DVD is very impressive, especially for such an underground/cult masterpiece. It contains three theatrical trailers, and also video of some of the actors rehearsing their lines before actual filming began. Also included is an alternate beginning to the film (about 13 minutes).

Great movie to add to your collection if you are into ecclectic films! The extras really make the DVD version shine.