Can of Worms [VHS]
Don't be fooled by the title. There are no creepy-crawlies in this Disney made-for-television movie, based on Kathy Mackel's book. Instead,Can of Wormsis a sci-fi comedy dripping with tongue-in-cheek satire. While the opening credits are still rolling, we meet teenager Mike Pillsbury (Michael Shulman) in his backyard, armed with a satellite and earnestly appealing to "fellow citizens of the galaxy" to take him away from this planet, where he is "being held" against his will. Such soliloquies are common for this high school misfit who seeks solace by spinning elaborate tales about the universe. But this time someone up there is listening. Several days later Mike receives a visit from an English-speaking alien named Barnabus, a "slime bucket" with a voracious appetite who also happens to be an intergalactic attorney willing to help Mike sue planet Earth. This unruly doomsayer explains that Mike has opened a can of worms by communicating with outer space on that lonely night a week prior. Now Earth is no longer viewed as a technologically inferior planet and, therefore, will lose its protected status in the galaxy. The alien attorney is soon joined by a menagerie of extraterrestrials, each vying for Mike's attention. Problem is, while the universe is in calamity, a pretty cheerleader named Katelyn (Erika Christensen) is also interested in misfit Mike, and, for the first time, he glimpses the possibility of belonging. Now Mike must save the world, avoid abduction, and still get the girl. Cheesy special effects and an over-the-top story line make this a laughable late-night flick.--Lynn Gibson