When I first encountered People From Space (the DVD that is, not real people from space), I immediately questioned whether or not this world of ours was really in need of another Blair Witch parody. I'd be inclined to say no, but seeing as how this film was originally made in 1999, it was indeed at one point, quite timely I'm sure. The advantage (and sometimes disadvantage) of People in Space lies within the fact that the entire film was improvised on a budget of about $7,000. In this respect you have to give credit where credit is due, because People From Space is indeed at times quite funny - but is it too late for another Blair Witch parody considering all that we've been subjected to up until this point? So many questions, so few answers.

Four friends (in the real world, these people would never be friends) embark on a bizarre journey in search of an alien space ship that supposedly crash-landed in the nearby woods (2-years ago?). In any event there's Missy (Spring Hill) and Sean (Stephen Sheffield), the not so swift slacker couple along with Bob (writer/director Mark Berlin) and Felicia (Cynthia Klayman), the paranoid insurance salesman and his (only there because she's comfortable and stable) wife. To make a long story short, our four heroes travel deep into the wilderness and get caught up in all kinds of Blair Witch-esque type mind-altering situations.

Many of the set pieces are of course lifted directly from The Blair Witch (natch) including the all time favorite "who has the map?" bit. Oddly enough, my favorite bits were the ones that were not directly related to The Blair Witch. Scenes of the four leads improvising bizarre conversations with the local weirdos, or scenes of them discussing the most basic of situations. There's also some comedic oddities randomly placed within including an area of the woods that causes everyone to simultaneously orgasm, a dildo tree, a strategically placed phone booth and an abrupt conclusion to a bizarre lesbian set piece that never really gets off of the ground to begin with. In the end it all plays off kind of as a low-rent version of Curb Your Enthusiasm except for a few minor details that hold it back a bit.

The main problem I had with People From Space lies within the fact that every once in a while a character will be interviewed about their experiences by an off screen presence. No one acknowledges the fact that a camera is following him or her, so one would have to assume that this expedition is technically not being videotaped. The fact that these people interact with this off screen presence and answer questions, speaking directly into the camera is quite confusing to say the least. This technique didn't make much sense and really felt out of place, but then again, the whole flick is so odd, perhaps that's exactly what the filmmakers intended.

Performances are all handled quite well and it's evident that everyone involved had a great deal of improv experience behind them. Mark Berlin is of course the strongest of the bunch with a really quick wit and dry delivery. He's the guy you love to hate, a role that if performed well, is extremely likeable in a sadomasochistic kind of way. The other factor that helps People From Space move along at a fairly brisk pace is the effective editing. Timing is very important with a film like this and a lot of effective comedic moments work quite well simply because of the films quick and tight editing.

Quality wise, what can one really say? People From Space was shot on digital video and is presented in a matted widescreen presentation. The flick looks OK with fairly solid colors (a bit over saturated) and a few slight video glitches. Audio sounds fine as well, presented in a stereo surround mix with clear dialogue with most of the audio activity taking place within the front speakers.

Extras include a still gallery and a mildly entertaining audio commentary with Klayman and Berlin, which ironically enough seems like less of an improv than the actual film itself. Fans of improv comedy and Blair Witch parodies must be dancing in the streets, now - who's got that damn map?