An actor whose series was just cancelled finds himself wallowing in booze, until he meets a bunch of different weirdos, leading him to birth an item that leads to intergalactic warfare and mayhem.
From the mind of of writer-director Richard Elfman, this bizarro tale is one that is incredibly difficult to explain or expand upon without saying too much or without making it sound even crazier than it is, if that were possible. This is what absurdist and bizarro cinema is all about. In here viewers will find aliens, clowns, geeks, beautiful women, awkward sex, a man dressed as a giant chicken, interstellar travel, peeping, nuns, and a car chase. Yeah, all of that and then some. The story takes many, many turns, most of them purely unexpected, until the viewer is completely turned around and unsure what will happen next. This here is pure Richard Elfman, something that his fans will recognize instantly and something others will either come to love or run away from. There is not much in-between here, you either love his still or hate it. Here, it’s love all the way. The chaotic insanity and nonsensical entertaining goodness in this film is something everyone needs lately, so it’s a must watch.
The cast here is led by Bohdi Elfman as Eddy Pine, the out of work actor who suddenly finds himself thrust into the madness of an intergalactic battle reaching Earth by way of his… wait, what? Yep. You’ll have to watch to know. His work here is entertaining and hits the right notes in terms of acting for this type of film. He’s an Elfman, he’s got this. Playing his love interest Helga is Rebecca Forsythe who delivers a funny, deer-in-headlight at first, then fully in type of performance. Stewart French, Steve Agee, Angeline Rose-Troy, Anastasia Elfman, Vern Troyer, George Wendt, and many others round out the cast here, most of them playing more than one part in various make-up and wig get ups that work here just right. Clearly, all of them were invested in these parts as much as they could. The film would not work without them trusting the process here.
Usually, here we’d look at the images, the cinematography by Howard Wexler is on point for the film. However, the point most will want to know about is the music. The score here is by Danny Elfman, brother of Richard and fellow Mystic Knight of the Oingo Boingo, a name synonymous with amazing scores these days and by Ego Plum, a man better known for his bonkers cartoon music. This duo here delivers the perfect score for the film, something that is quite noticeable in the mayhem going on here. The film has a score that just helps it work and helps bring the viewer into the film. Also, present as part of the film and as part of the special features is a music video of sort for the Mambo Diabolico.
This film is one of those that must not be missed and for which the blu ray rerelease from MVD is packed with goodness. The film itself of course in high def, but also the aforementioned music video, as well as fun interviews with cast and crew from the film. Director Richard Elfman gets his own interview and it is a good insight on his process and his mind. Enter if you dare.
Aliens, Clowns & Geeks is a bit of a nutty film with just about everything thrown in there and almost the kitchen sink. It’s calculated insanity and absurdity put on film and made into an entertaining piece of chaos. It’s the kind of film to watch with friends, chilling on a weekend or after a rough day to brighten up the spirits. It’s funny, it’s bizarre in just the right ways, and it’s entertaining, exactly what we all need these days.