This is part of my Scarecrow Video Guide inspired movie-trek, after "Jerry & Tom".
As a rabid Oingo Boingo fan, I'm not sure why I had never seen this until now. Of course, it was hard to find until recently. I even managed 2 different large video stores in the 90s, and never saw a copy. But still, I had seen the band 4 times (a high number for someone living outside California), and had been somewhat active in bootleg trading- thanks to stumbling across their infamous 1976 Gong Show appearance and managing to get it on VHS. (It's common now, thanks to multiple GSN runs.) I even have a demo version of the theme song. But I had never seen the film before a week ago.
Of course, the Mystic Knights don't make their appearance until near the end, and most of the music isn't even original Elfman compositions. But it's still a key part of the OB legacy.
Can a non-fan appreciate it? As a film, it's a beyond-low budget piece of nonsense. More of a piece of performance art than a film, it's like a semi-pornographic Betty Boop cartoon brought to life and fed a bunch of LSD. The performances are awful, even from Oscar nominee Susan Tyrell. But Marie Pascale Elfman exudes a silly charm ("Hot damn...the sixth dimension!"), if you can make out what she's saying. And Herve Villechaize is a bit funnier than I expected. Of course, Danny Elfman as Satan was the highlight for me, but it's an all-too-brief segment. Instead of more Satan, we get endless scenes of old men dry humping everything they see- funny once, but annoying 6 times.
FZ has a reputation as a "shock" movie, but 25 years later, the only real shock is the racist material. I suppose the black-face scenes (maybe there was only one) could be a nod to the 20's and 30's cartoons on which the style is based. But the black pimps and gang members in the back of the classroom are out of place and unnecessary (although I did giggle at one of the gags.)
I'm giving it a reluctant 6 out of 10 just 'cause I'm an OB fanatic. Lower that score if you don't know what a Tender Lumpling is, and raise it if you have a high tolerance for excessive silliness.
Next on the movie trek- "Getting Any?"
As a rabid Oingo Boingo fan, I'm not sure why I had never seen this until now. Of course, it was hard to find until recently. I even managed 2 different large video stores in the 90s, and never saw a copy. But still, I had seen the band 4 times (a high number for someone living outside California), and had been somewhat active in bootleg trading- thanks to stumbling across their infamous 1976 Gong Show appearance and managing to get it on VHS. (It's common now, thanks to multiple GSN runs.) I even have a demo version of the theme song. But I had never seen the film before a week ago.
Of course, the Mystic Knights don't make their appearance until near the end, and most of the music isn't even original Elfman compositions. But it's still a key part of the OB legacy.
Can a non-fan appreciate it? As a film, it's a beyond-low budget piece of nonsense. More of a piece of performance art than a film, it's like a semi-pornographic Betty Boop cartoon brought to life and fed a bunch of LSD. The performances are awful, even from Oscar nominee Susan Tyrell. But Marie Pascale Elfman exudes a silly charm ("Hot damn...the sixth dimension!"), if you can make out what she's saying. And Herve Villechaize is a bit funnier than I expected. Of course, Danny Elfman as Satan was the highlight for me, but it's an all-too-brief segment. Instead of more Satan, we get endless scenes of old men dry humping everything they see- funny once, but annoying 6 times.
FZ has a reputation as a "shock" movie, but 25 years later, the only real shock is the racist material. I suppose the black-face scenes (maybe there was only one) could be a nod to the 20's and 30's cartoons on which the style is based. But the black pimps and gang members in the back of the classroom are out of place and unnecessary (although I did giggle at one of the gags.)
I'm giving it a reluctant 6 out of 10 just 'cause I'm an OB fanatic. Lower that score if you don't know what a Tender Lumpling is, and raise it if you have a high tolerance for excessive silliness.
Next on the movie trek- "Getting Any?"