This ten cent production just ran on TCM. It's one of the worst movies they've ever shown... but like everything they program, it's worth at least a sidelong look. That doesn't mean sitting through it -- it's a *very* long 75 minutes. In fact, I can't imagine how anybody made it through this bomb in a theater or drive-in.
Essentially what happens is this: A teakettle with an antenna lands in the desert. Our star, a portly man with his belt riding high, and his family of wooden wife and daughter, are menaced by their farm animals. This consists of closeups of cows mooing or dogs barking, with reaction shots of the actors screaming and running away. The best special effect comes when the chickens turn on their masters, which involves somebody off-camera throwing chickens at one of the actors. There's also a mute weird guy, for some (no) reason. And most surprising, there's Chester Conklin, who started his career playing opposite Charlie Chaplin in his early silents, continuing through Modern Times in the 30s. He's the finest screen presence here, which is faint praise indeed.
The soundtrack is classical music needle drops that have nothing to do with what's happening on screen (the climax to a symphony while somebody walks through the desert), plus ultra-cheapo sound effects.
On second thought, it's a masterpiece... of what Frank Zappa called "Cheepnis." (http://www.cupandblade.com/ cheepnis/cheepnis.mp3)
Essentially what happens is this: A teakettle with an antenna lands in the desert. Our star, a portly man with his belt riding high, and his family of wooden wife and daughter, are menaced by their farm animals. This consists of closeups of cows mooing or dogs barking, with reaction shots of the actors screaming and running away. The best special effect comes when the chickens turn on their masters, which involves somebody off-camera throwing chickens at one of the actors. There's also a mute weird guy, for some (no) reason. And most surprising, there's Chester Conklin, who started his career playing opposite Charlie Chaplin in his early silents, continuing through Modern Times in the 30s. He's the finest screen presence here, which is faint praise indeed.
The soundtrack is classical music needle drops that have nothing to do with what's happening on screen (the climax to a symphony while somebody walks through the desert), plus ultra-cheapo sound effects.
On second thought, it's a masterpiece... of what Frank Zappa called "Cheepnis." (http://www.cupandblade.com/ cheepnis/cheepnis.mp3)