The American Astronaut
dir. McAbee Opens Jan 18
Clinton Street Theater
I hate wacky. Other than sarcasm, “wacky” is the lowest form of comedy. “Wacky” is like Carrot Top. “Wacky” is like Gallagher. “Wacky” is like those dumbshits on public access who perform sketch comedy. And I wanna shove my fist into every one of their “wacky” faces.
That being said, I was originally dubious of The American Astronaut. It bills itself as “cowboy space opera,” and has characters named the “Blueberry Pirate” and “The Boy Who Saw a Woman’s Breast”–which sounds pretty goddam “wacky” to me. But on the other hand, it was written and directed by Cory McAbee of the San Francisco performance art/pop band, The Billy Nayer Show. Have you ever heard of them? No? Well never mind. The point is they’re pretty funny.
Anyway, the film is shot in black and white, and obviously on a low-to-the-point-of-non-existent budget. For example, “interplanetary space trader” Samuel Curtis (McAbee) flies a ship whose interior looks suspiciously like someone’s walk-in closet. Dropping off a package at a bar in the asteroid belt, Curtis is presented with a convoluted get-rich scheme: He is to make a series of trades on different planets (involving cloned girls, dead bodies, and the previously mentioned “Boy Who Actually Saw a Woman’s Breast”) and if successful, return to earth for a huge reward. Unfortunately, the works are gummed up by the crazy and infantile Professor Heiss, who insists on chasing Curtis across the solar system killing everyone in sight.
As mentioned earlier, the budget for this film is low, low, LOW, and renders a couple of the scenes unintelligible. However, it’s the fine acting and on-the-money comic timing of the troupe that makes this movie work. The comedy is definitely weird and off-kilter, but McAbee never forgets to make each of his characters likable and keep their actions grounded in reality. And while some of the special effects would make Ed Wood roll his eyes, along with the musical numbers and far-fetched characters, they tell a story that in the end is remarkably sweet. So, The American Astronaut is kind of like Carrot Top if he had a heart. And if he were funny.
Oh, and if he didn’t have my fist stuck in his face.
