The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human
Alright, pop that tape in, adjust the tracking if you need to, and settle back on the couch. Remember wandering the aisles of the video store, maybe late on a Friday night, scanning the comedy section and landing on that cover? You know the one – usually featuring a very prominent Carmen Electra – for 1999’s The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human? It promised a certain kind of late-90s silliness, maybe a bit risqué, definitely quirky. And quirky it delivered, in spades. This wasn't your typical rom-com; it was trying something... different.
Like David Attenborough, But With More Awkward Sex Jokes
The premise itself is the main hook and gag: imagine a nature documentary, complete with a gravely serious narrator, meticulously observing the bizarre courtship rituals of a newly formed human couple. Our "specimens" are the sweet but kinda clueless Billy (Mackenzie Astin) and the object of his affection, the utterly stunning Jenny Smith (Carmen Electra). Guiding us through their fumbles, triumphs, and bedroom antics is an extraterrestrial anthropologist, voiced with perfect deadpan delivery by none other than David Hyde Pierce (yes, Niles Crane himself!). This inspired piece of casting is arguably the film's masterstroke; Pierce’s dry, scientific pronouncements about foreplay or post-coital snacks land with a unique kind of detached absurdity. It’s a concept that feels very much born of that late-90s moment where high-concept comedies were popping up everywhere.
Meet Our Human Subjects
Mackenzie Astin (son of John, brother of Sean, you might remember him from Iron Will) plays the 'everyman' trying to navigate the treacherous waters of dating. He's likable enough, embodying that slightly goofy, earnest vibe common in comedies of the era. Then there's Carmen Electra, cast right at the zenith of her Baywatch and MTV fame. Let's be honest, her casting was likely meant to draw eyes to the video box, and she certainly fits the bill as the visually captivating female specimen. The film leans heavily on her allure, often framed through the alien narrator's pseudo-scientific lens. Does their chemistry set the screen alight? Well, it serves the comedic purpose, highlighting the awkwardness and misunderstandings the narrator finds so fascinating. A fun retro-spotting bonus is seeing Lucy Liu, playing Jenny’s friend Lydia, in a role just before Ally McBeal and Charlie’s Angels launched her into the stratosphere.
A TV Mind Tackles the Big Screen
Behind the camera (or perhaps the alien observation probe?) was Jeff Abugov, making his feature directorial debut. Abugov came primarily from the world of television writing, having penned episodes for sitcom giants like Roseanne and Cheers. You can feel that sitcom sensibility here – the focus on observational humor, the somewhat episodic feel as we follow Billy and Jenny through dating milestones. The mockumentary format is the film’s defining feature, and while it provides the best jokes thanks to Pierce's narration, it sometimes feels stretched thin over a feature length. The visual style is pretty standard for a late-90s comedy, likely working within the constraints of a modest budget. There aren't elaborate effects; the "alien" perspective is achieved purely through narration and editing, which honestly works better than attempting any clunky CGI of the era.
A Relic of its Time?
Watching it now is definitely a trip back to 1999. The humor often revolves around sexual misunderstandings and the perceived "mysteries" of the opposite sex, filtered through that slightly detached, observational lens. Some jokes land, others feel a bit dated or obvious. It’s not exactly pushing comedic boundaries, but the central conceit remains amusing. The film didn't exactly set the box office on fire – it had a limited release before finding its likely intended home on VHS and DVD shelves. Critically, it was largely dismissed, currently holding a frosty 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. But critical reception isn't always the measure of a film's worth in the hallowed halls of VHS Heaven, is it? Sometimes it’s about the oddity, the specific flavor of a forgotten flick. I distinctly remember seeing this on the shelf and being intrigued purely by the bizarre title and the promise of Carmen Electra meets nature documentary.
The film attempts a kind of gentle satire on relationship guides and the way we overanalyze romance, but it mostly plays for light, slightly naughty laughs. It’s the kind of movie you might have rented with friends, chuckled at the narration, maybe fast-forwarded through a slower bit, and then promptly returned the next day.
***
VHS Heaven Rating: 5/10
Justification: The rating reflects the film's undeniable novelty and the genuinely funny narration by David Hyde Pierce, which elevates the material considerably. However, the central joke wears thin, the plot is predictable rom-com fare beneath the mockumentary veneer, and it feels very much like a product of its specific time, not all of which has aged gracefully. Points awarded for the unique concept, Pierce's perfect delivery, and the nostalgic value of seeing Electra and Liu at those points in their careers. It loses points for inconsistent humor and a somewhat flimsy execution of its core idea.
Final Rewind: The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human is a quirky, high-concept comedy artifact rescued from total obscurity by its alien narrator gimmick. It's not a lost classic, but if you remember seeing that distinctive VHS box, it offers a mildly amusing, nostalgia-tinged look back at late-90s comedic sensibilities – best viewed with the same laid-back attitude you'd have watching a particularly silly nature special late at night.